Unbelievable - Kickas.org

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The nurse from the Rheumatologist finally called me, and the first words out of her mouth were (she was reading from my records from my family doctor), and I quote, "since you are taking Loratabs, the doctor will see you for an initial consult and one follow-up visit, and if he can't treat you without them, he will not see you again, because he does not prescribe narcotics." I went through the roof. I told her that I was only using Loratabs as a last resort, because I had been pulled off my NSAIDs because of my kidneys. I also told her that I took, on average, one per week. I also told her that my mother just died a very painful death from cancer without being given adequate pain control, and that I thought that any doctor who automatically rules out narcotics should not be practicing medicine. In short I let her have it big time. Oh, but you should have heard the change in tone when I said that what I really want is Enbrel, all peaches and cream then. So I have an appt next Wednesday at 3:00. Should I go, or should I cancel it and look for another doctor? What do you think?

Johnny

If it will get you on enbrel it is worth a try. Lots of love, Nancy

Hey Johnny,

I would still go. The doctor himself may be a good one and you wont know until you see him.

Bob

Got an itch? Scratch it!! Scratchboard Art by R. Berendt

Hmmm.. maybe go for the possibility of the biologics, but I would be concerned with the limit of "one follow up visit", since it requires him to magically do all the right tests and evaluations in a certain time frame, or you're screwed. Plus, with the possibility of complications, if you DID need another visit, would you get it or would they just tell you to go to some emergency room somewhere and to heck with you? Is this a one visit a year practice?

Maybe go but keep looking in the meanwhile. He might be one of these jokers who does a lot of initial consultations because of the big reimbursements and then he rejects a lot of them on the second visit by telling them they don't have his pet disease he wants to treat. But you never know until you try.

Long term, you don't want this guy for any sort of pain control , that's for sure. What if you broke something or fused funny and you had to keep working anyway?

And for all of you reading this, this is the American Health Care insurance system we are talking about, where the specialists weed us out rather vigorously, so please control your urge to lecture me on my cynicism...I've had doctors tell me to my face they don't like my insurance so they won't order tests or see me again, or they've told me they have "nothing" to proscribe for me. It's a cattle call down here in the lower 48 sometimes.

Johnny, go, Bob's right. I can't stand the nursing staff at my rheumy's, but my rheumy is a sweetheart, sure we've had our battles, like when she wanted to put me on MTX, but all in all she's very good. Called me back at 10:30 one night as she finally got soem bllodwork results.

Best of luck

Ian

Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. --Benjamin Franklin

Go go go get the Enbrel!!!!!!

Do it do it do it....I'm a new man, but for a possible infection right now....it was so worth it...

hang in there!
Peace
Linc

Linc O'Brien

I would go. I have a horrible time with my GP's receptionist (attitudinal to the extreme), but my GP is amazing. The nurse isn't the doctor and nurses/receptionists often get it wrong, or make things black and white that aren't necessarily.

Many hugs,

Kat

"I haven't failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that don't work."
- Thomas Edison

OF COURSE YOU GO...

nurses like that are flak-catchers...you talk to the doctor about meds and treatment decisions.
there's a reason she's on the phone; she's low on the food chain...Don't give up on this guy you've
worked so hard to get too...gee willakers...golly

alohaben

In reply to:
flak-catchers...

never mind the rest...

What exactly do you mean by that???

Women and cats will do as they please and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea

- Robert A. Heinlein

Johnny,

Just a practical note. Here in Canada narcotics require a triplicate prescription, and only a few doctors are eligble to use the triplicate pad. Perhaps your doc hasnt got these priveledges for some reason other than 'not believing' in narcotics. Regardless, I'd go, check things out and ask him if it's about philosophy or practicalities before I made up my mind.

Jeanna

You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it true.
-Illusions, Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah

Go get the Enbrel it has been a live saver for me. Hope your doctor is better than the nurse staff. Good luck. Mike..

I wood go and when you see the doc tell him how rude the nurse/receptionist was to you..I did that once and the doc called that nurse in and fired her.....oak

I am older then I look and I feel older than I am

I'm with Oak-in fact, I would write down everything you can remember about your conversations with the nurse, and any other staff member. Then I would let the Dr. know in detail what happened. Often docs tend to lose control over their front office staff-and unless they hear from patients they don't know what is really going on in their front office. Also, if you get resistance on pain control, you might download and bring with you the protocols for pain control that the Joint Comission on American Hospitals has put out. There are several websites that have these. In fact, the Dr. is supposed to have a pain control policy posted in the office. Good luck and don't let them bully you.

MaryD

[bold]You can't get to where you're going from where you think you should be. You have to start from where you are [bold]

It is true that there are more restrictions on other stronger narcotics, like Oxycontin and Morophine Sulfate, but plain old Hydrocodone is the most prescribed medication in the U.S. Every E.R. Doc in the country writes codone and codeine scripts everyday. I'm sorry Rush Limbaugh got addicted to Loratabs, but he ain't me! I have my original script from last August and I did have it filled one time, because my med deductable starts over in October, but I counted the pills last night and I still have not taken the original 30 pills from the first script. And that is with all the pain, both emotional and physical I've suffered over the last 9 months. I like to bowl. It is the only pleasure I have in life at this point, the only time I can actually get away from everything and just have fun. Some weeks I am hurting so bad that I absolutely cannot bowl, and it is then that I take a Loratab. I actually feel normal for two maybe three hours, then I pay for the transgression all night because the Loratabs make me itch like I've been rolling in poison ivy. But I do it so I don't have to give up bowling. It means that much to me. So for somebody who doesn't even know me to make assumptions about me based on the fact that I have a prescription, well, it just ticks me off royally. I have decided to go through with the appointment, if for no other reason than to tell the doctor about how rude his nurse was, and if it is, indeed, his policy, to tell him off as well!

Johnny

I have decided to go through with the appointment, if for no other reason than to tell the doctor about how rude his nurse was, and if it is, indeed, his policy, to tell him off as well!

Hell, I wouldn't want to be your doc.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . Friend hast thou none;
For thine own bowels which do call thee sire,
The mere effusion of thy proper loins,
Do curse the gout, serpigo, and the rheum
For ending thee no sooner. (M for M)

Yea, and you should have heard my mother crying out in pain, day and night for two months solid, and known that the doctors weren't givig her the right medicine because they were too afraid to prescribe it! And nobody, not the hospice nurses, not the doctors, nobody would listen to me.

Actually, I'm just blowing off smoke here. I'll probably go in and be the good little patient like I always tend to be, and probably won't say a word. To be honest, I'm hurting so bad this morning that I don't even know what I am saying. Sorry if I have upset or offended anyone.

Johnny

Honey, first off, I doubt that you've upset or offended anyone here. Secondly, I'm glad you're going to the appointment, but really, make sure you tell the doc about his nurse's attitude. His patients should not have to make it through Attilah the Hun to get to him.

I know that nurses are only human and they have bad days, just like anyone else. However, if that was the case with this one, then she needs to learn, if nothing else, not to take her 'pain' out on the patients. Just as we have to learn not to take our pain out on the people around us.

I hope this works out for you, Johnny. You so deserve some relief.

What's your average by the way? And do you bowl 10 pin or 5 pin? I love bowling too (10 pin). Used to have about a 135 average. Give or take. Have bowled a few 200 games and a couple of 500 series (total of all three games).

Hugs,

Kat

"I haven't failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that don't work."
- Thomas Edison

Johnny,

at one time I had a bad reaction to a new med...called the dr's office five times...even talked to the nurse as well
as the receptionist...so...two weeks later, with no returned phone calls, I made an appointment to see the dr.

I brought my phone bill showing the calls made to his office...told my tale of woe to the dr; he got up ,
left the exam room and gave heck to his office people as i waited...he took 40 minutes to see me
and billed for a 15 min med consult...and gave me samples of half the stuff i take.

aloha ben