Frustrated and really angry
Dec. 8th, 2004 01:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ljgeoffWhen we arrived, the nurse took Len's vitals. Dr. Carlson, the young resident, said that she had read over Len's history. She asked how the new pain medication was working. She asked Len to evaluate his current level of pain (5 out of 10).
We brought up several ideas about what might be tested; what we thought might be the problem. We asked about his gallbladder, and Dr. Carlson asked him if he had pain after he ate. When Len said that he didn't experience any pain in his side after eating, she said that she didn't think that the gallbladder was the problem.
I asked if Len might be checked for Lyme disease. She said that the blood tests didn't show that he had Lyme. We argued that the information we had said that blood tests were not definitive for Lyme disease.
She said that she felt that it might be helpful for Len to go down to Green Bay, or maybe Mayo, for further diagnosis. Then she said that she needed to talk to the supervising doctor, and she left.
She came back and returned somewhat flustered. She said that her supervising doctor felt that further testing would be of no help. We just looked at her for a beat and then began to argue. We wanted more testing. We wanted him to be referred to a infectious disease doctor, to look at the Lyme disease. Dr. Carlson said that she needed to go get her supervising doctor.
The supervising doctor came in and said that: That 1) he would not order any more tests. 2) they did not know what was wrong with Len, and that sometimes there was no solution; sometimes that's just the way it is. 3) he would not refer us to any other doctor, he would not refer us to anyone for a second opinion. 4) that they could manage his pain, but that was all.
We asked what we could do to navigate the system, how we could get a second opinion without his referral? He told us to call Len's social worker. Then he said that he and Dr. Carlson "had to move on", and they left.
We brought up several ideas about what might be tested; what we thought might be the problem. We asked about his gallbladder, and Dr. Carlson asked him if he had pain after he ate. When Len said that he didn't experience any pain in his side after eating, she said that she didn't think that the gallbladder was the problem.
I asked if Len might be checked for Lyme disease. She said that the blood tests didn't show that he had Lyme. We argued that the information we had said that blood tests were not definitive for Lyme disease.
She said that she felt that it might be helpful for Len to go down to Green Bay, or maybe Mayo, for further diagnosis. Then she said that she needed to talk to the supervising doctor, and she left.
She came back and returned somewhat flustered. She said that her supervising doctor felt that further testing would be of no help. We just looked at her for a beat and then began to argue. We wanted more testing. We wanted him to be referred to a infectious disease doctor, to look at the Lyme disease. Dr. Carlson said that she needed to go get her supervising doctor.
The supervising doctor came in and said that: That 1) he would not order any more tests. 2) they did not know what was wrong with Len, and that sometimes there was no solution; sometimes that's just the way it is. 3) he would not refer us to any other doctor, he would not refer us to anyone for a second opinion. 4) that they could manage his pain, but that was all.
We asked what we could do to navigate the system, how we could get a second opinion without his referral? He told us to call Len's social worker. Then he said that he and Dr. Carlson "had to move on", and they left.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2004-12-09 06:33 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-12-09 11:30 am (UTC)Right now, our plan is to change Primary Care Physician, and get a referral as soon as possible to a "LLMD", "Lyme Literate M.D." I do think he has Lyme. All of his symptoms (the post previous to this one) are symptoms of Lyme. I'm just still weirded out by the way the doctor acted. I've never seen a doctor do that.
(no subject)
Date: 2004-12-09 04:43 pm (UTC)