The doctor told us he would order two tests. The staff didn't followup so I left messages and they didn't respond. After five weeks of trying, I went in person to schedule them.
The nurse called later to tell my husband the doctor is irate with us for telling his staff what to do, etc...
My husband apologized but is mad now. He has been waiting now 6 weeks to get the second test. Our PCP has offered to order it at his clinic and we don't have to tell the surgeon. That would allow my husband to get pain relief sooner through therapy or meds. What do you think? My husband wants to stay with the doc but his staff has made other mistakes with his chart and records and I am having doubts.
My husband went in for neck to hand pain and numbness after a accident six months ago. My husband was ill, passed out in the shower, and fell down in the shower. The doctor told us he would deal with the neck first then everything else. Once the neck healed he would test the shoulder to wrist if it still hurt. They both still hurt and it is going on six months. He said they were two more separate injuries but they could be treated at the same time. This is not worker's comp. It is going through our health insurance which only lists this doc and his partner as in network.
I would report this to the insurance company and ask if there is another doctor you could go to. I would also make sure he hasn't billed for the tests that have not been done. I don't know if someone either doctor or staff is incompenent or there was a screw up in the communications. But I would be looking for a different doctor.
I think I don't understand what you just said.
What was the injury?
Your neck, shoulder, and wrist are three different parts of your body, why do you think they should be together?
Everything your wrote is disjointed and I don't understand how it comes together, can you add to this?
Is this workman's comp?
You have completely changed everything around. It still makes no sense and I have an orthopedic surgeon programmed in my phone and I work for doctors. What you are describing will not increase the bill so what is going on?
I am starting to understand your doctor's frustration. I don't mean that in a mean way but damn.
Accident? I accidentally ordered the wrong food. I accidentally fell off the ladder. Both accidents, nothing the same beyond that.
An example. I fell off a ladder at home holding a sheet of particle board. When I landed on my left knee it bent at a 100 degree angle, outward. I have no cartilage in that knee. It was sore but could bear weight easily. Several times over the next four weeks I lost stability in the knee. At four weeks I was moving furniture and my knee collapsed and would not support my weight.
X-ray showed no structural damage, MRI confirmed torn ACL.
I was in surgery a week after my appointment. Would have been sooner but my insurance help up approving the MRI because it was clearly a torn ACL.
I am not saying this to mock you but to give you an idea of what is a good patient. If you guys make the doctor drag everything out of you, it takes longer. You do things like, does this mean anything? I noticed this. You push information while you are there, you ask questions, you establish your time line and ask is that possible. I think your only problem is you are passive until frustrated, not a good combination.
Why is this even a question? The doc and his staff are incompetent and you need to find someone else. The neck and had are nothing to mess with and delay.
I think I don't understand what you are you are asking. Could you please clarify for us? Your question doesn't make much sense.
What tests, what is wrong...what exactly happened and when? It would help if you could be a little more specific.
I think you put too much information into your post. (I can't believe I'm saying that. Usually we say the opposite!) Your question is about the tests not being done due to the office's incompetence and the doctor getting angry at you instead of his office.
If you or your husband didn't tell the doctor EXACTLY what you think of this, then you missed the boat. Apologizing? That was the wrong thing to do. If it were me? I'd get the bloodwork results from the first test, have your PCP do the second set of tests and get ANOTHER doctor. You don't have confidence in this doc OR his staff. Enough is enough.
You are telling the doctor what to do. Perhaps not with the test but with your attitude about his drawing things out in order to charge more. You are not medically trained. How can you know that is what he is doing?
I suggest at your husband's next appointment that he ask in a nonjudgmental way why he is doing this. Keep an open mind.
I suggest that doctors have enough patients that they don't need to make unneeded appointments to make money. I suggest he would have a full schedule without seeing your husband at all. So ask and if you don't understand his answer ask more questions.
Asto scheduling tests, can you not schedule them while you're in the office? Perhaps you're having difficulty because you don't understand the way to schedule tests and you're coming across cranky. I'd be frustrated after leaving 5 messages and would probably be cranky. However, over the years, I've learned that it works best in getting me what I want, I.e. cooperation, is to say to myself, "how can we make this happen?" Then to appproach them without critcism. Problem solve together.
The PA can help you get the tests the doctor ordered. He uses the same chart. Ask the PA the reason for the way the doctor is doing things. The PA is an extension of the doctor. If he can't answer your questions he will ask the doctor while you wait. However, I suggest he will only be willing to do this if you're not giving him a hard time. We really do catch more flies with honey than vinegar.
Later, so you're dealing with two different doctors. Why? I would think that the surgeon would only be involved if your primary care doctor's treatment doesn't work. I suggest that you clarify each doctor's role.
I had neck, arm and wrist pain and they were related. Once I took care of the neck pain the rest resolved. So it's good to deal with the shoulder pain first. Since he still has pain it is reasonable to suggest that pain is separate from the shoulder pain. Perhaps your husband is still seeing the surgeon because he believes the pain is related? I suggest he will get better care if he accepts the doctor's recommendation. Stop second guessing. Tell the doctor you are frustrated, ask what he suggests you do and be willing to give it a try. What you're doing now isn't working. Try it the doctor's way. You can always go back to questioning later if this doesn't work.
After your edit. So you are only upset about the doctor's staff not making the appointments and apparently the doctor is blaming you. This does not make sense. In my 50 years of making appointments for tests I've usually called the lab and make my own appointments. When the doctor's office made the appointment they gave me a direct number to the lab to call if I didn't hear from them. With whom were you leaving messages? Why did you wait 5 weeks before you went in person. And when you went which office did you go to?
Sounds like the lab hadn't received the doctor's orders if that is where you went. I suggest that this is an error in communication for which you allowed your frustration and anger fester. I wonder if you didn't "yell" at the scheduler and the doctor was defending his staff member. I, again, suggest you start over with your focus on facilitating better communication.
Rarely is a situation such as you describe have only one person in the wrong. Since you can't change doctors I suggest thst you stop focusing on who's at fault and focus on starting over being sure you understand what is going on.
First, you do not know your doctor's actual attitude or what he told the nurse. She may have been angry while he isn't. One time I felt that my doctor's assistant was rude and lacked compassion and that her attitude had caused him to be less helpful. I wrote him a letter and expressed my feelings suggesting I would change doctors. He called me, we talked, and I was pleased from then on. After that I felt I could talk with him about anything. He was my doctor for several years.
Bottom line: talk with the doctor. Focus on finding a way to have better comnunication. If you could change doctors that would be an option. But you can't. The financial consequences would be too great.
I've had numbness in my hand and neck pain in the past due to an old car accident. Numbness is actually a worse sign than pain because it can indicate nerve damage.
It turned out I have a slipped/herniated disc in my neck that was causing the problem. I have had great success with chiropractic care. The numbness receded after a few adjustments and it got to the point I only had nerve pain in my arm if I didn't go to chiro 4 times a year.
The chiro was the one who ordered a MRI of my neck and sent me to a neurologist for a nerve conduction study to check for damage.
Most docs can only offer pain pills, muscle relaxers, physical therapy, or surgery. Personally I'd rather avoid pills & surgery, and a good chiro will have a physical therapy approach anyway.
If I were you I'd try to get a second opinion/ referral to a good chiro. A good one won't touch you without a recent x ray.
I'd also take the pcp up on his offer, if it will get him tested sooner. The specialist can look at results later if needed.
