frustrated with my doc.
stephie549
Posts: 5
My doctor (who shall remain nameless for her own protection) told me almost 2 weeks ago that my surgery date to have my VSG will be February 25th. She tells me today that it could be moved to March 11th. I'm one of these types that if you tell me it's on a certain day then I'm going to try and make sure that I have everything lined up for that day. Now to be told that it could be a different day.... ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? Then she has the gall to tell me that I've been premature in getting my ducks in a row already. HELLO..... I'm PREMATURE???? I kinda think SHE was PREMATURE in giving me a date if that wasn't going to be THE date. Sorry, just needed to vent and get this off my chest. I've been in limbo for over a month just waiting on an initial call back and now I'm really not liking the doctor that I've been put with. She's making me CRAZY!!!
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I'm sorry, that's very frustrating! There is so much to plan for when getting this surgery, so for her to tell you that you were being premature...well, that is a bit insulting. Do you have any other choices? Is she a member of a bariatric surgery center, so that your insurance could give you the ok to switch to another in her group?
My insurance (Aetna HMO) sent me to a group where I had my pic of about 5 different surgeons. We had to attend a doctor's talk, then when approved the office called me and asked me which doctor I wanted.
Finally, when it was time to schedule they gave me the next available dates of the doctor I chose, and also the doctor my husband chose ( he was sleeved exactly four weeks ahead of me).
I guess my point is before settling on a surgeon that you clearly are not comfortable with, see what your options are.
Be well,0 -
She shouldn't have said you were premature. You were acting responsibly. Many people are in the hospital for 3 days and off for 3 wks. We have children and jobs and major responsibilities that require significant coordination. We can't just make those arrangements materialize overnight. They probably have a scheduling issue and were just being defensive when you were upset. Let me assure you if a fellow MD or judge or lawyer received that response they would have been pissed too. I am in the medical field . Rule # 1, when you screw up take responsibility and graciously apologize. Accept the patients' anger and frustration. Never be *****y back -you lose the respect of the pt. good luck0
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I feel for you. I'm going through some similar frustrations with my doctors. I am scheduled for next Monday a week and my surgeon waited to the last minute to look at blood work he has had in my file since October. In addition to that the surgeon doesn't speak English well so there has been a laundry list of miscommunications over the last month. All ending up in my paper work being submitted just this past week, to my insurance company who says they might not get to the approval claim for up to 15 days. I did the same as you, I planned everything around it, even had my parents change their winter travel plans to fly in and stay for the week of my surgery so I would have a ride to and from the hospital and some support for a couple days when I got home. The entire situation is really making me question the competency of the surgeon and his staff.0
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I feel for you. I'm going through some similar frustrations with my doctors. I am scheduled for next Monday a week and my surgeon waited to the last minute to look at blood work he has had in my file since October. In addition to that the surgeon doesn't speak English well so there has been a laundry list of miscommunications over the last month. All ending up in my paper work being submitted just this past week, to my insurance company who says they might not get to the approval claim for up to 15 days. I did the same as you, I planned everything around it, even had my parents change their winter travel plans to fly in and stay for the week of my surgery so I would have a ride to and from the hospital and some support for a couple days when I got home. The entire situation is really making me question the competency of the surgeon and his staff.
????!!! You really should only be going to a surgeon who specializes in this. Surgeons do not book elective surgeries that are not approved by insurance. The day my insurance approved me was the day they scheduled me. My insurance only pays for bariatric surgery at a regional center for excellence because of the potential complications. They refuse to pay just any old surgeon to do this. My whole process involved 1 surgeon, 2 nurse practioners, 2 nutritionists, 1 psychologist, 4 nurses, one insurance lady and 1 lab tech- all at the same office completely coordinated processing me over a 6 month period. This is all they do. Good luck. Kinda freaked out for your safety. Is this really your surgeon's specialty? Have you gone to support groups with his past patients? I personally met 10 of my surgeons patients prior to surgery.0 -
Thanks for all of your support and kind reassuring words. I meet with my doc again on Feb 5th. Hopefully I will know by then a set date. Keeping my finger's crossed and trying to keep my blood pressure under control.:flowerforyou:0
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Sweetheart I would be questioning their competency too. Thankfully I've been able to resolve the issue with my doctor, but if you are having problems communicating with your doctor then I really do suggest you ask talk to a patient's advocate. More times than not they can help resolve any issues you might be having with the doctor.0
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Not speaking English well would have been a Red Flag for me. If I were you I'd slow down the process and make sure all my details were correct. This is Major Surgery.0
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Yeah, bariatrics is his specialty, the team he works with they only do bypass and sleeves. I am really reconsidering this, at least with this doctor. Really not sure what I am going to do at this point. I have my pre-surgery appointment at the hospital on Wednesday, I think I will ask alot of question and see how that goes.0
