Doctor Rant:

[Catavenger]

Some of you here may have read my my posts about my uncontrolled seizures that were caused by a closed head injury caused several years ago in a car accident that almost killed me.​

Because of that I cannot drive and I cannot work. I am now on S.S. disability.​

Because my primary care Dr. has been after me to have it done, I went for a consultation with a specialist about getting a colonoscopy. Because I can't drive my sister gave me a ride there.​

This Dr. is in the same building as my Dr. just one floor up. I had gone there previously to get some paperwork to fill out.​

It was strange because the same day as my appointment I also received the same paperwork in the mail.​

I have quite a few medical problems. I have uncontrolled seizures from my epilepsy and some partial short term memory loss.​

I have had multiple operations on my my left leg that was shattered from my traffic accident. I have titanium rods and pins inside from foot all the way up. I also had a clean break in my left arm. That also was repaired with a titanium rod.​

Because the battery only lasts a few years, I have had two operations to implant a Vagus Nerve Stimulator (VNS). The vagus nerve is one of the major nerves running to the brain. This device sends a pulse every so often to the brain and keeps my seizures from being worst than they are. It is nicknamed a "brain pacemaker." It can also be started manually with the use of a special magnet. I also have had other operations, mostly due to this accident​

I have Grand-Mal (now called Tonic-Clonic) seizures. During those I lose consciousness. I also have absence seizures where I am functioning but don't know what I'm doing and can't remember later. I also have partial seizures where I don't lose consciousness but just feel really weird and bad. During some of those I feel really worse than others. Sometimes I feel the need to go take a crap. I don't crap my pants but have to make a quick trip to the restroom. Although I haven't yet sometimes I also feel the need to vomit.​

I am on four different kinds of pills. Some I need to take twice a day at the same time each day.​

Before I went, as instructed, I had filled out paperwork about what prescriptions I was on and what operations I had had. And about my medical condition.​

When I saw this Dr. it seemed pretty obvious to me that he really must not have read this paperwork.​

When I tried to explain my condition he didn't seem to know much about epilepsy.​

I don't think he knows what a VNS is. He didn't even seem to know what the vagus nerve is.​

The prep for this procedure apparently really makes the person crap.​

Even though I had explained to the Dr., that stress is one of the things that brings on the Grand-Mal seizures he didn't seem to understand that I was worried about having a Grand-Mal seizure and laying unconscious in my own crap.​

The doctor just seemed clueless. My sister said he reminded her of a used car salesman.​

Since I also have seizures even while I'm asleep, I am worried that I might even have seizures while unconscious for the colonoscopy. The Dr. did agree that it would be be better to have this procedure at an actual hospital with a dedicated nurse to give me anesthetic.​

Then the Dr. says to wait and leaves, so we wait and wait in the room where he had talked to us. Finally a woman comes and says to wait out in the waiting room.​

They finally call me up and say my insurance won't pay for me to have it in a hospital but they will "try" to get it approved.​

So (wanting to just get it over with) I said do it the regular way and they said okay but they can't do it until the end of Nov. I just said "NO" and walked out.​

I thought my sister would be upset but knowing my condition she really has been against it to begin with.​

Of course I could be wrong but I got the impression that this Dr. is a golfing buddy of my primary care Dr. or something.​

Open insurance enrollment for Medicare supplement insurance will be soon. I think I will change it and when I do I will get a new primary care Dr. Then I will see if I can get a colonoscopy from a Dr. who seems to pay more attention and has done the procedure to people with uncontrolled epilepsy.​

 

[jimbo]

Some of you here may have read my my posts about my uncontrolled seizures that were caused by a closed head injury caused several years ago in a car accident that almost killed me.​

Because of that I cannot drive and I cannot work. I am now on S.S. disability.​

Because my primary care Dr. has been after me to have it done, I went for a consultation with a specialist about getting a colonoscopy. Because I can't drive my sister gave me a ride there.​

This Dr. is in the same building as my Dr. just one floor up. I had gone there previously to get some paperwork to fill out.​

It was strange because the same day as my appointment I also received the same paperwork in the mail.​

I have quite a few medical problems. I have uncontrolled seizures from my epilepsy and some partial short term memory loss.​

I have had multiple operations on my my left leg that was shattered from my traffic accident. I have titanium rods and pins inside from foot all the way up. I also had a clean break in my left arm. That also was repaired with a titanium rod.​

Because the battery only lasts a few years, I have had two operations to implant a Vagus Nerve Stimulator (VNS). The vagus nerve is one of the major nerves running to the brain. This device sends a pulse every so often to the brain and keeps my seizures from being worst than they are. It is nicknamed a "brain pacemaker." It can also be started manually with the use of a special magnet. I also have had other operations, mostly due to this accident​

I have Grand-Mal (now called Tonic-Clonic) seizures. During those I lose consciousness. I also have absence seizures where I am functioning but don't know what I'm doing and can't remember later. I also have partial seizures where I don't lose consciousness but just feel really weird and bad. During some of those I feel really worse than others. Sometimes I feel the need to go take a crap. I don't crap my pants but have to make a quick trip to the restroom. Although I haven't yet sometimes I also feel the need to vomit.​

I am on four different kinds of pills. Some I need to take twice a day at the same time each day.​

Before I went, as instructed, I had filled out paperwork about what prescriptions I was on and what operations I had had. And about my medical condition.​

When I saw this Dr. it seemed pretty obvious to me that he really must not have read this paperwork.​

When I tried to explain my condition he didn't seem to know much about epilepsy.​

I don't think he knows what a VNS is. He didn't even seem to know what the vagus nerve is.​

The prep for this procedure apparently really makes the person crap.​

Even though I had explained to the Dr., that stress is one of the things that brings on the Grand-Mal seizures he didn't seem to understand that I was worried about having a Grand-Mal seizure and laying unconscious in my own crap.​

The doctor just seemed clueless. My sister said he reminded her of a used car salesman.​

Since I also have seizures even while I'm asleep, I am worried that I might even have seizures while unconscious for the colonoscopy. The Dr. did agree that it would be be better to have this procedure at an actual hospital with a dedicated nurse to give me anesthetic.​

Then the Dr. says to wait and leaves, so we wait and wait in the room where he had talked to us. Finally a woman comes and says to wait out in the waiting room.​

They finally call me up and say my insurance won't pay for me to have it in a hospital but they will "try" to get it approved.​

So (wanting to just get it over with) I said do it the regular way and they said okay but they can't do it until the end of Nov. I just said "NO" and walked out.​

I thought my sister would be upset but knowing my condition she really has been against it to begin with.​

Of course I could be wrong but I got the impression that this Dr. is a golfing buddy of my primary care Dr. or something.​

Open insurance enrollment for Medicare supplement insurance will be soon. I think I will change it and when I do I will get a new primary care Dr. Then I will see if I can get a colonoscopy from a Dr. who seems to pay more attention and has done the procedure to people with uncontrolled epilepsy.​

Get another opinion. If you do not like your doctor you should not keep your doctor.

 

[squerly]

Wow, Cat. I will NEVER whimper, whine, or complain about my trivial problems again.

 

[Catavenger]

Jimbo: I plan to get another Dr. I agree that I should have this colonoscopy but not by this Dr. & I'm also getting sick of my primary care Dr. I just kind of got him after my accident. He had been working at the care center I was sent to after I got out of the hospital. He is young for a Dr. I would like someone with more experience.
I don't much like the insurance I have now and can change it during open enrollment. Then next year I can have new insurance. I don't much see how waiting a few months will make much difference.
Another thing there is a test with "Cologuard" http://www.cologuardtest.com/ My primary care physician just dismissed it out of hand with out telling me why. He refused to even discuss it.

 

[Catavenger]

Wow, Cat. I will NEVER whimper, whine, or complain about my trivial problems again.

Actually other than the seizures and slight memory loss I'm doing fairly well. I do walk with a limp because my left leg is now shorter than my right. To walk any distance I need shoes with a built up heal for the left leg.
What's weird is other than, hernia surgery from when I was young and did a lot of heavy lifting, all the other surgeries are due to that accident and the epilepsy. Hell I even still have my tonsils and appendix.

One weird thing happened that scared me. After my neighbor died I walked to the church (close by) for the memorial service.
Afterwords when I was about halfway home I patted my pocket to check that my keys were handy. I found somebody else's keys in my pocket.
I went back and noticed that the women had their purses sitting on a bench.
I don't carry it around but because I am forgetful (when I don't need them)I throw all my junk like keys, wallet, cell phone etc. in a small black gym bag so I won't lose them. Apparently because I was stressed out I had an absence seizure. Some part of my brain must have thought a purse was my gym bag and got the keys out of it.
I went back and just said I had "found" some keys and I gave them back. That was the first time I realized I had absence seizures. It scared the crap out of me. I ask my neurologist and he said not to worry because stuff like that happens.
Hell I do worry what if something like that happens and I'm caught taking something? It would be damn hard to explain to the police!

 

[Doc]

Lots of doctors have started giving colonoscopys but Gastrooligists are the prime docs for the procedure. You might call and ask questions from the nurse before wasting your time with the next appointment. Explain your conditions and see if they have experience with this kind of thing.

 

[Catavenger]

Good idea, I want a Dr. who knows something about epilepsy to do it.