tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532388825298713035.post2500864187768523947..comments2024-03-22T13:46:31.211-04:00Comments on Getting Closer To Myself: Patients Rights Are Human RightsLesliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13910940045470516414noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532388825298713035.post-11592727967972951022012-04-04T22:40:13.360-04:002012-04-04T22:40:13.360-04:00Oh man! That sounds HORRIBLE!!!!!
I am SO gratefu...Oh man! That sounds HORRIBLE!!!!!<br /><br />I am SO grateful for one particular doctor in my life right now. He gave me his office number and told me to call him on a regular basis. So he's acted as my advocate on multiple occasions.<br /><br />I've had equally horrible stories with campus health. In the school I'm in now, the doctor actually told me that since I didn't have pneumonia or the flu and I didn't want birth control, she refused to take me as a patient. She said, "You need to see a specialist." No recommendation what type of specialist. No offer to write a referral. (This school requires a referral for every single specialist in their hospital!!) I had to find my own primary care physician elsewhere.<br /><br />I've learned to be very assertive. I know what I need and I know what I want, and I'm not leaving until I get it. My last conversation with a reception went something like this, I need to make an appointment with an MD. <i>I'm sorry. You are assigned to a nurse. That cannot be changed.</i> I do not want to be seen by a nurse practitioner. I was referred to the MD. I have to see an MD. <i>I'm sorry, ma'am. That is not possible.</i> I need an MD. What are my other options? <i>None. Uhh, let me make a phone call. *phone call* Yes, that would be fine. The MD will see you. How about Thursday?</i><br /><br />It's tough. I'm not a very bossy person. But you have to remember that you are the one that is sick. You are the one who lives with the consequences of whatever someone else decides to do. And you are the one paying for it (with money). SO it really should revolve around you. While I would not recommend becoming the most annoying patient ever, standing up for yourself demonstrates to the medical professionals that you take your illness seriously. They will have to as well.<br /><br />~Abigail<br /><br />P.S. Not to make this the longest comment ever, but I've also starting carrying around my own medical records. When I pull them out and they see how thick it is, they usually start taking me more seriously. Because I know a lot of jargon and I can pull stuff out and demand them to look at it, they realize that they either have to deal with the fact that I need medical attention or they're going to have to mumble that they're not interested in taking me as a patient and walk out the door.Abigail Cashellehttp://hiddencourage.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532388825298713035.post-28515541621376211182012-03-28T21:45:17.323-04:002012-03-28T21:45:17.323-04:00Ugh, I feel this post so hard today. Having recent...Ugh, I feel this post so hard today. Having recently attempted to find a new PCP after diagnosing my former doctor-patient relationship unredeemable, how I've come to want to smack them with my own four inch chart for their own reluctance to deal with "a complicated situation/case" (which I very well might be, but -- I'm also -- and foremost -- a goddamn person. It's like I want to take the "you're too young to be this sick" right with the "I can't read this whole chart" and just beat them senseless until they wake-up and realize it's their job. And I understand that doctors have their defeated days. And, as a trained social service professional, I understand physician reactions can be about depression, burn-out and fearing their own fragility/mortality/inadequacy/dark scary monster in the closet. But, still. A commitment is a commitment. And a commitment to be a physician should be not only about practicing the clinical delivery of excellent science but about delivering the best non-judgmental non-editorialized thorough care 100% of the time. (Or as close as a human can get!) Serious solidarity with you and your frustrations.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5532388825298713035.post-69050411569088540862012-03-28T14:37:59.922-04:002012-03-28T14:37:59.922-04:00How frustrating - especially the doctor who refuse...How frustrating - especially the doctor who refused to read your file. That's shocking - and clearly of great consequence to his or her ability to treat you effectively. <br /><br />I always get the "can't you straighten your arm all the way?" question, too. I try to use it as an opportunity to inform whoever is taking my blood that young people get arthritis, too. In general, I've had positive experiences with this - people are often surprised and ask questions, which I appreciate. Still, it's frustrating that it continues to happen. It's never actually prevented anyone from getting blood from my arm, anyway.Helenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07842890893365738906noreply@blogger.com