It seems every time I find a doctor I really like, and really trust, and one who is able to come to an understanding that my body often works in contrary ways to what the textbooks say... They leave me. Only this time not only has my PCP left me but his NP is leaving shortly too. The new doctor who is taking over is a young guy. I mean like really young... fresh from med school young... even though he is duel liscensed for family practice and sports medicine.

But I saw him for the follow-up from my ER visit and he loved to tell me how "Typically, MS presents almost like a stroke... like one day you can't move your arm, or you can't lift your leg... and then it might go away for a bit..." ??? Really???? First off I wasn't aware there was much that was "typical" of MS, and secondly, I can't say of those I know of with MS, that their first symptom was thinking they were having a stroke...

In all fairness he is a family/sports med doctor and not a neuro, but that kind of peeved me all the more that he had the arrogance to try and act like maybe I didn't have MS because I wasn't acting like the stroke victim I assume the textbooks he read said I should. He was nice enough, just kind of holier-than-thou I have a medical liscense so I should know more about your body than you do, kind of young doctor, as has been my experience with almost all the young doctors, even more so when they are younger than I am. Maybe they're intimidated by life experience or something, who knows, but I'm thinking I've probably read more medical journals and textbooks than the half of them, considering I started reading them when I was six years old just for fun.

But either way, I now am faced with trying to find a yet another doctor. Hopefully I can keep in the same healthcare group for that, but either way I can see the two of us having too many head-butting competitions. He even told me that I couldn't really be "allergic" to cortisone as the body produces it itself... Yeah, no #@A$ Sherlock... doesn't change the fact that I have a bad reaction to the drug that interferes with my ability to breath, and since you only get a red band to say HEY DON'T GIVE THESE MEDS, for reported allergies, I'm going to keep cortisone down as an allergy thank you very much.

But seriously why can't doctors just keep practicing medicine till they're dead? I mean my old doctor only just turned 70, that's still young enough right? According to social security my DH and I can't retire till we're in our 70's, why he should be able to skeeve out earlier? Especially when he's abandoning me to the far too young crowd. I mean, he might have read all the books but how much real experience does he have? Other than the fact I could tell pretty quick that it wasn't much, he's smart enough, calm enough, and overall had pretty good bedside manners, at least when he wasn't throwing his book learned education around, which I'm guessing didn't include the "exception to every rule" clause. But I just need a doctor who has witnessed at least a few exceptions to the rules to be open-minded enough to realize that when it comes to practicing medicine, what you get almost always seems to be exceptions to the rules rather than any human body actually following every single rule.

He even asked me if I was running a fever with the kidney infection... I told him no, I don't really run fevers, if anything I go hypothermic rather than hyperthermic when I'm sick. He asked how so...How else, my body temperature drops when I'm sick, lowest it's ever gone is 93.2, it almost never goes up and even if it does it's just a short spike. Less than a 10 minute interval where my temperature might spike up to 99-100, but then it instantly begins to drop right back down again.

Once more I was told how it doesn't work that way. The body doesn't drop it's temperature because you're sick. Was I sure I hadn't just had something cold to eat or drink before taking my temperature, a popsicle or something... So I told him to double check my ER record. There was one instances of my temperature spiking to 99.1 degs, an hour later it was down to 95.3. And no they didn't put me in ice packs because I had such a highhhhhh fever. Tried to explain to him again... this is why I said, my body just works contrary to popular belief

Hopefully, my mom's friend from the sister office can answer back soon about which doctors over there might be just a bit older and wiser (open-minded to things not being textbook). Otherwise it's back to the drawing board once more

I have a neurologist I like. He is old enough to have experience but not to retire. I'll die first too! (I've had problems with dentists dying or retiring)

He did leave to do research but is back now at JH hospital (which is good and every doctor I've met has been competent and respectful, I'm lucky to live near). In my e-mail goodbye I thanked him for never playing Demi-God full of all the answers about my MS. He always tried to find answers to anything I asked him. I'm not a high-maintenance MS patient but I like having him available if I ever really need him. I know I'm lucky. He, like anyone else, can't cure me but will help with any problems when needed. For all the bad and uncertainty MS can bring, I like having one good thing at least.

I am so sorry starz. Hope you find a doctor soon. Is there an MS society near you that you could ask for suggestions and testimonials from members? For the next doctors make sure you talk to him/her about your expectations right away, no use wasting yours and their time.

My own PCP came right out of family practice residency when I started going to him. But as a nurse, I knew what he was like and loved him. I also knew my neurologist. I knew her dedication to the patients ad what she expected from us. Her nurses station behavior wasn't the best but hr bedside and family manner was tops.

Hi Starz,

I think I have said this before, so please forgive me if I am repeating myself.

I sure wish we could "interview" potential docs before we have to pay to see them for an initial visit and exam. (Only to find out that they are not a good match for us.)

Even with referrals from others, a doc that "fits" one patient, may NOT be a good "fit" for another for all sorts of reasons.

If we could write up a brief questionnaire and have the potential docs respond, we could weed out some that do not meet our needs right off the bat. Then, with the remaining ones, we could do a face to face interview. Just like a job interview.

We ARE asking them to work for us and we are going to be paying for their services, right?

Shopping for a doctor is an awful task to undertake. So many times we "settle" for someone that will do,.... but we are not really satisfied with, ... simply because we can't afford to shop and insurance isn't going to foot the tab for it.

If others are anything like me, .... I have a few particular things that I look for in a doc that is very important to me. Some other things are of less importance and I can live with or without.

Not that anyone cares, but I will mention one of the BIGGEST things that matter to me. Is the doctor willing to PERSONALLY talk to me on the phone? I don't want a doctor that will only speak to the patient face to face in an exam room and never at any other time. I do not expect a doc to "take a call from me" when I phone, but I DO expect THEM to call me back, not the nurse, the receptionist, some other staff member. If I had wanted to speak to someone else, then I would have ASKED to speak to someone else. When I want to speak to my doctor, I want to speak to HIM/HER. I despise the 3rd party back and forth as things always get mixed up and a lot of questions do not get answered.

I don't mind waiting until the end of the day when the doc has finished seeing patients to get the return call, but I want the person on the other end of the phone to be my doc.

If it were something that someone else could handle, I wouldn't be asking to speak to the doctor in the first place.

THAT is my number ONE requirement I have for a doc,.... that I get to speak to HIM.

Keep in mind that I do not like to call a doc and will ONLY make a call when it is absolutely necessary so that is why I don't want to speak to another person instead.

I have one doc that gives his patients (ALL of his patients) his personal cell phone number and tells them to call him directly. Oh, how I hate to avail myself of that because I am always afraid that I will call him at an inconvenient time. I would prefer to leave a message with someone to have him call me at HIS convenience.

It is just the back and forth with a 3rd person that drives me up a wall.

Wishing you the very best in your quest to find someone that "fits" you.

Well, one more reason to find another doctor. When I had seen him he seemed to think my neuro would be removing my MS diagnosis. I just finished up with my follow-up from the neuro this morning and there was absolutely no mention of her removing my diagnosis. Thankfully everything is stable as far as lesion loads go so basically maintaining the status quo. But I was really dreading this morning's visit thinking that I would have to argue with the doctor and such. But no, she just wanted to see me sooner given my recent admission to the hospital just to make sure I wasn't having any additional problems or maybe needing to address some bladder issues since it was a UTI and kidney infection. That was the only reason why she wanted to see me sooner rather than my appt that was scheduled a few weeks from now.

So I'm still loving my neuro, but the primary.... I need to find someone else I think. I don't much mind about talking to the other people when playing phone tag with the dr. offices. Mostly since my health group has a way to directly email the doctors. It's a lot of times even easier than calling them and I tend to get answers sooner. However, one thing that I absolutely must have in a doctor is one who doesn't talk over me.

I can't tell how many doctors I've had where they ask me a question, I start to answer, then they try to finish my sentences while I'm trying to tell them "no that's no what I'm saying...." Then everything gets discombobulated as the doctor can no longer distinguish what he said from what I said. The worse part is, I live in the south, but I'm originally from New England... I never once thought the Gilmore Girls talked too fast, or even fast at all... That's how we talk in the New England... motor-mouths all the way. So I know it's not that I'm talking to slow and the doctor is trying to speed things along... They're simply not listening to me.

Requirement number 2, of course is having an open mind. I have a lot of weird things that go on, some from MS, some from the hemochromatosis, some from I guess the red-hair gene. I can't take vitamin supplements unless they're water soluable, anything else quickly develops a toxicity reaction. Forget narcotics, they really don't do much at all for any kind of pain I'm in, and never once have I felt "high" from taking them, so I don't even get any fun out of the deal.

And finally, I really have no clue what 'normal' feels like, so there's no point in lecturing me for not noticing something you think 99% of the world's population would notice. If you want an answer to a question, you're going to have to be specific in what you're looking for, otherwise it really just goes over my head most of the time. (Big reason for bringing family members with me, so that for a lot of the questions the doctors ask, while I'm shaking my head going... nope...nope... not that I can think of.... my family members are generally vigoriously shaking their heads...yes... yes... all the time...) So the doctors need to not only listen to me, but my family members as well... sometimes needing to listen to them even more than they listen to me

I also live in GA and was just wondering if you are anywhere near Atlanta and the different facilities there ?

Accents: I was raised in the Air Force and never really had an accent until my dad retired when I was 14 and we moved back to GA. I've always talked fast so now I have a thick southern accent and talk fast....lol

Debi

Starz, have you thought about The Shepherd Center? I also live in GA and have recently started seeing a Neurologist there. They have their own MS Center there.

It's a 60 mile trip one way but it's worth it. That facility is amazing. My doctor ordered PT for me but I can get it at a hospital closer to my home. That was a HUGE plus.

They are in Atlanta on Peachtree Street right next to Piedmont Hospital.

It's so easy to forget how many Georgians are on these boards . But unfortunately I live in Kingsland, about a mile away from the Florida border and a mile from the Atlantic ocean... As far south and as far east as you can get in GA without hitting FL or ocean . So Atlanta is way too far to travel for medical care, though I've heard a lot of good things about the doctors for MS up and around there.

My closest bet is Jacksonville, which is the hospital I currently use through the University of North Jacksonville. They're pretty good doctors overall, I haven't had any complaints with them until this new guy came in to take over for my retired doctor . But I'm hoping I can find another doctor in that same 'office' to use as my primary, though it'll mean shooting across the border to FL rather than driving over to St. Mary's (honestly, time wise it's one half dozen or the other as to which office I go to. Less traffic and faster speed limit into FL but an extra couple of miles, far more traffic and much lower speed limits heading to St. Mary's.) It's more the psychological effect on distance when you think... oh I have to travel to another STATE, vice I have to drive to the next town over. (Yulee FL is also the next town over though ) And for a while the near bridge connecting Yulee and Kingsland was down for maintence that lasted well beyond what it was supposed to which meant hoping on to the highway and cutting back across and over to get to Yulee. So that did put the St. Mary's office closer by both distance and time.

And no UF Health was not the hospital that admitted me and called me a druggie while I was dying in pain from a kidney infection and UTI, that was a different hospital, which from now on I will not be going to ever again, just like the hospital here in town which I (and multiple other people) call Camden Malpractice Center. Most everyone from around here knows they're a terrible hospital and they have one of the worst healthcare ratings in the US in terms of secondary infections, mortality rates and whatever other factors they put out, they're even close to losing many insurance carriers because their health scores are so low that insurance companies don't want to pay for the (lack of) care received there. I just feel bad that we have such a high number of military members who are sent there and really don't know what they're getting themselves into as Tricare is trying to force the hospital to pass for a trauma center. They can barely treat a paper cut without giving someone a secondary infection... They most certainly cannot be a trauma unit.

But if I have to leave UF health for a primary doctor, I'm not really sure what I'm going to do. It was difficult before trying to get all the doctors on the same page when I was seeing the neuro outside of UF health, I really don't want to be back in that same boat again. The stupid HIPPA drives me crazy because once a year, when the doctors aren't all in the same group, I have to fill out all these HIPPA forms to tell this doctor's office to release records to that doctor's office and that doctor's office to release to this doctor's office and heaven forbid I should miss a doctor's office in there to tell them to please TALK TO EACH OTHER... Honestly I don't care if you tell your neighbor's dog or announce it on the 5 o'clock news. Share the information!!!

Hi Starz,

I have one doc that has email contact and I use that so I don't get caught up in the 3rd party talk back and forth. The problem with that for this particular doc is he is not very good about checking his email and responding. Sometimes there can be a considerable delay. HE prefers patients call him on his personal cell phone. I don't like to do that. I did call him one time (per his instructions) and he was in the car, driving his grandkids somewhere. EXACTLY, why I don't like to call him on his personal cell phone.

I have another doc that I send him a FAX. That way he knows exactly what I want to know, has time to review MY chart, and then he calls me back at HIS convenience. The funny thing is, he usually calls me back within 10-20 minutes of my sending the fax. If I called his office, he would return my call at the end of the day. This system works out well for both of us because I usually need to send him data with my question and he has it all written out in front of him. He also has time to prepare to speak to me and not just give me a quick off the cuff response to a question he is not expecting and without review of my specifics in front of him. This has been the best of all systems for my satisfaction. Nothing gets mis-communicated. The doc is prepared to speak to me and I to him.

And then there are the docs that are protected by their staff. NO ONE gets to talk to the doctor. There is NO way through the staff. First you have to tell the person that answered the phone WHY you are calling. Then you get transferred to another person. Then you tell THEM why you are calling. Then, they come back to the phone and tell you his nurse will call you. Then, you finally get a call from the nurse. She has been told why you called but for some reason, it is either NOT what you told others already, OR, you still have to tell the nurse. Then, she says she will need to speak to the doctor and then she will call you back once again. You get the long awaited call, hoping to have the answer you were seeking from the doctor, but the nurse does not address the concerns you relayed and you are left with only partial answers or none. So, you ask for more information or clarification or something and the whole process starts over again. THIS is my pet peeve. This is the system that drives me up a wall. What a waste of time for EVERYONE involved. How does THIS protect the doctor or save his time?

Then there is doctor #4 that has an inter-office system. The patient calls and the person on the receiving end, a staff member, maybe clerical, types into their computer system that you called. They supposedly write the nature of your call but it is never as you stated. This message is picked up by the doctor and HE does personally call back but he answers something different than the purpose of your call since the person typing the message got it wrong and shortened it and it was distorted in the process. While this is not my ideal system, at least it IS the doctor that calls me back PERSONALY, and not someone on the staff.

That is why speaking to the doctor PERSONALLY is one of my top priorities. I won't go into the horror story of how one doc of the past almost killed me due to all the third party miscommunications and his refusal to speak to patients on the phone at any time. My very last call to him was blocked by office personnel and I could only "leave a message". My message was: Please tell Dr. X to call me personally. I will NOT speak to his nurse or any other person. I wish to speak to HIM directly. If he is unwilling to do so, please inform him that I will take up my near death episode that he caused with the appropriate source and he and I will NEVER speak again.

He did call me PERSONALLY. I told him what he had done nearly caused my death. He told me to make an appointment and he would review my chart. I never saw nor spoke to him again. I have, however, received letters, over the years, from his office advising me that it is time for me to come in for an exam. HA HA As if I will EVER seek his care again. There is MY rant for today. That is also why I am so insistent that I not go through 3rd party back and forth. The mis-communications almost cost me my life on one occasion.

Inconvenient for the patient and nurse for sure but it in fact saves the provider time in that hopefully, and in most cases the RN can triage and address their concerns. Unfortunately most often what patients feel is life threatening is not and if in fact it were life threatening calling 911 is always preferable.