Dr.s Are Frustrating Me...

[2kids4me]

Oh yes, and I would also like to add that when I was in the ER they sent a nurse in with a sandwich and milk to give to me so I could take prednisone! Ah! The doctor knew I had celiac disease and a milk allergy. I don't think that there was much communication between the doctor and that nurse!

and guess what happned to me after my daughter had her appendix out? She could stomach jello and they asked for an easy to digest gluten-free food tray... after offering her regular toast! My daughter had to remind the nurses more than once that she was celiac... ok, actually I understand that they have a full load of kids to take care of and they can forget diet issues...so the kitchen sent up chicken and french fries - not exactly easy to digest! and bless my little girl - she refused the fries for 2 reasons 1) she wasnt ready to digest that and 2) no one could tell her if they had dedicated fryer!! After that she refused any food unless I okayed it. She was labeled difficult and I was an indulgent mother... HA ... I will accept that label any day if it keeps her "safe" from glutening. I also kept having to remind the nurses daughter has Aspergers and as such, she is very matter of fact about stating her needs, she doesnt have the social "tact" to be nice about it...

[jerseyangel]

Really? I didn't know that the US ER's had long waits.

Yes, the wait can be that long here. When one of my sons was younger, we took him to the e-room for severe swelling of his shin after a fall. Not an emergency--he wasn't in great pain, but it was a Sunday, he was my first, and I worried about everything. We waited about 3-4 hours to be seen.

On the other hand, when my husband--with severe bee sting allergy--was stung, they rushed us right back when we arrived and I told them what happened. That's why I was shocked at the way you were treated--going in with an allergic reaction. Here, you would have been seen immediately.

[Carriefaith]

Keep in mind that how good a country's medical system is is a judgment made based on what questions you are asking. You may look at the US and see that it is possible to get an appointment to see a specialist on relatively short notice. I look all these people who get tested and retested and reretested because their insurance will pay for it. I have no insurance, so I see a doctor only when I'm too sick to work, and then I have to have the cash to pay for it when services are rendered.

I guess both systems have their flaws and benefits. I just don't know much about the US health care system.

[eKatherine]

Yes, the wait can be that long here. When one of my sons was younger, we took him to the e-room for severe swelling of his shin after a fall. Not an emergency--he wasn't in great pain, but it was a Sunday, he was my first, and I worried about everything. We waited about 3-4 hours to be seen.

On the other hand, when my husband--with severe bee sting allergy--was stung, they rushed us right back when we arrived and I told them what happened. That's why I was shocked at the way you were treated--going in with an allergic reaction. Here, you would have been seen immediately.

Now when I had bloody d from shigellosis they took me in right away. But otherwise, you wait, and if it's a Friday or Saturday night, forget it. I remember once removing stitches from my palm myself after being unable to get the ER to do it for me.

[Carriefaith]

and guess what happned to me after my daughter had her appendix out? She could stomach jello and they asked for an easy to digest gluten-free food tray... after offering her regular toast! My daughter had to remind the nurses more than once thats he was celiac... ok, actually I understand that they have a full load of kids to take care of and they can forget diet issues...so the ki9tchen sent up chicken and french fries - not exactly easy to digest! and belss my littel girl - she refused the fries for 2 reasons 1) she wasnt ready to digest that and 2) no one could tell her if they had dedicated fryer!! After that she refused any food unless I okayed it. She was labeled difficult and I was an indulgent mother... HA ... I will accept that label any day if it keeps her "safe" from glutening. I also kept having to remind her she has Aspergers an as such, she is very matter of fact about stating her needs, she doesnt have the social "tact" to be nice about it...

Wow... you would think they would be more understanding and sympathetic.

[num1habsfan]

That's horrible! Are you in Saskatchewan?

Yup

~lisa~

and guess what happned to me after my daughter had her appendix out? She could stomach jello and they asked for an easy to digest gluten-free food tray... after offering her regular toast! My daughter had to remind the nurses more than once that she was celiac... ok, actually I understand that they have a full load of kids to take care of and they can forget diet issues...so the kitchen sent up chicken and french fries - not exactly easy to digest! and bless my little girl - she refused the fries for 2 reasons 1) she wasnt ready to digest that and 2) no one could tell her if they had dedicated fryer!! After that she refused any food unless I okayed it. She was labeled difficult and I was an indulgent mother... HA ... I will accept that label any day if it keeps her "safe" from glutening. I also kept having to remind the nurses daughter has Aspergers and as such, she is very matter of fact about stating her needs, she doesnt have the social "tact" to be nice about it...

When I had my first colonoscopy done, (and obviously wanted to give me something to drink so I could be filled up) they had nothing to offer but some bland/old gluten-free crackers. And it took them asking other nurses before they even knew if they had anything..

~lisa~

[penguin]

I've waited 4-6 hours on more than one occasion, at more than one hospital, with excruciating stomach pain (I could have been bleeding to death internally ). The only time I got treated quickly was when I had mono and they thought I had meningitis (so I got to wait for 2 hours in isolation.)

It's a crapshoot

[ravenwoodglass]

Really? I didn't know that the US ER's had long waits.

Sometimes even longer. Unfortunately many, too many people in the US have no insurance and if you can't pay your doctor upfront they won't see you. This leaves many who feel they have no option other than the ER because our laws state that they have to treat you regardless of ability to pay unless they are a private hospital. If you are in serious trouble you will get in quickly but things that are considered minor will have to wait and wait.

[tarnalberry]

I would fully expect to wait 4 to 6 hours to be seen here in the US if I were not in very serious condition.

Even in that case, I expect to wait. When I was a freshman, I experienced abdominal pain that had been coming on over the course of the day. It was ... right side? I don't remember - one side. Lower quadrant. Fairly sharpe, intense, and the most pain I've ever been in. I couldn't stand up straight, let alone stand up, and was having a difficult time remaining conscious. (Came awfully darn close to passing out on the way to the ER.) When I got to the ER, in a fairly small place, that wasn't hugely busy, the front desk nurse heard my story, then had me wait in the waiting room, for four hours.

(They think is was a kidney or gall stone, but couldn't positively find out and suspect I passed it (and it was small) before the diagnostic testing. Nothing like that has ever happened again.)

[Mayflowers]

Sometimes even longer. Unfortunately many, too many people in the US have no insurance and if you can't pay your doctor upfront they won't see you. This leaves many who feel they have no option other than the ER because our laws state that they have to treat you regardless of ability to pay unless they are a private hospital. If you are in serious trouble you will get in quickly but things that are considered minor will have to wait and wait.

I broke my ankle last month and the ambulance brought me into the emergency room around 4:30 am and you'd think they'd be more considerate since I was in so much pain. They had me sit in a wheel chair holding my leg while they took their sweet time registering me and I waited for about a 1/2 hour with my leg on a chair in the waiting room.. 4:30 AM mind you, no one there ahead of me, mind you, before they finally took me in and put me on a stretcher. Gave me advil for the pain. Ankle broken in 4 places. advil. how considerate of them. They told me I needed surgery. I was in the ER from 4:30 Am untill 9:00 PM that night (had nothing to eat or drink during that time either) before they admitted me to a room. I had surgery that night around midnight. At around 2 PM I begged the nurse for water and she started an IV without an order. Un-believable.

[elye]

Seems like we all have a waiting list story...Just two days ago I was rushed into ER with what was possibly a transient ischemic stroke, and waited two hours to get into observation (clot-busting drugs need to be administered within three hours), and then another four hours to get a CT scan. Now really, possible heart/brain attacks MUST be addressed immediately. That was just a sickening display, for me, of how bad things have really become. I teach at the French Embassy, and their health care system sounds terrific. Vive la France!

[Mayflowers]

There's a guy on an MSN groups for hip replacements, which I have bilateral hips replaced due to congenital hip abnormality. He's American and he moved to France because he loves the french so much. He always raved about how wonderful the health care is there. Even the food they serve in the hospital is gourmet. He included pictures of his menu when he posted his post hip replacment pictures.

[lightningfoot speakin words]

What I found was that after diagnosed with celiac disease believe it is a good Idea to switch doctors. Not because they are bad or anything but because they have seen you feel sick and feel totally better in like one hour. After being diagnosed with celiac my doctor found it hard to get over why I was feeling sick. He wasn't taking any of my symptoms seriously after celiac disease because he thought I was stressed or hypersensitive afterwards when I was actually sick. He was a great doctor, but I just needed to get a new one. HIH!

~lighningfoot

[2Boys4Me]

according to our pediatric gastroenterologist who also researches celiac - any gluten can cause problems. Some are symptomatic - others have no outward symptoms but they will have villious atrophy if the exposure is over a period of time. This doctor cited an example of a patient having severe symptoms continue after being on a gluten-free diet for 6 months, his diet was scrutinized... and then they asked him what he had been doing at work (he was in construction) - he had been helping with the drywall installation at a jobsite. Drywall dust has wheat starch particles. He had worn a regular mask but was still getting sick from inhaling these particles. He bought a special filter air mask (like one would wear when working with noxious gas). His symptoms improved dramatically after that.

You're in/near Nanton, right? Is your pediatric GI Dr. Butzner? He did Ty's endoscopy but Dr. Scott is his doctor.

I understand Nanton has a new gluten-free bakery and they also have many other items as well. Can't remember the name but sort of a gluten-free M&M Meat Shop. Have you tried any of their products or do your other allergies prevent it?

[Dawson's mom]

In all of the reading that I have been doing about celiacs disease being so 'common'. I finally came upon the study they seem to have obtained this estimate. And even though out of the 1500 poeple they randomly tested, 1 in 133 people tested positive (but without biopsy as I understand) in fact only 1 in 2000 people are actually diagnosed with it. So even though they estimate this number, most people have not heard of this and most doctors don't think about it because it is not as common as other illnesses. Which in turn is very frustrating for celiacs. I hope you are able to get into your doctor soon and get some relief.

[Rikki Tikki]

Hello and welcome Charlene.

I know it's amazing that more doctors don't become aware of it and start checking for the disease. Hopefully things will improve in that regard. It's getting better, wwhen I joined up there were only a little over 500 people on this board, now there re over 10,000. That's in a span of about three years.

[rinne]

Hello and welcome Charlene.

I know it's amazing that more doctors don't become aware of it and start checking for the disease. Hopefully things will improve in that regard. It's getting better, wwhen I joined up there were only a little over 500 people on this board, now there re over 10,000. That's in a span of about three years.

Sally, that's amazing, thanks for bringing that to our attention. Wow!

[Rikki Tikki]

Well you are welcome. I was just noticing that the other day and it occured to me that it was quite a big jump. Scott has really helped spread the word and bring many of us together. So we should all thank him.

[2kids4me]

You're in/near Nanton, right? Is your pediatric GI Dr. Butzner? He did Ty's endoscopy but Dr. Scott is his doctor.

I understand Nanton has a new gluten-free bakery and they also have many other items as well. Can't remember the name but sort of a gluten-free M&M Meat Shop. Have you tried any of their products or do your other allergies prevent it?

Yes we live in Nanton, The new bakery is Terracotto and they make awesome muffins and pizza crusts. The kids still prefer Kinnickinnick Tapioca bread that I make fresh. They have premade lasagna trays etc. They made a batch of muffins for me without raisons and I assume they would do special requests if you ask, I have been told the secret to moist gluten-free muffins is adding applesauce. The bakery is entirely gluten-free, they do sell their stuff in Calgary too - I think the website has info on that. Their website is : Open Original Shared Link

Yes, we see Dr. Butzner - he was so good with both kids - he understood Aspergers and communicated very effectively with my daughter and was kind/empathetic to my son who was upset about dealing with celiac and diabetes. Did you get Lorna as your dietician? She spent over an hour with me the first time and then worked together with the diabetes dietician to help our son.