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About week ago I had sudden hearing loss to the point I freaked out about being deaf in one ear and almost deaf in the other, no cause, no trauma, no illness. We just moved here 3 weeks ago and no doctors yet. So I went to ratemds website where I found previous doctors although it has been hit-or-miss for me.
Amazingly got a new patient appointment at a well rated ENT (eat nose throat) doctor the same week I called. The morning of my appointment my hearing was even worse and anxiety was sky high having read up on what various treatments were for sudden hearing loss, decided there was no way I'd allow a steroid shot to my inner ear but would do a tube since my husband had it done last year and it worked wonders for him.
Long story short my new doctor was wonderful, examined ears and nose and said it was not serious, no shot or tube needed, not even RX. What a relief to feel confident in a doctors experience and his reassurance that my fears were not true. I felt better just walking out the door, got the Flonase-generic he recc'd and went home. He said to call if not better by Monday.
My doctor-patient record has been 50/50, meaning half have been bad doctors in my opinion, either not enough experience and overtreated me or just plain bad, such as one who gave me a bad infection due to his poor hygiene suturing in-office (talking without mask while stitching). And there were more like that one.
It's just wonderful to find a doctor who does their job well.
Anyone else have good doctor stories?
I also had a great doctor fix a serious problem 25 years ago that 6 other doctors couldn't find and fix. He saved my life IMO.
After open heart surgery, I had a persistent problem with a very high heart rate despite the medication prescribed. The visiting nurse insisted I call my cardiologist; the office said he wasn’t in that day but someone would see me. After an initial exam and a little wait, my doctor came in to see me. I never expected him to come in, but everyone who goes to him and all the nurses praise him for being so patient-centered and compassionate.
My mother had a difficult acute angle glaucoma and in the ER she was seen by the best ophthalmologist I’ve ever known. We followed up with her, she did surgery on mom’s eye and even battled Medicare and insurance for proper coverage. We moved away and if it wasn’t 1500 miles away, I’d still go to her.
Too many good doctor stories to relate. I've usually had good experiences, but suspect that what the patient brings into it has a lot to do with that. The three or four major issues they've handled for me during my life all turned out well. Probably wouldn't be here if they didn't know their stuff. I just got home from a 5 day stay in a regional cardiac ICU. Blood clot in a coronary artery. A total shocker. While I can't attach my survival to any one MD over those 5 days, I have to say the EMTs, ER and hospital staff, my medivac air crew (why didn't anyone ever tell me how nice it is to travel this way?? You don't have to wait in lines, wrestle luggage, park, listen to schmaltzy Christmas music, get great drugs, warm blankies and undivided attention. Flying home commercial was a major disappointment.), the attending MDs involved were all excellent. Even when I wasn't being totally pleasant (those 3 am blood draws on old chemo veins weren't exactly walks in the park).
Last edited by Parnassia; 12-13-2019 at 10:57 AM..
My neurologist is just about the best doctor I have ever had. I find most doctors that I see are good. I have been with my gynecologist for for 36 years!
I did see an ENT the other day that talked over me and had no clue as to what the issue was. That was a waste of time.
Too many good doctor stories to relate. I've usually had good experiences, but suspect that what the patient brings into it has a lot to do with that. The three or four major issues they've handled for me during my life all turned out well. Probably wouldn't be here if they didn't know their stuff. I just got home from a 5 day stay in a regional cardiac ICU. Blood clot in a coronary artery. A total shocker. While I can't attach my survival to any one MD over those 5 days, I have to say the EMTs, ER and hospital staff, my medivac air crew (why didn't anyone ever tell me how nice it is to travel this way?? You don't have to wait in lines, wrestle luggage, park, listen to schmaltzy Christmas music, get great drugs, warm blankies and undivided attention. Flying home commercial was a major disappointment.), the attending MDs involved were all excellent. Even when I wasn't being totally pleasant (those 3 am blood draws on old chemo veins weren't exactly walks in the park).
I have enjoyed the benefits of good healthcare system and excellent medical doctors in wherever I lived and live, in general. My current family doctor is caring and dedicated to his profession. The only fault could be traced back to his clinic's staffer. He once took my earache literally as that and prescribed some ear-drops, which did not help my condition. The same night I had rashes all over my neck and forehead. The next morning, I rushed to his clinic for help but his front desk receptionist turned me away, because "the doctor could not see a patient so soon" NOT the following day. With the rashes on my face clearly turning red and even watery, she imposed the"RULE" of at least 3 working days must be observed. I had no choice but leave and came back to the clinic 3 days later, and by then I had already missed the 72 hours target time, when the Antiviral treatment is most effective.
Physicians are generally kind and caring, and are decent small business owners. They are extremely busy treating patients at the clinics, and some of them do surgeries at the hospitals as well. So the day-to-day running and managing the clinics are left to their staff, who are motivated by the profit margin which directly affect their year end bonuses and increments.
Too many good doctor stories to relate. I've usually had good experiences, but suspect that what the patient brings into it has a lot to do with that. The three or four major issues they've handled for me during my life all turned out well. Probably wouldn't be here if they didn't know their stuff. I just got home from a 5 day stay in a regional cardiac ICU. Blood clot in a coronary artery. A total shocker. While I can't attach my survival to any one MD over those 5 days, I have to say the EMTs, ER and hospital staff, my medivac air crew (why didn't anyone ever tell me how nice it is to travel this way?? You don't have to wait in lines, wrestle luggage, park, listen to schmaltzy Christmas music, get great drugs, warm blankies and undivided attention. Flying home commercial was a major disappointment.), the attending MDs involved were all excellent. Even when I wasn't being totally pleasant (those 3 am blood draws on old chemo veins weren't exactly walks in the park).
Sounds like a very scary experience all around!
Are you having additional testing to try and see where that clot came from, or why it formed like that? And are you ok now?
Are you having additional testing to try and see where that clot came from, or why it formed like that? And are you ok now?
Yes they are busy. Sometimes being an anomaly helps. My sister refers to me as being an "overachiever". The two possibilities right now seem to be a genetic defect in some clotting factor or a lurking result of having cancer. Apparently some can generate a hyperactive clotting response. My lipid/cholesterol has usually been fine, there was no sign of "heart disease" or atherosclerosis, don't need stents or bypass, I'm not diabetic, they didn't find other clots anywhere, my BP isn't high enough to be a risk factor. Never smoked, didn't grow up around second hand smoke, don't drink. The cardiologist commented rather wistfully that he wished he had my arteries...that they were out of someone 30 years younger. Also, every time I have any chest imaging done they flip out over the 25 year old radiation scars on one lung. If I get a chance, I warn them. Then they relax, but they still want to investigate further. Imagery from that long ago doesn't really exist. It is remotely possible something could have changed there but I'm not that worried. They'll check once more to verify.
Yes, I'm better. The whole thing started with chest pain sitting at the kitchen table. At first of course I tried to dismiss it; muscle cramp, slept funny, slouching. It got worse, started spreading, pouring sweat. The symptom list out of all the manuals for the CPR training classes I'd attended or managed over the last 34 years started matching up. Finally called 911 with the sense that I might have psyched myself into something. Ended up in the local ER while they tried to get some imagery and did bloodwork. In a pair of beat up PJ bottoms and a frayed T shirt and needing a shower. Of course. That old warning all our mothers gave us about always wearing clean underwear in case you get hit by a car flitted across my mind. I had phone with almost no contact info stored in it, keys, reader glasses, lip balm, but no phone charger, socks, gloves, hat, or undies. I moved a month ago and had only met the new neighbors once and only had one text message from them...used it to beg their help taking care of all the pets.
Old chemo veins refused to cooperate. Finally the cardiac troponin values jumped. Thank goodness for something. It helped dispel the feeling that nothing had actually happened. Then they tested my blood oxygen saturation as I walked down a hallway. After 8 steps it had dropped from 98% to below 80%. They weren't seeing an obvious cause for the attack so they called for a bed up in Anchorage 200+ miles away. The planes were flying but it would be rough. It was midnight and 12 F. Thank goodness for drugs and emergency medevac supplemental insurance many folks up here buy.
Lots of procedures, tests and labs over the next 4 days. More needle sticks than I can fathom. A uniquely unpleasant trans-esphageal ultrasound to look at the part of the heart the normal chest views can't see. Have you ever gargled with lidocaine for 5 minutes? Don't recommend it. You have to be conscious so you can swallow. A cardiac catheterization finally found the clot in a coronary artery but nothing else definitive. They removed the clot, smoothed the vessel wall and said normal blood flow was "restored". The damage should heal. I went from no prescriptions for anything to 5, including an anticoagulant. Most likely the others will drop out eventually but I have no idea when. Sure, I'm a bit anxious that it could happen again, but now I know what "chest pain" means, I have my little vial of nitroglycerin, know how to use it, and supposedly have less clotty blood. A good result is having the perfect excuse for not getting all my Christmas cards and gifts ready in time (and I'll milk that for all its worth ). The bad result is having seen the upsides of private chartered air travel. I've been forever ruined.
Last edited by Parnassia; 12-14-2019 at 02:57 PM..
I have had various puzzling problems that lingered for quite a while. For the most part, going to the general-practitioners usually got me nowhere. Then I "step it up" and go to a specialist, that has been how I have gotten to the bottom of things with all of my medical-mysteries.
So, I have to give a big thumbs-up to specialists, GPs, not so much.
Yes they are busy. Sometimes being an anomaly helps. My sister refers to me as being an "overachiever". The two possibilities right now seem to be a genetic defect in some clotting factor or a lurking result of having cancer. Apparently some can generate a hyperactive clotting response. My lipid/cholesterol has usually been fine, there was no sign of "heart disease" or atherosclerosis, don't need stents or bypass, I'm not diabetic, they didn't find other clots anywhere, my BP isn't high enough to be a risk factor. Never smoked, didn't grow up around second hand smoke, don't drink. The cardiologist commented rather wistfully that he wished he had my arteries...that they were out of someone 30 years younger. Also, every time I have any chest imaging done they flip out over the 25 year old radiation scars on one lung. If I get a chance, I warn them. Then they relax, but they still want to investigate further. Imagery from that long ago doesn't really exist. It is remotely possible something could have changed there but I'm not that worried. They'll check once more to verify.
Yes, I'm better. The whole thing started with chest pain sitting at the kitchen table. At first of course I tried to dismiss it; muscle cramp, slept funny, slouching. It got worse, started spreading, pouring sweat. The symptom list out of all the manuals for the CPR training classes I'd attended or managed over the last 34 years started matching up. Finally called 911 with the sense that I might have psyched myself into something. Ended up in the local ER while they tried to get some imagery and did bloodwork. In a pair of beat up PJ bottoms and a frayed T shirt and needing a shower. Of course. That old warning all our mothers gave us about always wearing clean underwear in case you get hit by a car flitted across my mind. I had phone with almost no contact info stored in it, keys, reader glasses, lip balm, but no phone charger, socks, gloves, hat, or undies. I moved a month ago and had only met the new neighbors once and only had one text message from them...used it to beg their help taking care of all the pets.
Old chemo veins refused to cooperate. Finally the cardiac troponin values jumped. Thank goodness for something. It helped dispel the feeling that nothing had actually happened. Then they tested my blood oxygen saturation as I walked down a hallway. After 8 steps it had dropped from 98% to below 80%. They weren't seeing an obvious cause for the attack so they called for a bed up in Anchorage 200+ miles away. The planes were flying but it would be rough. It was midnight and 12 F. Thank goodness for drugs and emergency medevac supplemental insurance many folks up here buy.
Lots of procedures, tests and labs over the next 4 days. More needle sticks than I can fathom. A uniquely unpleasant trans-esphageal ultrasound to look at the part of the heart the normal chest views can't see. Have you ever gargled with lidocaine for 5 minutes? Don't recommend it. You have to be conscious so you can swallow. A cardiac catheterization finally found the clot in a coronary artery but nothing else definitive. They removed the clot, smoothed the vessel wall and said normal blood flow was "restored". The damage should heal. I went from no prescriptions for anything to 5, including an anticoagulant. Most likely the others will drop out eventually but I have no idea when. Sure, I'm a bit anxious that it could happen again, but now I know what "chest pain" means, I have my little vial of nitroglycerin, know how to use it, and supposedly have less clotty blood. A good result is having the perfect excuse for not getting all my Christmas cards and gifts ready in time (and I'll milk that for all its worth ). The bad result is having seen the upsides of private chartered air travel. I've been forever ruined.
OMG Parnassia, what an absolute nightmare! Right out of the blue, last thing you ever expected or could be warned about, or be prepared for. And happening right after a move to a new area where you know so few people!
Clotting disorder, perhaps something like Factor V Leiden, protein C or S deficiency? Long shot but these are associated with
thrombotic events, often DVTs though the clots could happen anywhere. Some sort of mishap resulting in a little damage to the endothelial lining of an artery, vein somewhere and the clot ended up in a coronary artery? Just speculation, and finding out what happened could lead to steps to prevention, management, or maybe reassurance it's unlikely to happen again, so I hope they can figure it out.
In the meantime, I'd bet some preparation for the hopefully very unlikely chance something like this happens again. The anticoagulant (which, if I were a betting person, I'd bet you will be taking till the cows come home), your cell phone charger handy at all times, programmed with contacts who can be reached quickly and potential arrangements made for pets, plants and whatever else needs care, and toss out the underwear with the holes so you don't chance wearing them in the event of a visit by the paramedics or a visit to the ER.
If you prepare in every way you can possibly think of, there is a corollary of Murphy's law that says this will never happen again.
Best wishes that you stay hale and hearty!!!!
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). The bad result is having seen the upsides of private chartered air travel. I've been forever ruined.
