Feckin Useless Doctors

A few years back I decided I just HAD to see a doctor. At the time I was 73 and had not seen a doctor in years [I avoid them at all cost, short of eminent death]. I was feeling REALLY bad. My medical plan sent me to this guy. My blood pressure was 190/80. In a bit he gave me a.prescription and said "come back in a month". HE WAS SO FIRED ! Got a second doctor. He put me on blood pressue meds and started monitoring it once a week [I had my own BP cuff as well]. My BP would go way up, then it would go way down. My breathing was terrible. My digestive system had all but stopped functioning all together ! What did he find ? My thyroid had almost stopped working altogether. Two years on thyroid meds and I am almost off BP meds. I can now eat. My breathing is much better. Still have an awful time sleeping. That was a bad one. ...J.D.

 

So glad to read that that second doctor got things figured out and put you on the right track. I learned a long, long time ago that all docs are not created equal. Not even close. It's good that it only took you two to get a good one, JD.

 

I recount my experience as a example to others. When you KNOW something is not right, do NOT let them blow you off. If I had not gotten real tough, that could have killed me. I knew something more was going on there. It has taken two years so far to bring me back to maybe 90% of normal. ...J.D.

 

Once went to see the doc about my knees, sat there telling him my symptoms and noticed that he was looking at ceiling, I asked him if he was listening and said what?, I went bezerk with him and walked out refused to see him again.

 

Well I have long been of the view that the problem lies in the system far more than the staff. The US and UK systems appear to be at opposite drooping ends of First World medicine. You either have unaffordable, inflexible and wildly bureaucratic insurance or State sponsored indifference that crushes clinicians and patients alike.
I know the NHS is a religion for some but why on earth does a politician think to tell a Dr how to do his job along with tiers of non clinical ‘managers’? The mixed medical economy of the German system produces far better and pretty immediate outcomes for really quite modest additional cost.

 

Agreed, Callumity. In either system, however, you need to be your own patient advocate and do a lot of the research yourself. Learn as much about the mechanics of your injuries as you can, so you can correctly diagnose what is going on and have a doctor confirm it. Talking to other people with the same injuries is also very helpful, if just for the mutual commiseration. I didn't even have health insurance when I had my shoulder looked at. It was just a doctor friend's ultrasound machine. Covid decimated my company I was working for and I'm back in the same boat with no insurance. Well, I have the public option now again.

In any case, getting a proper image of your shoulder is priority one. If you can get an MRI, that would be the best case. Then if surgery is on the table, really, really do the PT and be strict about it. My friend had an ACL replacement and the PT was not working, so she changed to another PT and got better exercises. Of course over there, you can't do that, so you'll have to push your PT tech to try new things if you don't improve.

 

I know where you are coming from BUT.......

You remind me of a lawyer I once worked for (I was training until I saw.the light). I saw some very perplexed clients coming out of his office clutching a file. I asked him what was up. He said, “Pair of teachers. Knew it all. Told them they really didn’t need my services, here’s your file, no fee.”

Now go tell your Dr what to do. Do you think he might feel his professional judgment took second place to your keyboard skills? It is not a good basis on which to start. Sometimes you are better doing a bit of research before but mostly after the consultation to answer the questions you forgot to ask. After a 30+ year military career I get mighty pissed at armchair generals!

 

Oh, it's a fine line you are walking for sure. But you are the patient and you are the one feeling pain and have the feedback as to what is working and what is not. In my friend's case, she had some pain that her first PT wasn't helping, and it fact was making worse. So she went to a second PT, which seemed better, but ultimately gave her exercises that didn't improve things either. A third PT on the other hand was better than the first two, and they got it all sorted out. If you just stick with what one doctor says, you are left with what you get. That's the point I making.

And also learning about your injury helps you to understand what is going on with your pain and why. Your doctor. if they are any good, can teach you the details. If they are bored by these conversations, well, you need to talk to someone else.

 

Right. You the patient have the time, but the doctor really doesn't. So if you can communicate what you think is going on based on some experiments you have done with your injury, they at least have a place to start other than "it still hurts." And don't forget, if you are seeing a general practitioner and start rattling off about ortho stuff, it might not be something they are even up to date on. They can't go reread that section on shoulders before you come in. I'm not sure how they do specialists over there or if they even let you see them without a lot of hassle.

 

I spent 30 years in corporate America as a technician. Never wanted to be on top. You learn how to deal with these people. Giving them a piece of your mind never works. Doctors have a superior attitude. If push comes.to shove you have to turn thier world upside down. A well placed phone call or email about three or four rungs up the ladder they are on usually puts things in perspective. Speak [or write] respectfully and state only the facts. In the corporate world I preferred emails. I was a bit of a terror in the working world. I retired early with two pensions. Most of my colleagues are still out there grinding it off. ...J.D.

 

GP's in general get a bad rep but other than the odd bad apple they are good at what they do. If you look at all the moving parts of a body; frame, engine, fuel, wiring, plumbing, computing, covering and everything else that interconnects them as well as all the potential known and unknown faults and niggles they cannot possibly be expected to know everything immediately.
They are there as the first line of medical defence, they need to do the initial investigations, categorize, determine what is immediate, what is routine and what is nothing at all. They have to deal with very sick people, very angry people, very disturbed people, very dumb people, very learned people (reads Dr Google), very lonely people and many other types. They don't claim to have all the answers first time round and nor should they be expected to but what they can do is investigate and refer people to the correct experts with a reasonable diagnosis at the right time.
Due to management and NHS guidelines they have to do all this in a 6 minute appointment. Judging by some of the help me threads on here I assume not many of you have managed to do the same with the niggles on a relatively simple machine (your bike) so please cut them a little slack.
When you go to see them be explicit and exact with your symptoms, don't exaggerate or embellish, be prepared (don't wear massive laced boots if you're going for your foot etc) and understand that if it isn't a specific injury or problem then it may take a little investigation.

 

Spot on mate.......

 

Second opinions are never a bad idea, either.

 

The trouble here in the US is the medical system. As a senior, like.most.of.us I was forced in to the Medi-Care [government controlled] plan. You are signed up for.it, and the cost is deducted from your.Social Security pension, like it or not. The doctors are forced in to playing the government game. You get sent through the "check list". This test. That.test, this.procedure. That procedure. etc, etc. to infinitum. Really hard to get your doctor to focus on the problem you are having. I haven't the patience to play games. Your.medical insurance plan can charge the government for all these tests you do not need. Doctor…play those games with me and you are FIRED ! FIX THE PROBLEM AT HAND. NOW !!!. Gone through a few doctors since my retirement. Now I have one that understands.where I am coming from. We do not like each other, but we understand each other. I can live with that. ...J.D.

 

My GP is top notch, and unfortunately I have to pay him out of pocket at the moment. But he seems to know a lot of basic things many doctors don't even consider, like not getting enough salt if you are a woman with low blood pressure. He prescribed a friend get 10 grams of salt a day to combat her low BP and fatigue and it worked like a charm.

 

I'm with you on that one!

 

Ha ha ha. That's a great story. I have a much more positive view of doctors, but I don't blindly follow any of them. For instance, I found the side effects of statins far exceeded the benefits. They do not prolong life statistically and can and do give you hazy headedness and lack of energy, which I can do without. I took them for three or so years and began to hear from friends in other medical fields how bad they were. So, I stopped using mine. I don't have arteriosclerosis in the family, so I will roll the dice on plaque buildup in the arteries and veins. Staying active is more my style of healthy living.