Comments on: Doctor of the Year

By: SpikeBlue

SpikeBlue — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 15:41:30 +0000

I was diagnosed with a brain tumor 3 months ago. My view of doctors and our healthcare system will never be the same. We got a rushed phone call from my primary care doc to tell us the news. The next day, when we tried to follow up in person, we found out our doc was on vacation and it took us all day (and our pediatrician to intervene) to actually see a person about the diagnosis. All we got then was the print out of the MRI report and the comment “this is way over my head”. Great – thanks.

We, too, go through the minimum 1 hour wait to see our ___________ (you can fill in the title here, it doesn’t seem to matter when you are seeing specialists). I recommend:
- A portable DVD player. If you get really annoyed, turn up the sound and sit right next to the receptionist.
- Food, preferrably with garlic. Make sure you eat it right next to the “Thank-you for not eating food in our reception area”.
- A screaming baby. I haven’t had the heart to bring my baby with me, but maybe I’ll tape her and play it on my portable DVD player just for the effect.

None of these will allow you to see the doctor any faster, but at least you will be entertained.

Now that I have experienced this weird and bizzare world of life threatening illnesses, it seems there should be something we can do about the craziness we have to deal with every day from our “Doctors”. Didn’t I pay for all this health care stuff for years (and never used any of it)?

My thoughts go with you. You are not alone!

By: Mark

Mark — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 06:53:26 +0000

I guess the Website address doesn’t come through: http://www.meditationinbristol.org/faith%20heals.htm

By: Mark

Mark — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 06:51:38 +0000

Fatty, I understand from previous posts that you were raised Mormon, but I wanted to share this inspiring story of a Buddhist who has been fighting cancer for nearly 8 years now. Please don’t take this the wrong way, but becoming angry is the worst thing you can do in this situation. Anger is an inner poison, and as such can only make things worse. This is a time to keep a peaceful mind, a loving mind, a mind of compassion for all living beings (even your neurologist, who is most assuredly suffering as well). Maintaining these beneficial minds may be easier said than done right now, but there are many simple meditation practices that could help, and you do not need to be Buddhist to engage in them. I know I’m a total stranger, but I practice and teach Buddhist meditation, and would be happy to give you anything from a short mantra to detailed instructions on the practice of taking and giving. Drop me a line if you’re interested — I promise I won’t try to convert you or anything!

Praying for your happiness.

By: Karen A.

Karen A. — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 22:51:46 +0000

PLEASE! Do us ALL a favor, and publish the names of these bozos… just in case there is anyone keeping an eye on your blog with the unfortunate luck to be thinking of dealing with these folks too… I guess they could sue you – but so can anyone, for virtually anything… do us and yourself a favor – especially if you are changing doctors because of this!

By: Bitter (formerly known as Lissee)

Bitter (formerly known as Lissee) — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 21:04:59 +0000

Hi Fatty,

The one thing I learned while watching my sister (age 24) die from cancer over two years, and the one year I worked for a genetic disease non-profit .org, is that you need to be your own advocate. Dr’s are too busy and see too many people to have an overarching view of each individual’s situation.

Let me repeat that again.

You need to be Susan’s advocate.

(Sorry if this ends up being an aspritzen, I don’t think my earlier post went through….)

By: Mike M

Mike M — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 09:48:59 +0000

gather your cyber friends for financial support ( count me in ) and get your wife to the mayo clinic right away. Now!

By: Curt

Curt — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 04:26:34 +0000

I’ve been there with my dad. After a close brush with death due to no less than three different life threatening issues, we quickly found that all the doctors he was seeing had blinders on and were only seeing THEIR part of the puzzle. We sat in on most of his appointments and actually caught them trying to put him on meds that the other doctor had said would kill him! (one wanted him on blood thinners for a heart problem, the other wanted him to have THICKER blood because of a bleeding problem in his head).

We came away from the whole thing with the realization that WE and we ALONE could be the advocates for his (and, when we need it our own) health care.

A doctor is just somebody who has studied medicine. He/she is NOT necessarily wiser than you, and is certainly not more well informed about Susan’s specific case.

Hang in there. I’m wishing Susan the best every single day.

By: Daniel

Daniel — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 04:19:35 +0000

Fatty, man, the doctor came up short, way short. It happens again and again and I’m deeply sad that it happened to you and Susan.

That hapless doctor didn’t begin to know how to talk about the fact that the cancer was spreading and there wasn’t a thing he could do about it. You feared it and he knew it but he couldn’t find a way to say it, not, at least, in a meaningful way. So he ordered a test and kept you waiting and then capped it off with a lame encounter. It wasn’t the waiting that hurt so much or the inconvenience of the test. It wasn’t even the brevity of the visit. It was the lack of human connection. Is it possible to teach how to make that connection? I’m not sure you can. Some people just know. Most of us don’t. Here and there you meet a doc who, in the face of relentless disease can rise above the limitations of his profession, his training, his limited time in the face of endless obligations, his weariness. Mostly you don’t.

Fatty, I’m a neurologist. I’m not sure I would have or could have done better but after reading your blog I deeply wish I could have been there, if only to say man, its looking bad and my heart is with you.

By: DrCodfish

DrCodfish — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 04:08:04 +0000

Oh man, I remeber this drill too well. And you are right to think that there are times when all the ‘ologists’ at times seem to get overwound on their own specialties and sort of forget that the first order of business is taking care of the first order of business … that is doing the immediate thing to fight the cancer They sometimes think a little too long term and forget to think about short term issues.

Keeping track of all the appointments, with all the different specialists and the medication regimes and what they are supposed to accomplish … I know how wearing that can be, and you are not even the one that is sick!

And then there is doing your own research on the net, as much to fill in the knowledge gaps the docs leave and also in the hope that you might turn something that they have either neglected or were not aware of. This can cause some of the docs to get defensive which is another curve that can be hard to manage.

My heart is with you, keep on being the informed consumer of health care, it is the only way to get the best possible care.

By: Big Mike In Oz

Big Mike In Oz — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 03:55:31 +0000

I’m usre every ounce of positive energy that’s available is directed at Susan right now.

So to balance the forces of good and evil I’ve just got back from a bike ride (yes, Pink Lemonade – it alone does over 100 miles a week). I used the power of anger today to climb a hill I haven’t successfully climbed since 1990. It was for a good cause. The local private (read rich person’s) hospital is on top of that hill.

It’s a wonderful place, so helpful… they mark all the car parking spaces with things like “Head Neurologist”. I’m sure he’s in the auto club, but going home time is their busiest time so he’ll probably have to wait about 90 minutes (just like you did). That’s plenty of time to ponder the note I left…

“Dear Mr Neurologist
One of your colleagues in the USA upset one of my colleagues in the USA.
signed
Karma”