Google

Saturday, May 3, 2014

What is Reasonable Service to Expect?

My healthcare struggles continued this week. I was dicharged from the hospital on Sunday night (at 8pm - kind of silly that it too until almost 6pm for my doctor to even show up to see me on Sunday, btu that is another story). By Wednesday, I was having worse pain than when i was discharged. I was assuming the antibiotics weren't working. Considering they keep saying that I need to be careful or I will have to have surgery, I am being careful and cautious. I do not want to have part of my colon removed unless I absolutely have to do so.

So, I called my doctor's office at 8am on Wednesday morning and left a message with whoever answered the phone. As a bit of background, I have been seeing this GI doctor since December of 2012 and this is my third diverticulitis attack that he has treated. She took a message and said he would call back. By noon, I was crying in pain and very nauseated. I called back and spoke to the same person who informed me that it might be tomorrow before he called back. I reiterated to her that I was feeling worse, just got out of the hospital, and I that I really needed to talk to him or someone from his office who might be covering. She said that she would TRY to get him to call me that afternoon but it might be the next morning.

I continued feeling badly Wednesday night. Thursday at 1pm, I still hadn't heard anything so I called back. She says, "Oh, he hasn't gotten to his messages from yesterday yet but he should get back to you today." I asked her if I could just come get seen. She said no, he would have him call me. So at 5:30pm, SHE calls me back - not the doctor. She says that he is going to call in pain medicine. I didn't need pain medicine - i have that. I wanted something to, ummm, you know actually make me feel better. I told her that I had 5 days if IV antibiotics and was feeling better, and that after 4 days of Augmenting, it was getting worse. She says, and I am seriously quoting her, "Umm, well I am not really sure how long it takes to get better from diverticulitis." Kind of scary that they have this person calling people from a GI office. I insisted on talking to the doctor because I really think the antibiotic isn't working.

He comes on and acts like he doesn't even know who I am. I reminder him that I just got out of the hospital and that I am on Augmentin. He asks me if there was a reason I am on that and not Flagyl. I told him that it made me very ill in the hospital. He asks if I want to try Cipro. I am really not feeling confident in his abilities at this point. I say yes. He calls it in. Hopefully, this will work, but I am definitely searching for a new GI doc.

I ask friends for a good recommendation for a GI doc in Tampa. The earliest appointment I could get was June 9th. Not sure I really want to wait 6 weeks so I will keep looking. Anyone else have recommendations of either a good GI doc?

No comments:

Post a Comment