Re: Horrible Doctor Visit
From: Elle (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Tue, 31 Oct 2000 03:50:34 -0600 (CST)
Dear Tina,
I completely agree with anonymous here. It is criminal the way this GYN
treated you. Not only because she could have turned you away from life
saving treatment if you hadn't done any prior research, but also because
she is probably turning some other poor woman away from answers at this
very moment.
I think it's important enough to report her to any and all authorities
who will take heed. Her insecurity/chip on her shoulder (whatever it is
that caused this almost violently cruel reaction) can cause damage in
the lives of too many women to let her go on like this. If you have a
local PCOS support group, I think it would also be a good idea to give
her name to them as a doctor NOT to recommend. She is worse than an
ignorant doctor that prescribes BCP; she is angry and resentful,
therefore actively discouraging and tearing other women down.
I commend you for your courage in the face of such ugliness. Regardless
of how she made you feel, it has not changed your proactive decision to
get proper treatment. You know you deserve more than that; too bad this
poor sick woman doesn't know it, too.
Sincerely,
Elle
At Mon, 30 Oct 2000, anonymous wrote:
>
> Tina,
>
>I am so sorry to hear what happened to you. I am appalled by how she
>treated you. You should write a letter to your state's medical board,
>and your insurance company. There is a thing called "patients rights".
>When a Doctor takes a oath it is to be compassionate and help people.
>That little piece of paper on the wall does not make the "GOD".
>Unfortunately many of them believe that they are. I too suspect that I
>have PCOS. I am currently searching for a doctor. You seem to be a
>very kind and gentle person. I am that way, but living with this
>condition and insensitive doctors has made me tough. I won't let them
>talk to me any kind of way, tell me that it is all in my head. I have
>no problems with telling them off. I told one doctor that doctor's are
>a dime a dozen and as far as I'm concerned he wasn't worth one cent!
>That I didn't appreciate his attitude and the way he was talking to me
>like I was some kind of kid. I have lived in this body for 38 years and
>I KNOW HOW I FEEL. He has two choices, either believe me and help me or
>get out of my way!
>
>Hang in there. Are you in MD?
>
>Tina
>
>At Sun, 20 Aug 2000, Tina wrote:
>>
>>I recently self diagnosed PCOS. It was a wonderful and horrible eye
>>openor. I went to a support meeting to see if this is really what I
>>had. At the meeting a Reproductive Endocronologist (BAD spelling)
>>spoke. I talked to him afterwards and he was amazed that I had not been
>>diagnosed earlier, I have nearly EVERY medically known symptom. And
>>most of those symptoms that people who have it tend to complain of.
>>Anyway, he told me I needed to go to my medical doctor, talk to her and
>>try to get a referral if I felt it was needed. So I made my
>>appointment. Now I have moved to this area in the last couple of years,
>>but I have gone to her for others things, ya know colds, flu, blah blah
>>blah and she seemed pretty nice. Unfortunately what happened was not,
>>and I was devestated. Thank god for this site. I know this is long,
>>but I wanted to share for anyone else that may have this experience:
>>
>>When I got to the doctors office the nurse asked me what I came in for.
>>I explained to him what I had found out and he was VERY nice. He asked
>>for any sites that I may know of where he can do to look up this
>>disease. I was excited, it seemed the visit may go well. After about
>>15 minutes the doctor came in, I thought the nurse was looking up some
>>information.. BOY was I wrong. She walks in, slams the door and says,
>>what can I do for you. I started explaining the symptoms i have had for
>>the last eight years or so, since I hit twenty. I told her about the
>>severe weight gain, from 135 to nearly 300 in less than 2 years. And i
>>listed the other symptoms. I also explained that my family has a high
>>occurence of diabetes and heart disease, especially in the women. When
>>I got to the point of explaining what doctors have tried in the past to
>>help she suddenly jumped in. "So, you have PCOS, what do you want from
>>me" I just kind of sat there for a second looking at her. She then
>>started lecturing me on how "fat" people, especially women tend to look
>>for an excuse for being fat. And that she has had PCOS for 20 years and
>>is not fat, had children and never had the "side affects" everyone
>>claims to have. She told me that I needed to WORK to loose the weight,
>>a strict diet and excercise. "And I do not mean just a walk to the
>>mailbox and back" When I questioned her on new medical treatments such
>>as metphorin(?) she got very agitated. "You want me to write you a
>>prescitpion?? is that what you want? Fine, your insurance will not pay
>>for it but I will write it and you will waste your time". She kept
>>saying that I needed to excercise, that I was not eating right. But
>>never asked my how I felt, what was I eating, what had I tried. When
>>asked why I gained it so fast when put birth control, then gained more
>>when taken off she said "If I had the answer to all of these questions I
>>would be rich and doctors would be out of business" I tried to ask
>>several other questions with nearly the same effect. She then said "All
>>I can tell you is that you are going to die, you will get heart disease,
>>and have a heart attack, your legs will have poor circulation and will
>>probably have to be amputated from the weight, since you have not even
>>had a period in four years you will probably get cancer, so if the heart
>>disease does not kill you the cancer will". By this point she had me in
>>tears, I tried to calm and recompose but she would not stop. Finally I
>>got up and turned to the wall to try to recompose myself, I was so
>>ashamed for breaking down in from of her. When I kept trying to ask
>>things she got up, stated that we were getting nowhere and she had
>>already wasted 30 minutes with me, left the room and came back with a
>>name of a specialist, then told me to call her assistant for the
>>referral she does not want to talk to me anymore.
>>
>>When I left I was in tears. I nearly wrecked my car just trying to get
>>home, I felt so worthless. She made me feel like everything was MY
>>fault and if I was not so FAT I would feel better. She told me ALL I
>>had to do was exercise and it would ALL go away. Luckily I have a
>>supportive family and had done a lot of research, which showed that
>>excercise alone will not work. I know this is long, thank you for
>>reading. It is hard to put how I felt into words. I am now trying to
>>get my insurance company to change my primary care provider and writing
>>a letter to the Dr. including articles about the disease. I feel sorry
>>for any of her other patients that come to her suffering from this. I
>>am trying to keep hope, but people like her make it hard.
>>
>>--
>>Tina M. Robertson
>>
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