Are you one of the patients that your doctor loves to see, or does not want to see? Does your doctor like talking with you and including your feelings in his visit, or does he do the necessaries and tell what he found, write a prescription and out the door?
How your doctor perceives you will affect the thoroughness of his exam and what he does or does not do. If you are a patient that asks a lot of questions, how does he respond? If you object to a medication he wants to prescribe, does he quickly write it anyway, or talk with you about why and listen to your reasons?
Then WebMD has a video discussing patients and what make different type of patients and the myths involved. See this video here.
Trisha Torrey talks about a patient that knows how to stand up for himself and is probably thought of as a lousy patient, but does get the care he deserves. And he probably is able to do this because they know who he is and why he is this way. Not all patients have his background and don't know how to advocate for themselves.
I found out this week what kind of patient I am. Both sides and my bad side unfortunately was very bad. I am currently fighting pneumonia and and the care I was getting did leave a lot to be desired. After the diagnosis was made she – the Emergency Room doctor said she was prescribing Levaquin. I asked her why and what I thought was politely, but was told I had no other choice. I waited until I had the prescription and asked why she would not consider another antibiotic. All I got was this answer - “this is what I am prescribing”. I said okay and as I was walking out, turned and asked her what her commission was for each prescription? She in not too pleasant terms said if I did not want to take it, then she would see me at my funeral.
I don't take lightly to doctor threats and said she had better hope I never found out what her commission was as it would be sent with my report to the medical boards and the State Attorney General, and in the state of Iowa they generally don't take kindly to doctors taking kickbacks. Out the door I went.
After taking the first tablet, and that was a mistake, I went to bed, but I did not sleep but a few hours. I woke my wife when I started screaming in pain. I made it to the room with the porcelain fixture and just in time. Everything happened. I was not well at all. So back to the ER I went hoping that doctor was not on duty. She wasn't.
Another doctor was, and the ER nurse took one look at me and said to get the doctor as soon as possible. In the meantime the vitals were taken and the nurses were waiting for the doctor. When he asked how I was, I just mumbled not good, to which he agreed. He had looked at the records from the day before and asked if I had taken the first Levaquin, to which I affirmed. He saw my legs moving and asked what was happening? I told him it felt like someone was scraping and stretching my nerves.
He said before he did anything, he wanted to get my liquids on the way back up and with a dose of medicine to settle my system and ordered an IV started. Later he came in and ordered a shot for my pain. After that I slept for a while. When I woke they had an IV antibiotic hooked up and started. Doc said this was in place of the Levaquin for a few days until I could tolerate oral medication again. Then they finished the original IV and sent me home with an appointment for the next two days for more IV antibiotics.
So today, I happened to see the same ER doctor and he has me on another antibiotic and not Levaquin – whaa-hoo.
Now I will see how things progress. I am not happy with the way I reacted with the woman doctor, but I admit that threats, even in appearance, set my blood boiling. And the fact that she would not listen to any objections only fueled the temperature.
Added: I still think I was in bad taste for my comments, but after reading this blog dated Thursday, August 20, 2009, I can only wonder if I am closer to reality.
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