URGG!!! Rant... Doctors!

[SunQuest]

Boy am I really super frusterated. I am so sick of seeing Drs, and well, it just never ends. Why is it when one has a 25% chance of having a genetic disorder and wants to be screened for it that you can't get the Drs to do it? This Dr that I am working with knows that my sister is a double carrier of the gene that causes this disorder which can cause all kinds of organ issues, including liver failure, and also diabetes. I am working with a diabetes and thyroid specialist, so you would think that he would be more concerned with me getting screened. But instead he thinks I should go see another specialist (GI specialist?) Anyway, I don't think it is necessary to talk to a GI specialist over this when all I need to know is if I have the 2 genes needed to cause me issues. (Think Lethal White in Overos here as this is exactly how this works except that I don't die a quick death in my first few years of life. None or One gene and no issues, 2 copies of the gene and watch out!) So now I am battling Drs and with my phobia of them it is not like I want to go see someone else about it or even the doctor I am currently with, and insurance of course says they will cover but only if medically necessary. Urgg... This is why I hate going to Drs!!! It seems that they just can't do anything in a simple fashion!

And they wonder why insurance rates are so high??? Lets see, every time I walk into a new Dr's office BAMM!!! $200.00 just for spending 1/2 hour of my time to fill out paperwork to then be sent to a lab to get blood drawn. So now a simple procedure that would cost a couple of hundered dollars has doubled in cost for no reason!

Thanks for letting me rant over this.

 

[shortymisty]

Somewhere in the last year one of those government spending polls did one comparing insured people and uninsure people. Funny but the people with no insurance came out ahead, what's wrong with that picture :no:

 

[justanothercowgirl]

I know how frustrating it can get when you are dealing with Drs, I think that is this case you should just right up front tell him that you are going to have to insist that he have the testing done on you. There is no good reason to not do it on you, then if he still wants you to see a GI specialist you will consider it. It is your health and your body!! Be persistant and don't take no for an answer, this could be a very important test for you!! 25% chance of having the disorder may seem low but when you can do the test and rule it out completely before moving on the something else that would seem like a sensible thing to do since your sister has it, hello??!! Wake that Dr. up girl!! Like you I have been through the medical system to deal with some health problems and I learned that the best advocate that you have for you is you!! It is annoying and it is tiring but you have got to tell them what you are going to do with your health care!! (((HUGS))))

Pammy

 

[Sterling]

I agree with cowgirl.....Nila, keep insisting. Man does that ever get my goat! Case in point with my Dad just this past week and them not wanting to do a CT scan of his head....like WHY?????? In the doctor's eye we went over his head and questioned his authority, but TOO BAD! We got what we needed, peace of mind and can you believe it for the rest of that night he would walk around giving me the dirtiest look nd staring me down. Idiot! This year much more it seems that we've been having to push and prod the drs. when it comes to Mom and Dad's health like what's up with that? I seem to think they want to take the conservative way first and then when they feel like it they get to the core of it. Don't give up and keep insisting. You should'nt have to do that nor be frustrated...that's just so wrong! Keep on it...I KNOW where you're coming from!

 

[nootka]

I don't understand why Doctors have a "god complex" anyway....?

Many times they are trained in only one field (for years I had a wonderful Korean dr. who had been a Pharmacist in his young life, a GP and finally an OB/GYN and had kept his certification in all fields. He was great to go too b/c he was well-versed in medications and all aspects of health care rather than just the OB/GYN part), they are obviously NOT going to know everything, they are also sort of "on the clock" and somewhat limited in their interest, anyway.

YOU do have a responsibility to take an interest, yourself, and if YOU want a certain test or to see a specialist, well, then, you should have that choice. Barring hypochondria and unnecessary procedures, I think it's criminal that someone would be treated like they were usurping authority just to have a second/third/fourth opinion or to have a procedure that would shed light on a condition or just give peace of mind.

Good luck, Nila...it's too bad to have to worry about medical conditions and have to battle with insurance co.'s and dr.'s and the cost.

Liz

 

[justanothercowgirl]

I agree with cowgirl.....Nila, keep insisting. Man does that ever get my goat! Case in point with my Dad just this past week and them not wanting to do a CT scan of his head....like WHY?????? In the doctor's eye we went over his head and questioned his authority, but TOO BAD! We got what we needed, peace of mind and can you believe it for the rest of that night he would walk around giving me the dirtiest look nd staring me down. Idiot! This year much more it seems that we've been having to push and prod the drs. when it comes to Mom and Dad's health like what's up with that? I seem to think they want to take the conservative way first and then when they feel like it they get to the core of it. Don't give up and keep insisting. You should'nt have to do that nor be frustrated...that's just so wrong! Keep on it...I KNOW where you're coming from!

It is so silly isn't it??? If they had told you when your Dad came into the hospital that there had been a plane crash and there were several people that had more of a priority need to the CT scan machine then THAT you can understand of course!! You would say then we will wait our turn in order of priority but when they just don't want to do it at all because they think it is no big deal that your Dad fell down the stairs and hit his head. HELLO!! Isn't that what the CT machine is for??? I wouldn't give a rat's behind if that Dr. glowered at me every day until the end of time, whatever, you got done what you wanted done to be sure your precious Dad was okay. It is so frustrating though....

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[SunQuest]

That is the worst part of it all. They often just don't feel like taking the time to do things even when there are risk factors that can point to the tests being a good thing to do. In fact my sister's doctor blatently recommended that I get tested for it.

In my case, they checked my iron levels and the test results were all in the normal range. But with me, these test don't tell the whole story. If I was a male, then they would be great indicators. But with females, the monthly cycles most often take care of the issue and it is not until menopause that the abnormally high iron levels develope... that is unless you are the rare case like my sister. This disorder, called Hemochromotosis, causes one to absorb way to much iron which in turn gets deposited on the body's internal organs which in turn destroys them. It can effect the heart, brain, liver, and any other organ including the reproductive organs. It is funny, but even though I have normal iron levels, there are other things that indicate that I could have this, like the lack of children even though I have been trying for almost 20 years, higher liver levels (I am on the high side of normal) and some other things like being pre-diabetic.

The worst part is that I can have all the blood panels come back normal but that doesn't mean that I won't have issues later in life. It is better to know up front than to try to treat late. In my sister's case, she was discovered to have this when she was in her late 20's and she has to have treatments to keep her organs healthy. It was lucky that some Dr that was taking xrays due to back issues was on the ball and noticed the spots on her liver which turned out to be this. There is no cure, and the treatment is just to have her give lots of blood to make her anemic so that the body must use the iron that is on the organs then when her iron levels normalize, she gets put on a maintanence program to control it. (She can't give to red cross as the blood has no shelf life due to the high iron levels.)

So all I want to know is do I have to worry about this when I am in my late 40s, early 50s since I test normal on my iron levels now. And all of the issues caused by this disorder are completely preventable if one knows about having it and follows the maintance program set up for them before they get to the point of having to have the iron drawn off their organs. If I have it, then I could potentially be saving the insurance companies some big bucks by not allowing it to get out of hand. If I don't have it, then at least I will have peace of mind in knowing that I am genetically not affected.

Like I said, it shouldn't be this hard to just get the Drs to order this test. I shouldn't need a specialist to see about it when we know for 100% sure that my sister has the 2 copies of the gene that it takes to have this and that there is a test that will tell us that can't imagine would be too much harder to read than a genetic test for color IMO.

Sigh. I will continue to try to get this approved. I am sure they won't be happy with me over it as I was the one that asked to have it done when I thought they were doing it last week and instead they were checking my iron levels.

: Well, I called them back early this week and said "I thought you were doing the genetic test for it and that these tests don't tell me if I need to worry about it or not! All they tell me is that at this point my iron levels are normal."

And I have to agree with you all and Nootka, great points.

.... Case in point with my Dad just this past week and them not wanting to do a CT scan of his head....like WHY?????? ...

I bet I know why.... These Drs know when the patient is covered by insurance. They also know that most insurance companies have contractual adjustments to the fees that the Drs can charge. And insurance companies place demands on the Drs that they save the insurance companies money. So not only is it more profitable to test those without insurance, they also then don't have to do the paperwork and other things involved with insurance. But that is a whole 'nother rant! Not necessarily blaming the Drs for this, but between the two... :new_let_it_all_out:

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[Pepipony]

Drs grrrrr for me it was 17 years of wrong diagnosis because none would actually stop , THINK, and listen to me. There arent words to decribe my disdain for those Drs that ignored me or worse, who said it was all in my head.

Anyhow. Call your insurance and ask to have a case manager ( this can help, but it can be risky as well) , usually ( well at least lets hope!!!!) this person is a Nurse. Explain what it is you have, tell them you just to be tested and that this, and be vocal about this point, is a test that if you just had it done, woudl SAVE THEM MONEY! Explain that this Dr wants you to see that Dr, who sends you to yet another and if they would just do this test, you wouldnt need to see more.

The risky part is that they can see your disorder, or possibility, as an expense. The help is tha they may just talk to the Dr and allow the test.

Good luck!

 

[ChrystalPaths]

How do you feel about "alternative help"?