[lostmary]

Hi all,

As you all know, I've been waiting for my new dr.(who is going to do the revision for the scs), to call me. It's been almost 6 wks, and nothing from him. I've called my PM dr, and cried, moaned,etc. I called again today and spoke to his surgical nurse. She said that once they send the info to another dr. that it is out of their hands. Needless to say, it went over like a lead snowflake. So I got on line and found another neursurgeon, and he happens to be here in my area. I called, and the first appt I could get was going to be for Oct 13. So instead, I went on the cancellation list. Hopefully, I'll get in before too long. So, after that what happens? Right, the other dr's office called. They will call in the morning to schedule an appt. I guess what I'm thinking is that the dr that hadn't called for 6 wks isn't going to do the surgery. I don't trust him or his office. If he can't get his act together, then why would I trust him. This other dr is close to home, and he keeps you overnite in the hosptial to make sure everything is fine. The dr that didn't call is over a 2 hr drive one way, (he's also at Georgetown University hospital with my PM) For some reason, with the local dr. I feel at peace and relaxed, and even tho I've never met him or anything, I think it is the smart move to go with him. What do you all think?

Hugs
Mary

[Lynns409]

Go wherever you are the happiest! But remember this: a doctor's office staff are not necessarily representative of the doctor's surgical skills! My pain doc, who is absolutely magical at positioning a lead, has some of the worst office people on earth. He's at UCSD and so the pain clinic has an insane amount of bureaucracy. Veronica, evil Veronica, the surgical procedures scheduling lady is the bane of my existence.

So if you've had surgery with the old guy already and liked the outcome, stick with it. And if not . . . do what makes you comfortable. I can tell you this though- I just moved back to Santa Barbara area of California from San Diego, and when I need to have surgery again I will be going back to my doc in SD (4 hr drive). If you find a good surgeon stick with them. You only want the best messing with your spine!
Lynn
(keep the Oct appointment though. Can't hurt!)

[bassman]

Mary,

I believe there is a lot to be said about "feeling right" with a particular doctor. We humans generally have a pretty good sixth sense when it comes to what's good for us and what's not. You definitely need to feel comfortable and secure your doctors.

Lynn said the office staff does not reflect the doctor. If that is so, the doctor is not paying attention to what is happening in his business. A medical office is as much a business as any other. If a head chef/owner of a restaurant does not know how his wait staff is treating diners, it reflects badly on the whole establishment. I think the same is true with a medical office. The paitents develop a bad attitude, which is never good for healing. (That being said of course, with large corporate clinics the doctor may not have any control.)

I also agree with Lynn that you should keep the other appointment. Second opinions and all that, right? You may think the new doctor is simply marvelous!

Good luck to you.

Mike

[dreambeliever128]

I agree with Mike on the Drs. office. My PCP's office just fired a girl due to how she was treating patients. I reported her attitude a couple of times but they already were seeing it. You should not have to deal with people's bad attitudes in the Drs. office when you are already dealing with illnesses.

Also like Mike said, keep that second appt. You might like that Dr. better and it doesn't hurt to have a second opinion. If I don't like a Drs. attitude, I move on or let him know about it. Nowadays they seem to have a different attitude anyway. I think due to lawsuits and these drug situations where they are getting afraid to give heavy duty meds make them more skeptical and reluctant to do what they know needs to be done. As Lynn says, the drive doesn't matter if you like the Dr.

I hope you have your surgery soon. I know how long you have been waiting for it.

Ada

[Lynns409]

Sometimes at university hospitals the doctors really don't have a lot to do with hiring/firing. There are clinic managers who report to supervisors and then coordinators and so on. So it's really different. The doctors only have input. My doctor was REALLY aware of some of the scheduling people, but they don't have authority to do anything. It's a business, yes, but it's a huge business, and because of this it takes a lot of complaints before anything happens. And it's all union and everything too. Very complicated. So be aware of this at university hospitals or clinics within big hospitals. Sometimes it can be very difficult to fire someone!

I just woo my head nurse. I adore her anyways, and once when my surgery was "accidentally" canceled for no particular reason, just dropped from the books, I turned to her for help. I had to have surgery that week it was planned because it was my spring break from school. She got me back in somehow and I was so incredibly greatful. I brought her flowers and chocolate because man, she deserved it. She cried! No one had ever thanked her for going above and beyond like that. She's mid-50s and I consistently see her doing more than necessary for people and no one had given her even a card before. So I inadvertently won her heart over. I just learned that being really nice to your nurses and showing your appreciation to those who are good to you can get you really far. I don't deal with scheduling anymore. The nurses take care of it for me.

(A couple of years later the same nurse came in on a Saturday morning to look at a revision incision for my spinal stim- 12 inches down my spine- that was starting to get red and just didn't look right. She put me on big gun antibiotics and had me come back Monday morning. I was in surgery an hour later and my entire stimulator had to come out. I had a massive infection in my spine and was in the hospital for a long time. My doctor told me that if Ann hadn't put me on those antibiotics when she did the infection would have been too far gone by Monday and "my outcome would have been different". Nice way of saying dead! So make friends with your nurses! You never know when they'll be there for you.)

I always ask the nurse, at a new doctor's, what can I do to help you make this happen? This let's the nurse know that I know that she's busy, frazzled and probably doesn't want to try to fit me in over someone else. And I laugh and joke with her or him about how pesky I am. Believe it or not, but it goes a long way and tends to work. Try it!

[lostmary]

Lynn,

I agree with you. I am on super terms with the staff at the PM office in the hospital. In fact, the office manager, when I got the insurance info. she needed, started laughing and said that she needed to hire me. I explained that I've worked in call centers for over 14 years, and I know that you don't yell at the person on the other end, because they are just reading what they have on the computer. I've had the insur. gals get up from their desk and walk to another dept to find something out for me. I've already decided that next time I go in to get meds, I'm gonna take a box of candy to them. They have been great and done so much to help me. The other day I spoke with the office mgr. and I was crying, (which I don't do alot), and I explained that I really didn't want DH to come up because he was so very upset, and I didn't want him yelling at them or the dr, as it wasn't their fault. She said that she though i should let him loose, that sometimes someone needed to get their attention. She was so sweet. When trying to get an appt with a dr. I'd speak with the office staff every day. One day they said that they still didn't have a cancellation. I thanked them, then said with a straight face, OH, I forgot, what kind of chocolate did you say you liked. She cracked up and sure enough, the next morning there was an opening. And yes, I did bring some with me.

I have decided to go with the local neurosurgeon. The staff is great, and I like the idea of being close to home for the surgery.

Hugs
Mary

[Lynns409]

You know the secrets! So did making a decision bring you peace? I hope so! Sometimes just being in limbo can make things so much more stressful. I just moved and I'm trying to get a new hematologist . . . Bleh. My primary doesn't feel comfortable treating me for the condition but I can't get a hematologist without a referral. But because this primary wasn't the diagnosing doctor, they can't refer. My diagnosing doctor hasn't been treating me, so they aren't "comfortable" referring me. Hematologist hell! Just weird limbo. I'm glad yours is over!

Lynn

(I hope you didn't think I was chastising you for crying and moaning! There comes a time, after being bounced from this office to that one and then given a phone number that is disconnected that we all break down. Not that those types of things happen to me. )