Letter from a Doctor

[HeronNS]

It's been suggested that many would appreciate reading this:

more-distractible.org/musin...

[Hidden]

Thanks heron. The full letter is great. I don't understand why some comments were negative🤔

[HeronNS in reply to Hidden]

I never went through the comments before. Did a bit just now because of your reply. Like anything else the comments pick up a lot of people who haven't read the original post or have misunderstood it or only latched onto one point they disagreed with, and are maybe predisposed (can't imagine why!) to be negative towards anything any doctor says, even when the doctor is exposing his vulnerabilities and asking forgiveness.

[Hidden in reply to HeronNS]

Some people are never happy. Fortunately a lot of us are happy and can accept it.

[HeronNS in reply to Hidden]

I have a soft spot for doctors as my parents were both doctors, and my stepmother a nurse and speech therapist. That being said I had a doctor between my old doctor of many years and my current one who was worse than useless. I presented several times with symptoms I eventually knew were classic PMR and felt she thought I was just a complaining old woman. She would prescribe Celebrex, which I would look up and refuse to take because I thought it shouldn't even be on the market. She did rather shake my confidence in doctors. My old one (retired now) was an excellent diagnostician, didn't hesitate to refer when necessary, and treated me with respect, as though I had a brain. Interim doctor actually told me when I asked why she hadn't gone over test and x-ray results with me that she didn't think I would understand. I was deeply insulted. It turned out to be worse when my current doctor entered the picture because I'd been incorrectly told "your bloodwork is fine and you're full of arthritis". In fact my iron was practically non-existent and my inflammatory markers although still in range "for my age" were elevated and should have been considered in the context of my other symptoms, plus I had so much pain I thought I should be put in the queue for a hip replacement but although I do have fairly extensive osteoarthritis there is no sign of any in my hips! The new doctor on the basis of the very tests run by Dr Useless diagnosed PMR and sent me to have the tests redone and for a few others to confirm not anything else.

[Hidden in reply to HeronNS]

That is terrible. I hate it when they treat you like idiots it is insulting. The thing is I always want to give them a chance so it's even more disappointing. But I am always ready to accept apologies and give them if wrong so things can move on. It sounds like some of them didn't even know they were wrong or just couldn't be bothered. Nightmare.

[HeronNS in reply to Hidden]

She left the practice for another clinic, offered to let us follow her, but neither hubby nor I could think of a reason why we would. She promptly went on maternity leave. Perhaps she was suffering from Baby Brain which I believe is even more of a "thing" than pred brain! 🤣

[Hidden in reply to HeronNS]

😂😂😂

[SheffieldJane]

Thanks for posting this.

[Telian]

Wouldn’t let me like!

An interesting read re the ‘other side of the desk’ - I can relate to most of it and is particularly apt as we’re about to move. It will be a huge wrench to leave behind our current GP. There’s nothing like a family doctor who knows you and yours well. Just hope we have the time to build another successful relationship!

Couldn’t open his comments though!

Thanks Heron

[Mary63]

Thank you for making us aware of this.

[Charlie1boy]

Hi Heron,

Thought the letter was absolutely fascinating. Fortunately, I haven't been on the receiving end of poor treatment by a GP, but it is important to remember that they, too, are only human. Not very one knows everything!

Thank you for posting it.

Paddy

[Baileyw06]

Thanks,That great to read and I thought very positive!

[Megams]

~Excellent reading Heron - great hunting on your behalf to share with us all for which I am most grateful, so thank you.

Have recently changed my middle aged (female) primary care provider who was medical model only to a young female integrative primary care provider.

Great tips from Dr Bob's letter given me insight into how I consider where & how my new pcp maybe is thinking possibly.

Too stressful changing pcp's so want this to work

[HeronNS in reply to Megams]

Good luck. Hopefully she's a keeper.

[allykat]

Great letter and I too was surprised at the negative comments. That could have been written by my GP who has seen me through GCA and PMR since 2015 but sadly retired last summer. He was tops!

[maria40]

Thank you for finding this. His advice to avoid 'bad' doctors isn't easy in an overstretched health service where one is lucky to see the same GP twice. This works both ways; when I knew my GP , about his family and his background it was much easier to see him as a friend who had my best interests at heart (and one who would ring me at 9pm to give blood results!)

[Jackoh]

Very interesting Heron. Thanks for posting this. I know I have made many mistakes in the past and also my old GP so here’s hoping we both learned from those experiences!

[celia81]

Sounds a very sensible man who you could talk to.Very good advice about dealing with Doctors they are not God just a man trying his or her best to help .Have taken note and will try harder with my my GP

[Louisepenygraig]

Thank you. I'll try to bear this article in mind when I next see my GP.