So today I am off to the doctor: my primary care physician. Well, at least the nurse practitioner who works in his office. I have a PCP, I will refer to him as Dr. Dumbass, who is nearing his late sixties, who is obviously in the race to retirement, and whom I cannot stand, so I never go and see him. I personally think the man is a quack and has lost his freakin' mind, but maybe that is a little harsh.
Trust me, my repugnance for the man is not without warrant. During my first few months being treated by him, after I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), he didn't believe that I had RA. He thought I was simply depressed and a drug seeker. Strange really since I kept asking him to put me on something other than narcotics for the pain, because they were interfering with my daily activities.
Also, the first year of my diagnosis, I was RF negative, meaning that the Rheumatoid Factor in my blood (a protein test to determine the diagnosis of RA) was negative. 80% of all adults with RA are positive, and the other 20 %...you guessed it, negative. Well I was negative for the first year of testing. So Dr. Dumbass, in his infinite wisdom put that, with the fact that I was overweight and in a severe amount of pain, together and his genius diagnosis was that I was molested as a child and he wanted to know who "hurt" me! Yes, that's right folks. He actually asked me, "Who hurt you? Its okay, you can tell me."
WTF?? Was he kidding?
Apparently, when an overweight single female who is in physical pain which the doctors, or should I say doctor (as my Rheumatologist adamantly disagreed with his deduction), couldn't explain (because he is a Dumbass), they fit into a category of abused or traumatized individuals who are suffering from delayed post traumatic stress disorder. Seriously, I am not kidding. This was his diagnosis (which I made sure was NOT in my medical history since he had NOTHING to support such conclusions). One would think that I would never again return to such an incompetent person again, right?
Wrong...well not all wrong. Basically, I was confined by my medical insurance to stay with the same doctor because I couldn't find another doctor in my plan who was accepting new patients (believe me I tried). That's when I met Amy, the nurse practitioner, in my doctor's offive.
Amy is wonderful. She is kind and thoughtful. She takes her time to listen to me during my visits. She is everything that Dr. Dumbass isn't...and she gets paid probably a fraction of what he makes on an annual basis. Oh the injustice!
So, whenever a visit to my primary care physician is required, I schedule ALL my appointments with Amy. I have not had to see or listen to Dr. Dumbass in over two years (thank God for small favors). I have never told Amy what happened with Dr. D but I am sure she knows there is a reason I do not see him anymore. I can't be the only patient he has wronged. I do, however, still have to list HIM as my PCP on all paperwork, as Amy cannot be considered as my PCP. Stupid really, but them's the rules!
So this afternoon I am off to visit with Amy and give her my laundry list of ailments, most of which are connected or caused by the RA and/or medications, so that she can hopefully fix me. I say laundry list because I try to avoid going to the doctor as much as possible since I am required to visit my Rheumatologist every eight weeks, and I go to the cancer treatment center every six weeks for my Remicade infusion. I have had my fill of medical personnel and the like. I only go now if absolutely necessary, which my list has reached the end of the post-it note meaning only one thing...its time to make a visit to Amy.
So wish me luck...not that I need it with her. Hopefully I don't run into Dr. Dumbass today. I might have to tell him to buggar off! Somehow though, I don't think those would be my choice of words, but let's keep it clean, shall we!
Oh and one more thing...I tested RF positive within the second year. Put that in your pipe and smoke it Dr. Dumbass!
Wishing you all good health and happiness!
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