Arrogant cardio

[strawberry]

My GP has been fiddling with diuretics for 6 WEEKS cause my ankles are puffy. I HATE THAT. So I go to the cardio myself who treats my like an annoying little gnat. "You're EKG is fine (he tosses it onto the table like it's rubbish). You're heart sounds exactly the same as it did last time (March) so I'm not going to do any tests. It could be your kidney, liver, or just one of those things. They don't look THAT bad "(I've been on diuretics for 6 weeks!). OK, he hasn't had to buy larger shoes to go to a wedding. I'd like to see him totter around on too small high heels with his ankles puffing out of the top. He says to stay away from diuretics cause unless I'm obviously fluid overloaded which I'm not...like I bought them on a street corner or something.

What is it with specialists and arrogance? Let's see, small, blonde, youngish female, she must be hysterical. Oh, and come back in three months just in case. &*#$(*#&$#(

WHATEVER.

 

[Sherry]

Strawberry, is it an insurance issue for you to be going to this doc? If not, drop him and go to another. You pay him, not the other way around. You don't have to take that from anybody

 

[Ross]

Find another Cardiologist. I know it's not easy, but if the guy is an ass now, he will be one later too.

 

[Harrybaby666]

Hi Strawberry

Hi Strawberry

Just want you to know that I am going through a similar situation with my doctors...I just found out I have Pulmonary Hypertension, and because my PCP didn't know that I had this (because of my other docs not telling him) he had his nurse call me about seeing a PH Specialist and she really socked it too me. She said that It was up to me to report everything to Dr. Donovan (My PCP) and that they were NOT going to let me see the PH Specialist until I saw Dr. Donovan....So I told her that this is a serious problem and that I really needed to get in to see this new Dr. and all she said was "Well!! YOUR NOT GOING TO DIE TOMORROW!!!!!" I thought that this was absolutely uncalled for and I have almost decided that I am going to find a new PCP, as its obvious that there is too much mis communication, because she wouldn't even give me the opportunity to tell her that I didn't even know until recently...I just wanted to share this with you to let you know your not alone, and that it's NOT YOU....Its the rotten attitude of the doctor/nurse. I do hope you feel better, and get the help that you have a right to and need. Take Care, Harrybaby666

 

[MichyB]

Is it horribly naive of me to think that heart doctors should actually have one?

 

[Karlynn]

Yep, find another cardiologist. I was young, tall and slim and I had a cardio tell me I was not the "type" to be having heart problems. Oh sure, he saw the echo reports of mitral valve prolaps, but hey, lots of people have that and aren't bothered by it. He told me that maybe when I'm 72 I'd have to have it replace and basically told me that, until then, I needed to stop complaining. Well, I beat his prediction of valve replacement by 40 years. Oh, I left out the part where, to shut me up, he prescribed the maximum dose of an antiarrhythmic that almost killed me. (A drug that's no longer on the market because it did kill people.)

Doctors that are rude and uncaring can also do harm by their attitude and their actions, or lack of action.

 

[Harrybaby666]

Amen To That Karlynn!!!

Amen To That Karlynn!!!

I am Soooooooo glad that I am not the only one! and to be perfectly fair, there are alot of nurses out there also who have just as bad of an attitude as the doctors....I wonder what would happen if someone did die because of a doctor being too nonchalant and caring? I think that this is the reason that I stay on top of things and I have learned that I have to fight for everything. Pardon my venting, it's just that I am absolutely fed up with them right along side you all. Harrybaby666

 

[Nancy]

Let me preface this by saying that there are terrific, kind, caring and intelligent doctors everywhere. Joe has just such a group of this kind of doctor, and their staffs are just as kind, caring and intelligent.

There is also the OTHER kind. Most of the time, when one encounters an "attitude", it's because it is a defensive action, Remember the best defense is a good offense. So if you are finding your doctor or other professional offensive, then consider the source, and find someone who will take your symptoms seriously and follow them until a conclusion is found. And remember, if the staff is offensive also, they probably have tacit permission to act that way. No good doctor would EVER let his/her staff act that way with patients. They would lose their business fast. I'm sure with a good doctor, that kind of person would be going "down the road".

Don't keep going to the empty well for water, you won't get what you want. Move on and never look back.

You can ask other people that you trust for recommendations, friends who have had difficult medical problems, neighbors, other doctors, other nurses, other medical professionals, even your dentist, and I hate to say this, but ask any widows and widowers you know. Find someone who will give you the truth on the QT. But ONLY ask those you trust. Once you have found an excellent doctor, you can start to build your group of specialists. Good doctors recommend the best doctors, not the worst, because they don't want it to reflect on their reputations, and believe me they know who is good and who is not.

Your health can sometimes depend on the selections that YOU make. Choose wisely! No one else can do it for you.

 

[strawberry]

Thanks guys I knew you would appreciate the situation. I'm thinking if you're crying on the way home because of the way you were treated, that's not a good thing. I do have Personal Choice and was planning on switching to a closer Dr. anyway. This same guy blew me off the first time too, come to think of it. Another Dr. sent me there after hearing ectopic beats and they guy practically rolled his eyes at me. Til he got the echo then he breezed through mitralvalveprolapseandmildaitakeantibioticsandcomebackinayear.
I had a, well three, urologists treat me this way and say there was nothing wrong with my bladder andt he excrutiating pain I was in was all in my head til an expert actuall looked in there and saw my severely inflamed, eroded lining causing every drop of urine to feel like acid on a sore. I sent my dx to the uro who had snapped his glove at and delcared there's nothing wrong with you while I writhed in pain. So Marge you're right there are good and bad. Harry Baby, this guy said a similar thing to me: Don't listen to people who tell you oh my mothers feet swelled up and she was dead two months later."

BTW my ankles are huge today. Oh wait let me take my trick glasses off and tell my feet to stop thinking they hurt.

 

[Nan]

Just wanted to chime in....CHANGE THAT DOCTOR! Sounds like you are doing so....You should feel better, or at least listened to, after you see your medical provider, but certainly not crying!!!!

So sorry you had to go through this. And Nancy, as usual, points out that there are many good, decent and caring medical providers out there. You are entititled to be treated well by one of those good guys!

Let us know how you make out.

 

[Bill Hall]

Strawberry - Thanks for posting your story. I went to the cardiologist on Tuesday because of shortness of breath and bloating around my waist. My cardiologist checked my ankles (which were fine) and told me maybe I had a stomach problem and suggested antacids. Maybe I am just not assertive, but I really didn't come to see him and would not visit without real concern. So, I am troubled about what to do next. The suggestions in this thread are definitely worth considering. This guy is not an arrogant cardio, but that really doesn't help me. He told me to come back in May.

 

[geebee]

Dump him.

Dump him.

Strawberry - take a lesson from Donald Trump - go to this cardio and say "you're fired".
I had an arrogant cardio years ago. I went to him to tell him I was having major palpitations (felt like my heart stopped and started again). Since it never seemed to happen when I was having an EKG or echo then, of course, it wasn't happening at all. He finally told me to just wear earplugs to bed and I wouldn't hear it. He never said what to do about "feeling it".
Well, it turns out my valve was sticking shut due to scar tissue. If I had decided to ignore it instead of firing him and finding another one, I would not be here today. I ended up with emergency OHS to remove scar tissue that had encroached on the valve.
Don't ever let them make you feel like you are crazy. It's your body (fat ankles and all) not theirs.
Take care,
Gina

 

[Nancy]

I once went to a doctor a long time ago with a problem that was really bothering me, and after he did his examination, I asked what he thought the problem was.

He said, "How the heck do I know?"

Yikes! Couldn't leave that guy fast enough. Couldn't he have made up something to cover his a--? No he chose that ridiculous statement.

It turned out that I needed gallbladder surgery and was having classic symptoms.

So in every profession, there are all kinds of people.

 

[Harpoon]

Obviously the advice of the day here is FIND A NEW DOCTOR so I won't beat that one any more.


In the mean time, try looking at how much fluid you take in on a day to day basis. Cut it back as much as you can. You should also consider your diet, try and cut out as much of the sodium (salt) intake as possible. If you have a salt shaker on the table, put it in the cupboard or throw it out all together. Don't add salt to your food, ever. Don't add it to meals that you cook either, most things don't really need it. That's simple stuff. You can get more in depth using a few good cookbooks a that are out there. A search on Amazon.com will give you a good start.

When looking for a new cardiologist, ask how often they've treated patients with valve issues. How many by-pass patients does he/she have? How many valvers?

You should also ask around. You have a primary physician, if you trust him/her ask 'em. if not, ask a physican you do trust, maybe your OB/GYN or something. Generally most physicians know eachother across specialties so you don't neccesarily have to ask a cardiologist about how good another cardiologist is. my cardiologist refered me to an oral surgeon a few years ago when I needed to get my wisdom teeth out. He was GREAT, very good to me, very quick and I'm EXTREMELY picky over who I see for dental work. My cardiologist also refered me to a surgeon to fix a hernia I had a few years later, again, a great experience (as far as the quality of the physician anynways...)

Takes some homework, but you have some OBVIOUS issues that aren't be addressed, in fact they're being discounted. You're on diuretics for SOMETHING right? If not the swelling in your ankles then what? If the sweling isn't going down or has gotten worse since going on the diuretics, then something is DEFINITELY wrong.

 

[Abbanabba]

Hi Strawberry, sorry you've had to deal with such a knucklehead. I've also been through my fair share of doctors and cardios - and yes, I wonder how much is because I'm a young woman who isn't being taken seriously.

I read an article recently about heart attacks and heart disease being the number 1 killer of women in both America and Australia and after my own experiences, and reading the experiences of so many people here, it's hardly surprising. We so often get dismissed as "hysterical females" and god forbid if you happen to be carrying a bit of weight, because then that is deemed to be the cause of all your problems!! (..this also seems to be the case for too many men as well ..)

As Nancy pointed out, there ARE good doctors out there, it just seems to be a challenge findng them! I hope you manage to find one.

Hang in there....
Anna : )

 

[epstns]

It isn't you. . .

It isn't you. . .

Strawberry, I'm sure it isn't you being the problem. I also had a similar situation with my first cardio over high blood pressure. He wasn't really interested in treating it, even though my BP was usually around 160/100. He prescribed a diuretic, and when that did nothing, he said he wouldn't discuss it over the phone and to make an appointment, and by the way his office was booked out for a month. I called back and canceled all future appointments and found another cardio, one who is the opposite -- the great, caring and personable kind.

Do it -- fire the bum. You are entitled to it!

 

[strawberry]

I had a follow-up with my gp today and even though teh swelling was half what it was at the cardio who had said "it doesn't look that bad" she could still see it and I told her that figuring out the cause was really getting to me. She said well we're following the kidney thing and she rechecked my creatinine today. She had said four months but since I'm still puffy I guess she decided to go ahead and recheck. Then she says, drumroll please, I was also thinking we should go ahead and get another echo just to cover all the bases (she didn't know I had gone ahead and gone to the cardio). I said I'm so glad you said that because...and I gave her the lowdown. She said he sounds like a jerk and gave me a script to get an echo locally. So I feel a lot better that this whole thing just isn't being blown off and she is investigating the cause rather than just treating it. She suggested I split my bumex morning and afternoon and watch my salt like Harpoon said. I have been eating like a pig all week so I was surprised to see I was down two pounds from last time which is five pounds since I first went to see her at the end of August.

So thanks again to all of you for your support. I feel much better after this visit than I did after the cardio app't.

 

[Karlynn]

I'm glad to know that you have a GP that works in partnership with you. I'm sure that has to make you feel better. Let us know how the echo and tests go.

 

[liamty]

A couple of years ago when we saw Steves cardio. I was concerned that Steve had lost 30 kilos in less than12 months without trying. I mentioned this to the specialist whos comment was that 'he must have been over weight initially' because 'he looked ok now'!. He did order some blood tests through our GP, and on his refererral to our GP he wrote: (quote) 'Stevens weight loss is of some concern....to his wife'. Patronising so and so. I was pretty cranky, but it only served me to not be intimidated by him again. How dare he refer to anyone like that. We are more than a slab of meat!

 

[Abbanabba]

Strawberry -
I'm so glad you've got and understanding GP who actually seems to be concerned about your health and is taking active steps to investigate your symptoms. I had to leave behind a wonderful GP (and am still looking for one who can even come close!) so make sure you use her to your advantage! Meanwhile, good luck with the echo - I hope you keep us posted on how it goes.

Donna -
You just can win can you? If you're overweight, then "you need to lose it and you'll feel better", if you've lost the weight then "you're fine", if you've put weight on then "you just need to exercise more". Surely any significant weight gain/loss without significant lifestyle change should trigger warning bells that something is not quite right.

I had some very similar condescending comments when I mentioned I'd gained and extra 8-10 kilos in the last 18 months because I've not been able to maintain my previous levels of physical activity. The letter to my GP stated I was anxious and depressed because I'd put weight on and my symptoms were a result of that anxiety/depression! My concern isn't that I've gained the weight... it's WHY I've gained that weight.

Anyhoo.... onto cardio #3.... and counting!

A : )