asking experts

I'm quite sure he does. Dermatology is a tremendous industry here in the south. Every other person has some kind of skin problem from the sun. This character has a practice with 3 offices and several other doctors, all of whom graduated from the University of Miami, and his father is a professor in the dermatology department there.

I was floored when he said that because it's been years since a doctor treated me as though I was an idiot who wouldn't understand and didn't need to know. Now most doctors tell you so much you want to tell them to shut up.

fortunately you have the good sense not to go back to him. One wonders how some of these people get a licence to practice. It is such a basic question to ask people if they have any allergies before prescribing any medication and what other medications one is taking. Patients have to be aware also that medications means vitamins, non prescription medications, herbal and homeopathic etc. ruby

And it's amazing how many doctors skip that basic question, or pooh-pooh the patient's reported allergies.

Our very own Lollee tipped me off that I could legally refuse any treatment for any reason and demand something different. Yet when I tried to refuse a prescription based on prior bad reaction to a related medication, they insisted "it'll be fine" and absolutely refused to give me something else. Before taking it, I checked with a different doctor, whose first reaction was "migawd, are they trying to kill you?" Which was exactly what I'd been told when I had a reaction to the other pills.

Our doctors put a big red sticker on the front of your file if you have allergies - so simple yet effective!

Pat P

Yep! The practice my family goes to does the same. Plus they always ask again what meds you are on before perscribing anything, just to be sure they have the list correct.

I also go to the same pharmacy every time, so that they know everything I take and have told me if I have a potentially bad interaction. I have been perscribed two different migraine medicines that I can't take within 24 hrs of each other. The doctor told me this, but it was also reassuring that the pharmacist came to the counter to talk to me about it. Nice to know they have my back!

Caryn

We have an excellent pharmacist who has, on several occasions, stopped me from buying an "over the counter" remedy for a minor ailment because he knows it will clash either with my medication or my condition. He has all our medications on his computer, too, and when we need prescriptions we fax copies of our requests to the doctor AND the pharmacist - who both collects the prescription and delivers the medication.

I keep a standard fax and just delete the items we don`t need - the complete fax doubles up as a handy list to take to the Doctor, too. Our own doctor has an incredibal memory and actually knows what we`re taking, anyway, even without referring to his notes - but occasionally he`s not there, so it`s a great help for whoever`s standing in - or for a nurse or consultant should we need a hospital appointment. And don`t forget the dentist!

Hey - I just realised that this is WAY of topic - so I just OT`d it.

Pat P

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Nobody is beholden to a doctor. I pay my doctors, not the other way around. Actually, before I see a doctor I meet them and ask them very pointed questions along with researching if there are any malpractice suits, etc. All before I see him or her.

We have to take responsibility for our medical care. This is imperative.

Modern people who already had any Allergy syndrom , should know they must tell it to every doctor. I carry notes in my Id card and other places on which i typed the name of what i am allergic to. Your GP , should have it TYPED on Top of your card or your Computer file ... If my travel agent . already has my file with Vegeterian in it , it seems only normal that your GP will have Alergic in his file. mirjam

Blessed is she who can laugh at herself, for she shall never lack for amusement! Don't every change, Ruby. Dawne

That's exactly why I changed Dermatologists. It was listed in my file and, therefore, I thought he should have known.

Oh boy. Doctors have many hundreds of patients. They do not know each detail of each patient. It's really important to be in total control of tracking your allergies.

When I first started Infergen daily injections I had such horrible flu symtoms they thought I had pneumonia. I was coughing so hard I thought I was going to die. The coughing made me very dizzy and faint.

It was on the weekend, but I needed some relief so Mark went and bought me OTC cough suppressant. Actually, he bought me several! I READ the indications for the medications I was taking and it said not to take anything without first asking the doctor. Each person is different. So, I waited till Monday to ask. He didn't have my chart, but he sure knows me in and out. Still he needed to get my chart.

These are reasons why medical costs are so outrageous in the US. Many doctors are paying 100,000 dollars a year in malpractice insurance, and not by choice. My GYN pays 60,000. I know because I asked her.

People who KNOW they should refer to any allergies they have and mention this to the doctor will turn around after having a bad reaction and lodge a law suit against the physician.

Of course I have to eliminate Karen C. from this, because every doctor she ever met treated her like garbage and dismissed anything she said, and told her to take medication even after said doctor was told she had a bad reaction, etc. This is not normal. I think I go to enough doctor appointments to know with flagrant accuracy that if you put your life in the hands of a doctor, it is YOUR mistake. We are in control of our lives. Must be.

Doctors are not superhumans, but some people expect them to be.

Thanks, Dianne,

It's just a case of 'living with it', there is no cure so to speak. One just treats the symptoms as they happen. It's just frustating when I know that other things that happen are a result of the disease, but the Dr. never wants to believe it. I feel it's because he can't be bothered to read about it. Ah well, I just take each day as it comes.

Btw, just got over plantar faciitis...is that ever painful :(

take care, Linda

Victoria,

You had talked at some point of moving to Canada. I would suggest you forget about it. Where I live most of the Dr's aren't taking new patients, so finding a Dr. is tough enough, never mind finding a Dr. you actually like. In addition to that...specialists are few and far between, again, to find one you actually like is a huge challenge, plus in our city there may only be one specialst "if any" in a particular field. The "pointed questions" thing would be almost impossible.

...Linda

Seems to go both ways here, either they are expected to be superhuman or barely more than morons who can't be trusted to know anything about anything without their patients educating them.

Caryn

I think a great many folks are in the middle and realize that they have to take responsibility for being informed and proactive about their healthcare, but also that there needs to be a good working relationship with their healthcare providers. It's not particularly surprising to me that it *appears* more polarized than that. Of *course* when people tell stories about one extreme or the other, people are going to respond with stories on the opposite extreme. People do that all the time. But just because people tell stories about the extremes doesn't mean that all their interactions are extreme. Believe me, any pregnant woman knows that

*everyone* knows a labor horror story (and feels compelled to tell it to pregnant women), but if everyone had such horrific labors there'd be a whole lot of women who'd never have more than one child. It's just human nature. It's also apparently human nature to overgeneralize. Just because people give a cautionary tale about an interaction with a healthcare professional doesn't mean that they despise all healthcare professionals, and just because someone tells a story about a fabulous healthcare professional doesn't mean that they believe all of them are gods.

Best wishes, Ericka

The tricky bit is when insurance limitations or doctor shortages leave folks with limited options for caregivers. Then, sometimes you have to choose to go with a less than ideal provider and hope that you can be informed and proactive enough to make the difference.

Best wishes, Ericka

I think that has more to do with socialized medicine than with the attitude of a doctor. I cannot really comment because I've never been to Canada outside of Niagra Falls.

We are thinking of moving to Belize now, or possibly Costa Rica. But that won't happen for at least ten years. I will venture home for physicians.

Many different experiences, many different things. So noted.

Unless, like me, #2 and #3 got thru birth control! ROFL

Labor #1 was nothing I'd wish on my worst enemy, I'm still amazed the poor child wasn't born with CP or something because she was in and out of distress all day while they refused to give me an epidural to go with the petocin. Thank God they eventually saw the light and did a C-sec!

Caryn

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