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Bad Doctor?

C-Girl

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C-Girl Contributor
C-Girl
Posted

I had my first follow up with the Gastroenterologist yesterday and I left the office in tears. I was really disappointed with his attitude.

 

First, he refused to re-test my antibodies. I was looking forward to seeing some improvement, but he said, well - if it's still positive or if it's now negative, will it change anything? (aghast, I said well, it would tell me if I'm avoiding gluten successfully?) He refused to do the test.

 

And, for symptoms he just said, if you have D, take immodium. if you have heartburn, take Prilosec. NBD, right? You're just stressed out, he says, in the typical fashion that condescending male doctors do to their female patients. It says, you aren't sick, you're just TOO EMOTIONAL.

 

I honestly couldn't decide if I should stab him in the eye with his pen, or leave, and cry in my car. I didn't want to get arrested, so I chose the latter. Should I have chosen the former and gone to jail? I can't decide.

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kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

You could print this to show the idiot what the standard of care is. If it were me, I would just ask my regular doctor to test it according to these guidelines. That is what I do.

Open Original Shared Link

How often should follow-up testing occur?

New celiacs should receive follow-up testing twice in the first year after their diagnosis. The first appointment should occur 3-6 months after the diagnosis, and the second should occur after 1 year on a gluten-free diet. After that, a celiac should receive follow-up testing on a yearly basis. We recommend checking both tTG and DGP (Deamidated gliadin peptides) at each screening.

moosemalibu Collaborator
moosemalibu
Posted

What Karen said... but also.. what a jerk! Sorry you went through that. ((hugs))

bartfull Rising Star
bartfull
Posted

Yep, bad doctor. Why am I not surprised? It seems the majority of them are like that. :angry:

 

Can you find a different doctor? Get your records and take them to him/her.

NoGlutenCooties Contributor
NoGlutenCooties
Posted

Not just a bad doctor - but a horrible one.  I would print out the pertinent information like Karen suggested and send it to him.  With a note... "just so you know why you'll never see me in your office again - you are a disgrace to your profession".

 

Back when I was in college I was having really bad abdominal pain - I went to the emergency room because I thought I might have appendicitis.  The doctor looked at me said, "Well.... it's hard to tell with you girls because everything's in the same place."  (he thought it might be an ovulation cramp - which is completely different than what I was experiencing) I wanted to ask him if I put one of his balls in a vice did he think he'd know the difference between that and appendicitis - but I couldn't because my mother was there.  She would have fainted on the spot.

Unfortunately, bad doctors are abundant.

Adalaide Mentor
Adalaide
Posted

I'm laughing so hard. Not at your awful visit, but because I've totally sat listening to a doctor drone on demeaning me in that same way while wondering if stabbing him in the eye is an option. I look around the office and only half pay attention to what he's saying as I daydream about what my options are such as a tongue depressor. I thought I was the only one who daydreamed of stabbing "physicians" in the eye. It's good to know I'm not alone. :P

 

Maybe your GP can do the tests? As long as you print out the info from that website to back you up in case of opposition there is no reason he can't order regular blood tests. There is no reason to go back and give more of your money to such a disrespectful jerk.

livinthelife Apprentice
livinthelife
Posted

SHEESH I am so mad that that happened to you. GRRRRRR. I say go back and stab him in the eye and we'll all be your alibi!! 

 

I've posted this before but my old GI doctor said, "You present classic celiac, but you don't have that." WHAT?? How did he know? I'll tell you how…HE DIDN'T!! He was a jacka** who kept on prescribing very expensive medicine with no testing whatsoever. For eighteen months. I know all too well about sitting in the car crying after a doc visit like that.

 

Even my primary care doc thought I presented celiac and at least ran tests. When those tests came back negative, he wasn't satisfied and sent me to a new GI doc. I truly believe he probably saved my life. 

 

Find another doctor. Not all of them are jerks. I'm so mad for you and am double extra sorry you feel sad, bad, miserable, depressed and downright awful. Maybe someone here has the name of a good doc where you live? 

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C-Girl Contributor
C-Girl
Posted
  • Author

I'm laughing so hard. Not at your awful visit, but because I've totally sat listening to a doctor drone on demeaning me in that same way while wondering if stabbing him in the eye is an option. I look around the office and only half pay attention to what he's saying as I daydream about what my options are such as a tongue depressor. I thought I was the only one who daydreamed of stabbing "physicians" in the eye. It's good to know I'm not alone. :P

 

Maybe your GP can do the tests? As long as you print out the info from that website to back you up in case of opposition there is no reason he can't order regular blood tests. There is no reason to go back and give more of your money to such a disrespectful jerk.

 

Your post made *me* laugh so hard I almost fell out of my chair!

 

Seriously - doctors can be such jerks. They think they know everything, but they're actually quite helpless. This one was sure that I had IBS (very common in women so he says!)

 

I went to a different doctor who knew more about celiac, but went back to this one for the endoscopy because he charged half as much and I hadn't met my deductible. Now I know why he was cheaper, I was in agony for days after that damn test. Jerk!

ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted

What a horrible excuse for a doctor. As others have stated we have all had too many experiences like that. My worst was the neuro that found my brain lesions. After a spinal tap confirmed that I didn't have MS after all he stated that the lesions meant nothing. I just wanted to be sick.

I think we all need voodoo dolls. After all we can't really do anything to them since there are 2 places most celiacs really don't want to go. One is a hospital. The other is jail...

luvs2eat Collaborator
luvs2eat
Posted

My sister (who lives in France) had to INSIST that her doctor do a celiac panel. He simply refused because he said the incidence of celiac was so rare and she did NOT have it! The test came back inconclusive and... as she lives in the place w/ the best bread in the world... she is not gluten-free, but does notice a lessening of eczema and asthma when she cuts back on gluten.

 

I'm wondering why you had such a bad reaction to the endoscopy? I know everyone's different, but that particular test was the best one I've ever had! No prep... a nice nap... and maybe the tiniest sore throat afterwards.

cyclinglady Grand Master
cyclinglady
Posted

I'm just adding my support!  I'm so sorry that you were subjected to a horrible doctor!  

Adalaide Mentor
Adalaide
Posted

Your post made *me* laugh so hard I almost fell out of my chair!

 

Seriously - doctors can be such jerks. They think they know everything, but they're actually quite helpless. This one was sure that I had IBS (very common in women so he says!)

 

I went to a different doctor who knew more about celiac, but went back to this one for the endoscopy because he charged half as much and I hadn't met my deductible. Now I know why he was cheaper, I was in agony for days after that damn test. Jerk!

 

Well hopefully a good laugh made you feel better. :)

 

Yes, I'm sure IBS is totally common in women because we're so emotional and omg is this guy lifted straight from the dark ages? Did he get his medical degree from a Cracker Jack box? Does he even have one? Does he also think we're prone to vapors and hysteria and require old time treatment for that too?

bartfull Rising Star
bartfull
Posted

Smelling salts.

Gemini Experienced
Gemini
Posted

Well hopefully a good laugh made you feel better. :)

 

Yes, I'm sure IBS is totally common in women because we're so emotional and omg is this guy lifted straight from the dark ages? Did he get his medical degree from a Cracker Jack box? Does he even have one? Does he also think we're prone to vapors and hysteria and require old time treatment for that too?

Stop it, Addy.....I can't eat lunch I am laughing so hard!  You need your own comedy show!   :lol:

nvsmom Community Regular
nvsmom
Posted

:D  :lol:

HavaneseMom Explorer
HavaneseMom
Posted

It makes me so sad to hear that this is happening so often. It's a simple blood test, why don't they want to let us take it?

 

I suffered for so many years because my doctor convinced me that all of my digestive issues stemmed from stress and anxiety. I asked him three times over the years to test me for Celiac Disease and he refused. The last time, he was obviously irritated and told me that I choose him as my doctor and need to trust him to manage my health care. I finally went to a GI doctor, although my primary doctor tried to convince me they would not be able to help me. I saw the Physicians Assistant because the GI doctor was not available and I never even mentioned Celiac Disease to her because I had been so humiliated before. Within 5 minutes of talking to me she said she wanted to test me for Celiac Disease and I of course tested positive. I will forever be grateful to that Physicians Assistant because she actually listen to me.

 

Your doctor sounds bad like mine. I am still looking for a new one, and hopefully you will find one that will be willing to do your follow blood test soon.

NoGlutenCooties Contributor
NoGlutenCooties
Posted

But don't all of us overly-emotional women need those "little yellow pills" just to make it through the day?

(Bartfull - love the smelling salts comment!)

bartfull Rising Star
bartfull
Posted

It makes me so sad to hear that this is happening so often. It's a simple blood test, why don't they want to let us take it?

 

I suffered for so many years because my doctor convinced me that all of my digestive issues stemmed from stress and anxiety. I asked him three times over the years to test me for Celiac Disease and he refused. The last time, he was obviously irritated and told me that I choose him as my doctor and need to trust him to manage my health care. I finally went to a GI doctor, although my primary doctor tried to convince me they would not be able to help me. I saw the Physicians Assistant because the GI doctor was not available and I never even mentioned Celiac Disease to her because I had been so humiliated before. Within 5 minutes of talking to me she said she wanted to test me for Celiac Disease and I of course tested positive. I will forever be grateful to that Physicians Assistant because she actually listen to me.

 

Your doctor sounds bad like mine. I am still looking for a new one, and hopefully you will find one that will be willing to do your follow blood test soon.

I hope you went back to your doctor and presented him with the results. And I hope you said something like, "If you want me to trust you with my health care, you need to trust ME to know when my body tells me something's wrong!"

HavaneseMom Explorer
HavaneseMom
Posted

Bartfull,

I never did confront him, but my lab results and everything else that I have had done with my GI doctor since has been forwarded to that very bad doctor. I have told him off so many times in my head, but could never get the courage up to do it in person. I haven't seen him since my diagnosis and never will again. At least I learned a very valuable lesson and I will never trust a doctors opinion based on a 30 minute appointment over what I am feeling every single day. I do wish I would have been more pro-active and demanding, so anyone reading this in a similar situation, please demand the testing or find a better doctor who will listen to you and test you for Celiac Disease!

  • 2 weeks later...
Lizzo Newbie
Lizzo
Posted

UGH THIS MAKES ME SO MAD!!!!

 

Not just as a woman.... there's that tooo... but one of the big problems with Celiac is that eating gluten can put you on an emotional roller coaster. So the very fact that you were "over emotional" may actually be a symptom of being glutened! 

 

I had one doctor who used to do the same thing as me. When I told him I thought I was still getting glutened, he told me it was just because it was close to my period so it was probably PMS and that I was being paranoid. I actually called him out on him, told him that he was clearly inept and shouldn't have female patients if he plans on blaming every symptom on PMS. I IMMEDIATELY switched doctors & got an appt the next day (thank you, Kaiser). THAT doctor was much more understanding, had me tested & found out that I was right & my levels were high. He even took about twenty minutes to go over all of my habits so we could figure out exactly what it was that was making me sick (eating out at "safe" restaurants).

 

So I have had both ends-- the complete jerk who didn't understand and called me paranoid, and the guy that took me completely seriously and actually helped me. Not all doctors are jerks! You just have to find the right one. 

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