What would you do in this situation? (Medical Professionals)?
Three years ago I had a car accident in which my collar bone was broken as well as my arm in three places and my hand all on one arm. I ended up after six un successful surgeries with an orthopaedic surgeon and then ended up being referred to an Orthapaedic Tramatologist for two more surgeries and am awaiting the hopefully last surgery next month. I have been going to the traumatologist for about a year and a half now. During the three years there has not been a time that I was not taking lortab. So the last time I was seen by the doctor his assistant uped my dosage as I have a large titanium plate with eleven screws and though it is extremely painful can not be removed until enough bone develops under it. I have screws ripping my skin and the plate moves and often burns like it is moving too much. (Sorry this is so long!) Anyway they have trouble keeping office personell as the doctor works seven days a week and actually preforms surgery seven days a week. Well about three months they hired this horrible woman who missed her calling as a corections officer in a maximum security prison!! Her first day she out of nowhere calls me and tells me she feels strongly that I need to be weened from the lortab…I am a dutiful patient and said okay, figuring it had come from the doctor. She goes into this long drawn out story about how she used to work in a rehab center and how I reminded her of this woman who ended up shooting heroine in the bathroom at work when they tried to break her addition to hydrocodone…I found it bizare that she felt compelled to tell me this story but figured she was just bored. She asked me if I would like a script for methadone to get over my addiction. I told her I did not have an addiction, I had pain, but I was willing to try the weening and no I did not need methadone. Well that for some reason pissed her off enough to tell the receptionist to forward all calls from me to her. So when I called for my one year follow-up they transferred me to her and she started screaming at me you are not getting any more hydrocodne from me or this office so until I feel you are ready. I told her that I was calling to make an appointment not for a refill. She told me everything I did was to go through her and there was no point in me making another appointment for surgery just to get more hydrocodne as she could assure me I would not get any after surgery. I know doctors are regulated under the department of professional regulations but who regulates nutbag secretarys? I would hate to have to report the doctor to DPR because he has really bad office staff but what else can I do? I am off the hydrocodone and have to deal with extreme pain but I was off of it two weeks before she suggested I be because she had me scared to death I was going to become a heroine addict!! I am not one to make waves but this doctor deals with extreme trauma cases and I shudder to think what she might be doing to some of the other patients most of who are elderly! Also my general practicianer says I should be on pain meds until the plate is out because my level of pain now will cause me to not get proper exercise and it could cause my should muscles to atrophie. He offered to write me a script but I told him I would wait until my appointment because I am actually affraid of this woman. What would you do? Again I apologize for the lenghth of the question!
Written by Admin on August 12th, 2009 with
3 comments.
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CeEjAy000
#1. August 14th, 2009, at 2:11 AM.
You need to call that doctor’s office and insist on not speaking with her and be firm. Tell them you are going to report her for harrasment. Insist on speaking with the doctor or schedule an appointment and refuse to speak with anyone else about this issue, BUT him.
This is obsurd. You do need the pain medicine right now and I do believe you are NOT an addict. When you speak with the doctor you need to be firm but nice tell him you are in a lot of pain and feel this is what pain meds are truly for.
The add that you dont feel it was a good choice for him to have a woman that previously worked in a rehab place working in a Orthopedic trauma surgeons office and nor should a secretary be given medical advise to you unless it is coming from the doctor. Ask him if he asked her to say these things. Tell him that you do not ever wish to deal with her again. This needs to be stopped now. Not just for you but for other patient, whicch she is probably treating the same way. There are plenty of drug seekers out there and she has it in her head that everyone who needs pain medicine is one of them, because of her past experience in rehab. Pain meds are used for this reason and it needs to be explained to her that some people do really need them and are not abusing. She is NOT a doctor, nor does she need to be giving medical advise.
Call and insist on speaking with the doctor. If he is in surgery and insist on leaving a message for him to call you back. If they ask about WHAT. Tell them it is urgent that you speak with him, but refuse to give anymore information, no matter how hard they try to get it out of you. If he does not call you back then go to the office and insist on speaking with him.