Please Help! Advice on Doctors?

StanziMasaki

Ever since July 3rd I've been sick with abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, dizziness, and unintentional weight loss (Nearly 20 pounds in the last month and a half). I've been bed ridden and have gone to the emergency room multiple times due to pain. The doctors have done ultrasounds, a CT scan, blood work, stool samples, and urine tests but everything has come back clean like I'm a healthy adult. My doctor booked a GI appointment for me immediately since I've been extremely ill.

Alright, so I finally got a GI appointment for this coming Wednesday, but after looking online I've found three extremely bad reviews about the doctor I'm about to see.

"She perforated my colon during a colonoscopy. She also dropped something in my colon and told me to listen for it to drop in the toilet. Please don't go to her."

"This doctor is the worst doctor and she ruined my life. During my colonoscopy she punctured my colon. I had a polyp with cancer that was removed but because of the puncture I had six weeks of chemotherapy and radiation. Don't go to her!"

"This doctor is just flaky, Dr. Foster just seems to not care about her work at all, and it shows in her attitude."

I'm concerned about seeing the doctor, but this is the soonest appointment I can get unless I want to wait until the 31st. I'm also going to see if I can get a sooner appointment at a different Kaiser south of me.

Would you guys go to this doctor knowing there were bad reviews online? I looked up the other GI doctors online and I can't find any reviews of them, and no news is good news right? What would you do in my situation?

msmith5251s

DO NOT go to that doctor.

I have had a similar experience with a gynecologist.
Read HORRIBLE reviews about him, but was so anxious for the appointment and his was the earliest available - so I took it.
He gave me an ultrasound and told me that I did not appear to be pregnant - so then gave me a pregnancy test and again told me I was NOT pregnant... when I knew I was.
So, I promptly left (well, not so promptly as much as he was shoving me out the door telling me not to be such a slut next time and to get on birth control immediately) and took an at home pregnancy test - I WAS pregnant.
Later that night I miscarried.
Now I am not saying that he could have prevented my miscarriage, but his business was so unprofessional and he was simply a horribly doctor...

Ever since I have vowed to read and trust online reviews of doctors.

dgirllamius

Find someone with good rep and don't settle for that just because it's the earliest you can get.

It may mean having to suffer with things you're getting but it's not worth it if that doctor has such bad reviews.

balancebean

What a nightmare! Regarding negative reviews: They could be legitimate complaints, but they could also be from patients who simply have an ax to grind because of a billing dispute or because they waiting in the waiting room too long. If I were you, I would discuss this with your primary care physician. Ask this question: If this were happening to your mother or father, where would you send them? I try to find out who doctors the doctors (and their families). RNs who work at hospitals also have a keen insight into which doctors to avoid. Hope this helps. Good luck to you.

GiniN

I will join the chorus - those are serious problems, and thank goodness those people took the time to write a review.

As a nurse, I will suggest this: do you know any nurses? IMHO, the best person to ask about opinion of a doctor is a nurse. Ask your friends or co-workers (if you feel comfortable doing so) if they know anyone. Most nurses would be happy to recommend doctors that they think are good...and they know who is good and who isn't.

BTW, usually insurance companies automatically refer to the MD nearest to your house. That is usually not a good way to find a great doctor. Personally, good medical care is something I'm willing to drive across town for! So if you need to go to another office, do it.

GOOD LUCK!

leilaphoenix

Get a better doc. And from the sounds of your problems, a colonscopy should give a diagnosis of whats up. Good luck x

Amo_Angelus

A later appointment may sound more painful, but if that doctor is as bad as they say, eeing them may actually increase your pain. I'd deffinately wait for a different doctor. I've always been that way though. And if it were a member of my family, not me, I'd be even more inistant.