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What's With Doctors?

mbrookes

By mbrookes
in Coping with Celiac Disease

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mbrookes Community Regular
mbrookes
Posted

Yesterday I went to a new orthopedic doctor about a foot problem. He looked at my paperwork and said "I see you have Celiac. What do you take for it?" This was a very young (think Doogie Howser) doctor who must have been in med school fairly recently. Don't they teach them about Celiac? OK, he's not a GI specialist, but I would think he would pick up a little basic info somewhere along the way! Is this unusual? Am I being unreasonable?

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GlutenFreeManna Rising Star
GlutenFreeManna
Posted

Yesterday I went to a new orthopedic doctor about a foot problem. He looked at my paperwork and said "I see you have Celiac. What do you take for it?" This was a very young (think Doogie Howser) doctor who must have been in med school fairly recently. Don't they teach them about Celiac? OK, he's not a GI specialist, but I would think he would pick up a little basic info somewhere along the way! Is this unusual? Am I being unreasonable?

I once read on here that doctors get the equivalent of maybe one 30 minute lecture on celiac in med school if they get that at all. With all the other major illnesses (like heart disease, cancer, etc) they have to take entire courses. So the chance of getting a doctor that knows about celiac is slim. That's no excuse of course. I tend to think that if a doctor looks at your chart, sees celaic and doesn't have any clue what that is they should look it up for a refresher first. Is there any chance he was asking if you take vitamin supplements or something? I guess I would just be glad he was NOT my GI or primary doctor. :unsure:

Gfreeatx Apprentice
Gfreeatx
Posted

Reminds me of a joke. What do you call someone who finishes last in their class in medical school? Doctor :) In all seriousness sadly there are many out there who are uninformed about Celiac. I did actually have a pleasant experience the other day while eating out for my husband's b-day. Our waiter was wonderful and seemed to know so much about Celiac disease as I was thanking him for all of his help he said he is in nursing school and they just spent a week studying Celiac disease. Good to know someone is getting educated. :)

jenngolightly Contributor
jenngolightly
Posted

Yesterday I went to a new orthopedic doctor about a foot problem. He looked at my paperwork and said "I see you have Celiac. What do you take for it?" This was a very young (think Doogie Howser) doctor who must have been in med school fairly recently. Don't they teach them about Celiac? OK, he's not a GI specialist, but I would think he would pick up a little basic info somewhere along the way! Is this unusual? Am I being unreasonable?

And this is exactly why it takes us so long to get a correct diagnosis.

I hope you took a few minutes to get him up to speed. Doctors are really busy and I doubt he'd take the time to look it up later.

Camp Laffalot Newbie
Camp Laffalot
Posted

I just spent four days in a regional hospital here in Florida and the Dietary Department has NO CLUE what gluten is! They claimed to serve me a "gluten free diet", but the first breakfast offered 2 pieces of whole WHEAT toast, a box of Rice Crispies which lists the 4 ingredient as "malt flavoring", etc., etc. They just got angry with me and insisted that everything was gluten free. I asked to speak to the REGISTERED DIETICIAN and was told that she wasn't available on weekends! But she refused to talk with me on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, too, while I continued to get gluten in most meals. The nurses were definitely on my side and the charge nurse raised hell with dietary, but that just made them mad at all of us. When I mentioned all this to my doctor, she said "The Dietary Department in this hospital is from another planet! Watch out!" So, I paid for the food they put in front of me and ate the gluten free food that my dear husband brought me. I will never go to that hospital again, and they will hear more from me!!!!

Melstar23 Apprentice
Melstar23
Posted

I had to stay overnight in hospital a couple of months ago, when I told the nurses I couldn't eat gluten, they offered me All Bran or toast for breakfast. They genuinely had no idea and were tryig to help me.

Camp Laffalot Newbie
Camp Laffalot
Posted

And while we're at it, what's with pharmacists? I wanted to find out if any of my Rx drugs had gluten and talked with the pharmacist at WalMart the other day. Told him I had Celiac and wanted it noted in his computer. He said "I've heard of Celiac, but what is it?" I gave him a 5 minute crash course.

Keep educatin' 'em, gang!

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kareng Grand Master
kareng
Posted

I just spent four days in a regional hospital here in Florida and the Dietary Department has NO CLUE what gluten is! They claimed to serve me a "gluten free diet", but the first breakfast offered 2 pieces of whole WHEAT toast, a box of Rice Crispies which lists the 4 ingredient as "malt flavoring", etc., etc. They just got angry with me and insisted that everything was gluten free. I asked to speak to the REGISTERED DIETICIAN and was told that she wasn't available on weekends! But she refused to talk with me on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, too, while I continued to get gluten in most meals. The nurses were definitely on my side and the charge nurse raised hell with dietary, but that just made them mad at all of us. When I mentioned all this to my doctor, she said "The Dietary Department in this hospital is from another planet! Watch out!" So, I paid for the food they put in front of me and ate the gluten free food that my dear husband brought me. I will never go to that hospital again, and they will hear more from me!!!!

You need to document this in a letter. Send them in separate envelopes addressed to: ( by title if you can't find a name). Chief Financial Officer, chief Executive Officer, Head of Nursing, legal Department, head of dietary, head of clinical dietician, chief of Staff, & your doctor. If you want, send them to every director of every hospital department - medical records, maintenance, housekeeping, radiology, lab, labor & delivery, etc. You will get the attention of at least one of these people. The others will send it to dietary or legal. You might send it to the head of Finance & the Billing Supervisor with a little note about wanting a $30 a day refund for the food you were medically unable to eat. Be sure to note right at the beginning of the letter the fact that serving you this food would make you very ill ( bold letters) If you know an attorney, even if they don't deal with malpractice, cc them in big print if they are willing ( this is what your BIL is finally good for).

notme Experienced
notme
Posted

If you know an attorney, even if they don't deal with malpractice, cc them in big print if they are willing ( this is what your BIL is finally good for).

LOLOL LOLOLOLOL that made me choke on my tea! my *good* BIL is an electrician. the rest are not attorneys!!! thanx for a great laugh :D

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