This entry is about my totally-ridiculous-and-complete-bullsh*t visit to the cardiologist yesterday.
First, a play-by-play:
To start off with, I arrived early for my appointment. I also made sure to bring everything that I needed: the logs he had asked for, and As usual, the cardiologist was behind schedule. I waited for what seemed like an eternity, and finally (45 minutes after my appointment time) I was called back. Which, of course, led to more waiting.
When the cardiologist finally got around to getting to my appointment, it was...aggravating.
He walked in, and asked me the generic "how have you been doing?" (I said "alright.")
He asked, "Have you had any more episodes since the last time we spoke?"
I replied, "yes, I have. I had one just the other night." (Saturday)
Him: "Tell me about it, what happened?"
So I start to tell him what happened. (Sitting on the couch, start getting light headed and my feet, lips and teeth went numb. My heart rate was relatively low but it felt like it was out of control...)
Halfway through my explanation, he cut me off and asked me if I had tried the Midodrine. Which, I told him yes I had, but I was taking the dosage that my POTS specialist recommended instead of the one he had.
He demanded to know who this person was. He said he needs to see those records because he's my GP and has a right to them.
(First off, he is NOT my GP. Secondly, he already knew I was seeing the POTS specialist, I had already told him this so his attitude was completely unwarranted.)
He walked out of my appointment and didn't come back.
Seriously...he didn't come back. He said nothing else to me, walked out of the door and didn't come back.
So, I walked out of the room and out to the reception area; where the woman proceeded to get my bill together. I asked her "am I going to finish my appointment?" She goes "what do you mean?" (In a very nice way, she's a lovely woman...she wasn't being snarky.)
I said, "He hasn't said anything to me. He didn't give me the results from my testing. He didn't go over the logs I brought in -or- listen to to my concerns or questions. He didn't even let me finish answering his question; he just walked out of my appointment and didn't come back."
*insert look of total confusion on the look of the receptionist.*
The receptionist then disappears to find out where he went. When she comes back, she says he told her I would have to come back some other time; and he had moved on to the next patient.
WHAT?!?!
Yep. He had moved on to the next patient, after walking out of my appointment and not doing anything...and I PAID for this treatment. What the f--k.
Needless to say, I wasn't taking that and I asked to speak to the office manager. I asked her about my test results, and the cardiologist is the only person who is medically allowed to release the results to me. She said she would be getting in his face to find out what was going on and would call me with my results so I wouldn't have to be there any longer- I'd already been there over two hours already.
(I believed her, she's gotten in his face before.)
The only thing that I can think of that happened is that he got upset I was seeing the POTS specialist- which is ridiculous because he already knew that. It seems that his ego is so fragile, that he got offended and turned it into a pissing contest. Instead of being a grown up (POTS specialist and cardiologist are supposed to be working TOGETHER), he threw a hissy fit and walked out refusing to treat me.
What a child.
And this is the person I have taking care of my heart?
This is what I decided to do:
First, find out about the results of my tests.
Second, get all of my labwork and testing files sent to my actual GP.
Third, terminate my relationship with this doctor.
Fourth, find a new doctor.
Today the office manager called me...
My test results are clean. He didn't look at any of the things I left yesterday. (I left copies of the picture of my purple hand, and my BP logs because the office manager said she would get him to look at them...he was an ass and didn't look at them either.)
She said she would get those in front of him tomorrow and call be back about that also. Along with my instructions and recommendations. How he can have any is beyond me; but whatever. Little does she know that I won't be coming back.
Tomorrow I'm going to my regular doctor's office to sign a release form to get the records sent the records from the cardiologist. Then my affiliation with them will be terminated.
When the cardiologist finally got around to getting to my appointment, it was...aggravating.
He walked in, and asked me the generic "how have you been doing?" (I said "alright.")
He asked, "Have you had any more episodes since the last time we spoke?"
I replied, "yes, I have. I had one just the other night." (Saturday)
Him: "Tell me about it, what happened?"
So I start to tell him what happened. (Sitting on the couch, start getting light headed and my feet, lips and teeth went numb. My heart rate was relatively low but it felt like it was out of control...)
Halfway through my explanation, he cut me off and asked me if I had tried the Midodrine. Which, I told him yes I had, but I was taking the dosage that my POTS specialist recommended instead of the one he had.
He demanded to know who this person was. He said he needs to see those records because he's my GP and has a right to them.
(First off, he is NOT my GP. Secondly, he already knew I was seeing the POTS specialist, I had already told him this so his attitude was completely unwarranted.)
He walked out of my appointment and didn't come back.
Seriously...he didn't come back. He said nothing else to me, walked out of the door and didn't come back.
So, I walked out of the room and out to the reception area; where the woman proceeded to get my bill together. I asked her "am I going to finish my appointment?" She goes "what do you mean?" (In a very nice way, she's a lovely woman...she wasn't being snarky.)
I said, "He hasn't said anything to me. He didn't give me the results from my testing. He didn't go over the logs I brought in -or- listen to to my concerns or questions. He didn't even let me finish answering his question; he just walked out of my appointment and didn't come back."
*insert look of total confusion on the look of the receptionist.*
The receptionist then disappears to find out where he went. When she comes back, she says he told her I would have to come back some other time; and he had moved on to the next patient.
WHAT?!?!
Yep. He had moved on to the next patient, after walking out of my appointment and not doing anything...and I PAID for this treatment. What the f--k.
Needless to say, I wasn't taking that and I asked to speak to the office manager. I asked her about my test results, and the cardiologist is the only person who is medically allowed to release the results to me. She said she would be getting in his face to find out what was going on and would call me with my results so I wouldn't have to be there any longer- I'd already been there over two hours already.
(I believed her, she's gotten in his face before.)
*****
How can someone behave so unbelievably unprofessional? He didn't address a single one of my concerns. He didn't go over any of the work I'd brought in. He didn't even tell me what the results of my tests were. He didn't even let me finish a sentence.The only thing that I can think of that happened is that he got upset I was seeing the POTS specialist- which is ridiculous because he already knew that. It seems that his ego is so fragile, that he got offended and turned it into a pissing contest. Instead of being a grown up (POTS specialist and cardiologist are supposed to be working TOGETHER), he threw a hissy fit and walked out refusing to treat me.
What a child.
And this is the person I have taking care of my heart?
*****
Coming to a decision...I did a lot of thinking after I got home. A LOT of thinking.
A lot of mentally abusing the cardiologist for treating me so poorly.
A lot of "what do I do now?" thinking.
A lot of mentally abusing the cardiologist for treating me so poorly.
A lot of "what do I do now?" thinking.
This is what I decided to do:
First, find out about the results of my tests.
Second, get all of my labwork and testing files sent to my actual GP.
Third, terminate my relationship with this doctor.
Fourth, find a new doctor.
Today the office manager called me...
My test results are clean. He didn't look at any of the things I left yesterday. (I left copies of the picture of my purple hand, and my BP logs because the office manager said she would get him to look at them...he was an ass and didn't look at them either.)
She said she would get those in front of him tomorrow and call be back about that also. Along with my instructions and recommendations. How he can have any is beyond me; but whatever. Little does she know that I won't be coming back.
Tomorrow I'm going to my regular doctor's office to sign a release form to get the records sent the records from the cardiologist. Then my affiliation with them will be terminated.
*****
Obviously, I'm hurt and upset. I wasted time, energy and money on this person.
Time, money and energy that I don't have.
Looks like it's back to the drawing board for me.
I could just break down and cry.
Sigh.
Time, money and energy that I don't have.
Looks like it's back to the drawing board for me.
I could just break down and cry.
Sigh.
Wow! That is freaking disgraceful! I cannot believe a "professional" thinks they are that big of prima donna!
ReplyDeleteBRAVO for you for managing your own care! I walked out on my first ob/gyn during my first pregnancy. He answered my questions with, "We discuss that at the X month appointment."I asked NOW!"
((Erika))
((Kelly))
ReplyDeletePeople are absolutely ridiculous. I'm so glad you walked out of that appointment! Why on Earth would they want to make you wait just to answer your question? It takes two minutes!