*note: I'm sorry to all you aspiring doctors (my brother in law included)*
**if you're not in the mood for venting then just skip this post. (no offense taken.) :)
Doctors, you are all full of patootie!!
I'm sorry. I am. I'm just venting. I know you do good and have given my girl and I perscriptions that have worked but it's just so frustrating to see a $100 dollars out of my pocket for you not to come up with the correct diagnosis. And then perscribe her with a $50 (with insurance) medication that has done diddily squat for her and now you want me to come back in and give you another $100? And imbetween the perscription that did nothing and my next $100 visit I'm supposed to go get another perscription (not so bad becasue I know its only about $10.) I really do hate it. My insurance doesn't really kick in until I reach my deductible. The part that really stinks...and it stinks because its my situation, is that I'll be switiching insurances in August when I quit my job...so all this money towards a deductible that I'll probably only reach once its time for me to switch.
Little girl saw a different doctor than her regular doctor and I sooo was not convinced that she was giving her the correct diagnosis. My little girl has a cough...a nasty cough that she's had for over a month. She gets thick icky green snot in her nose. Other than these symptoms she's perfectly fine. When I took her in, the doctor says her lungs, nose and ears are clear. WHAT? I just cleaned out a TON of snot out of her nose that morning. Her babysitter mentioned her nasty cough...I know I wasn't imagining things. The doctor thought it was a result of reflux so she perscribed her prevacid which the pharmacy had to compund for her. (I really don't know what that means.) Anyway, aspiring doctor friends what do you think? Am I bad for not wanting to take her back? Is a cough normal...possibly?
Sorry for the venting...but I've got to get it out or else I keep replaying my frustrations in my mind only to get more upset.
5 comments:
If Greg and some personal experience has taught me anything, it's don't let them push you around or out the door. Pester them until you get the answers that you want. Don't let them rush through your visit. Remember you are PAYING THEM, not the other way around. Ask them why they came to that conclusion, why is she still coughing, why are they prescribing that medicine, etc. They are still human and make mistakes, you're the mom, trust your gut. (Easier said then done, by the way) As far as insurance, I guess we should be glad we have it, but if insurance didn't exist then doctors/hospitals/pharmacies would have to keep their prices down and we could all afford it. It created it's own necessity, which is rather frustrating to me too. Take a deep breath and remember you're doing it for Little Girl.
I agree...it's hard, but if there's two things I've learned from working in a hospital and with doctors is that you have to be your own advocate, and the cost is the fault of the insurance company not your MD. You are also entitled to find another MD if you don't feel like yours is working out.
Is it allergies? Some would try to tell you that children don't get allergies until two. Others tend to differ. I mean, if your child has an allergy to milk, you're gonna know that WAY before two years are up! My oldest had cold-like symptoms for two months before we moved to Nebraska (from UT), and two weeks after moving here he was perfectly fine. I KNEW he had an allergy to the smog!
Trust your instincts, Alissa. You're doin' fine.
I always feel frustrated at doctor's offices. I feel like I can do the research online and find out as much as when I go to the dr. Not very helpful. I hope she's feeling better soon!
As someone going into the medical field, it really bothers me that medicine is sometimes a hit and miss type of thing. I like science and math because it is provable: 2+2 always equals 4. And then there's medicine. All of the symptoms overlap and so you have to deduce out of statistics and your gut.
Dumb that people have to pay lots of money for that, right? I have too many bad things to say about insurance companies. I would say if doctors had their way medicine would not be a business in the way insurers have made it (at least I hate having that third party that doesn't know anything about medicine telling me what I should do or prescribe). Sometimes I think the high prices are to keep them (the insurance companies) rich.
As for the doc you're visiting, I'm with Stacey--sometimes they'll just blow you off because they've been doing it for years and don't always remember that it's your precious, (and in your case) your first child and this is a new experience for you so they don't take time to explain things. So ask them about what they think it is and why, how long it should take for the med to work, etc. Also, clinicians should know about cheaper drug alternatives so if that's a concern or a bother, ask them (though sometimes there aren't other choices, especially for meds approved for children). Maybe you should consider switching docs. I don't know if you have a list of clinics you have to choose from, but I absolutely love this PA named Erin Hoffman who lives in Omaha but practices in Lincoln. If I lived there (and had kids), my kids would go to her. She's just a lot of fun, has lots of experience, and is pregnant with her third (and loves motherhood: she commutes so she can work only part time. I like supporting those types of moms). Whenever she guest lectures to us, she emphasizes the need to explain to the parents and recognize that this is their most prized possession you're caring for. Just a person I would recommend looking into if you decide to change.
They teach us that moms know. It comes with the territory. Coughs are generally the last thing to go after a cold. There's not really anything you can do to treat it. I truly am surprised that after this many weeks of sickness (and the green thick mucous), he hasn't prescribed an antibiotic. If it lasts too long, it may have started as a viral infection and become a bacterial infection. This is my two cents, but I'm not practicing yet.
Oh, and for the ear/hydrogen peroxide thing, sources differ in terms of how much you need to dilute the peroxide. It is already pretty diluted, so some say put it straight in, while others say do half water with it. [Sorry I didn't respond: didn't even think about it until now]
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