tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post2201904908344367561..comments2024-03-26T16:46:21.764-04:00Comments on Doctor Grumpy in the House: Monday rerunsGrumpy, M.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09858110332436246760noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-52334793318528512092016-02-23T09:11:29.781-05:002016-02-23T09:11:29.781-05:00(waves) Back after a month of borked internet star...(waves) Back after a month of borked internet starting December 12th, and <i>then</i> Dad had surgery (minor, but painful), and <i>then</i> problems at my son's school... AND my hard drive borked, so I'm using the family desktop until I can get another laptop.<br /><br />I've noted that while some lawsuits are sincerely motivated, far too many are looking for a payday or out of spite. They aren't looking to fix or resolve anything; they just want to attack and burn.<br /><br />"Dr. Jukebox" is one of the <i>best</i> terms I have every heard for those paid performers who claim to be experts because they have a degree and read an article a few times a year. (Not from the respected journals, the watered-down versions in popular mags.) And the profession goes back at least to the Radium Girls of New Jersey.<br /><br />My philosophy, which I tell anyone who asks, is mistakes aren't important because everyone is human, and humans make mistakes. What's important is the reaction <i>to</i> the mistake. My doctor and dentist have very few mistakes to their name -little ones, too- but they were very determined to sort things out when it was brought to their attention. (All but one involved billing issues. Got to love it when the paperwork is screwed up.)<br /><br />As for college clinic doctors, I have seen so. many. stories from across the net about how much they **** up. One comment I read a couple years back said all they're good for is passing out aspirins and birth control. While I doubt every clinic, doctor, nurse, staff member, and so on, are all that bad, there are enough of them that cases of cancer and other severe conditions go undiagnosed until the student goes to ER, Urgent Care, or their family doctor. It's just sad, and I have no idea what the underlying cause might be.<br /><br />Unnecessary test to cover their butts? Who are the ones that created this environment, the doctors, who would no doubt <i>love</i> not to deal with the hassle and the paperwork, or those who sue as a first, rather than a last, resort, and often for reasons that are spurious or irrelevant?<br /><br />If a staff member, doctor, or hospital <i>refuses</i> to deal with a problem or discipline or even replace staff, there's a problem, and a good reason to go see that lawyer. But if they are willing to work with you to keep the situation from happening again, or told you your course of action was a freaking bad idea before the mess started, then serving papers should be on the back burner, though not entirely dismissed until the matter is resolved in a way that HELPS others and provides a <i>constructive</i> solution.Candihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08746975527577742361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-6517814118430648742016-02-21T11:25:37.695-05:002016-02-21T11:25:37.695-05:00this will make you feel better; you did not do thi...this will make you feel better; you did not do this:<br />http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2016/01/nj_surgeon_loses_medical_license_for_recent_cocain.html Cnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-87861993434016270662016-02-16T10:47:09.657-05:002016-02-16T10:47:09.657-05:00Maybe so. But I was just diagnosed with cerebellar...Maybe so. But I was just diagnosed with cerebellar lesion after 3 months of telling my doctor something was wrong. He finally found when I had my MRI. Then he tells me he really know what was going on he was just going through the motions and hands me my results to read.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-38671502149697024172016-01-29T11:33:20.021-05:002016-01-29T11:33:20.021-05:00The problem is that even when it was an honest mis...The problem is that even when it was an honest mistake and everyone knows it was it can still ruin someone's life. <br /><br />When I was seven I had a sinus infection. At first the doctor thought it was allergies, then a cold, then maybe a sinus infection. She didn't want to give me antibiotics because she is concerned about antibiotic resistance and thought the infection would pass on its own. Unfortunately, she was wrong. The infection turned into full blown sepsis and I ended up in the hospital.<br /><br />No one thought the doctor wanted that to happen because what kind of person wants a seven year old to end up in the hospital? But the fact that it was a simple mistake didn't change the fact that I was in the hospital. It didn't change the fact that even with insurance my being there was going to put my parents in bankruptcy. So they sued. And they won.<br /><br />The problem wasn't that the doctor was malicious or stupid, she just made a human mistake. My parents didn't blame her and would have kept her as our doctor if not for the fact that we were asked not to. The problem was that her mistake cost something my parents couldn't afford and she couldn't just go to her insurance and say "I made a mistake, please just pay for this child's hospital stay."<br /><br />My point is, don't take it personally. It's completely possible that the patient doesn't even really blame you for what happened. We're all just playing the game.Terra Tenshihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12196993952906974084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-54683654559419418442016-01-24T01:29:06.732-05:002016-01-24T01:29:06.732-05:00In a US medical residency and will finish in about...In a US medical residency and will finish in about 1.5 years. I think you had a similar post about this a while ago and it sounds just as devastating as it did on the earlier post. I am so sorry and hope things get better. Stay strong.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-59150718786857842972016-01-24T01:15:03.948-05:002016-01-24T01:15:03.948-05:00Guidelines are a catch-22. If we chose a treatment...Guidelines are a catch-22. If we chose a treatment that made more sense for a patient, we failed to provide the standard of care. If we followed guidelines, we didn't treat the patient as an individual. This Skeptical Scalpel post (http://skepticalscalpel.blogspot.com/2015/04/are-guidelines-safe-harbor-against.html) makes some great points:<br /><br />Malpractice lawyer says the much vaunted Choosing Wisely campaigns provide no such thing as "safe harbor" from malpractice: "I have a pretty set script here. To the effect of ‘so Doctor, you just didn’t care enough about my client to order this test?’ Or ‘so my client was just a statistic, just a percentage to you?’… [Juries] love that stuff!” This is a major reason our medical system favors often harmFUL over-testing.<br /><br />This post struck a chord because I got sued during residency along with ~20 other doctors and everyone else who cared for the patient (they couldn't read everyone's signatures, so they just reserved the right to sue all the Jane and John Does). The patient was pretty well doomed before admission. I saw the patient once and actually provided excellent care including calls to the the patient's outside specialists. Thank God I thoroughly documented events and my actions but realistically I can't document every visit to that degree if I want to finish my daily work, eat a 1-2 meals, and get more than a few hours of sleep if I try to document to that degree. <br /><br />I have always done my very best for patients, but that case changed my perspective forever. There will always be someone ready to blame me and other doctors for their bad outcome. Medicine just doesn't have all the answers and all of our treatments (and many of our tests) carry great risks. I wish I'd never gone into medicine and long to transition into a field where I can continue to do my very best without risking everything I hold dear. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-79742026257443818762016-01-22T14:31:14.392-05:002016-01-22T14:31:14.392-05:00I explained an issue (above) on what I thought was...I explained an issue (above) on what I thought was a similar tonal frequency as Dr. Grumpy's topic, seeing as how this type of 'betrayal' of public and private trust affects one's equanimity to move on with the same spirit as before its occurrence.<br /> <br />But, I don't agree that the 'system' is broken. <br /><br />I am very thankful for 'Obama-care'. I fervently hope further legislation will improve and fine-tune the fundamental changes that have been made so far.<br /><br />I applaud the national interest with which this very fundamental issue engendered in the consciousness of the average citizen who had absolutely NO idea of what was going on before. Though may still be wondering, I feel that people that have attempted to understand the issues are better equipped to understand what is right, what are rights, and to pinpoint how to make what happens right for themselves and others.<br /><br />As a disclaimer: People that summarize their distaste for the changes that have been made as 'he said I could keep my same doctor' don't realize that eventually they would've had to change their physician no matter what happens ... in the future. The pace of the outrageousness of out-of-control price-gouging would've pushed the American public that much faster into the ranks of the 'rich vs. the poor'. But, I will refrain from making a personal comment on what I 'feel' about those same people who voiced their opposition to improvements on the pre-existing 'system'.<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-62109005726373604702016-01-22T00:34:16.802-05:002016-01-22T00:34:16.802-05:00There are so many incompetent doctors out there th...There are so many incompetent doctors out there that we patients don't trust any of you. And you will " never testify against another Dr." makes us want to get rid of doctors like you. The last GP I visited asked me to come back when my deductible starts again, and as the appt. ended, she asked why my temperature was elevated. Really?? What a dumbass. And you wonder why we don't trust you. You consistently make fun of your patients and as an aside you have a really foul mouthed wife who makes fun of everyone she works with. You all deserve obamacare.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-74679756967104986092016-01-21T11:55:29.883-05:002016-01-21T11:55:29.883-05:00Hey Grumpy...Mr. Marks up there has a good suggest...Hey Grumpy...Mr. Marks up there has a good suggestion. Maybe post a follow-up to this, ask to hear from patients and caregivers alike, on handling the situation?<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-28586207606903544292016-01-21T07:21:57.016-05:002016-01-21T07:21:57.016-05:00Sad story and so well described from the emotional...Sad story and so well described from the emotional side. Yes, there is a solution. Practice defensively. Easy to say, harder to do. In any office or hospital setting a lawyer can tear apart your major defense - the informed consent. It's sad to see what sitting ducks we are because they really don't teach us how to protect ourselves. To that end, I wrote a book that should be out this month - From Waiting Room to Courtroom - How Doctors Can Avoid Getting Sued - http://www.jaypeebrothers.com/MyShop.aspx?ID=9789385891519<br />Keep in mind, lawyers have tons of books and training that they use to come after us. Perhaps it's time we started to make their job a bit harder.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-44212856707098923522016-01-21T02:00:14.631-05:002016-01-21T02:00:14.631-05:00Suffice it to say there are a lot of different opi...Suffice it to say there are a lot of different opinions on this issue but we all probably agree that the system is broken. Any solutions out there?<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06820972770461807281noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-76278608326134541622016-01-20T16:45:44.814-05:002016-01-20T16:45:44.814-05:00" Because the physical damage to me was below..." Because the physical damage to me was below a certain monetary threshold, however, no malpractice attorney would take the case."<br />Which is also a problem with our present system in that if your damages are not real big, you have little chance of recovery as the lawyers only go after the big bucks. Also is true in car wrecks, etc. and is a good argument for "no fault" insurance in that more people get justice, though the lawyers don't get rich off of it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-6812316126307184122016-01-20T09:21:55.442-05:002016-01-20T09:21:55.442-05:00I am a veterinarian. I've never been sued for...I am a veterinarian. I've never been sued for malpractice or had a board complaint, though I've certainly had clients threaten me. In general, an apology and the truth heads off most angry clients.<br /><br />I've been on the other side, too. One of my physicians committed malpractice then lied about it. Without going into detail, there is documentation (once she released it, which was a battle) and tests verifying what happened. Because the physical damage to me was below a certain monetary threshold, however, no malpractice attorney would take the case.<br /><br />I didn't want money. I wanted her to admit she'd harmed me then lied. Nothing happened to her, but I hope she had plenty of stress. I hope she still thinks about what she did. I hope she has more integrity in dealing with her current patients, too.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-73439909960544536852016-01-19T23:06:24.900-05:002016-01-19T23:06:24.900-05:00I'm still 'recovering' from a Neurolog...I'm still 'recovering' from a Neurological ("by-passing") procedure that was presented to me as better/easier on recovery, less invasive and safer,-if any- side effects/risks rather than using the older method of 'removing' the problem...<br /> - NOwhere on the consent form was there anything about subtle (?) personality shifts, memory holes (pun intended...) and 'Personal Values' being affected.<br /> They all have been, as I'm learning, the hard way...<br /><br />My annoyance - apart from the cascading consequence of losing my job for 12 months - due to the 'route' taken for this New & Improved operation - and only finding out THREE MONTHS after discharge that this was the case... is the abysmal lack of communication with the Neurosurgeon and his ... entourage.<br /><br />Consulting another Neurosurgeon is going to impact significantly on my dwindling finances...itself a source of constant stress, mental, emotional and physical. - Chest pains plus skin problems, both very common, so my Family Physician assures me.<br /><br />The procedure was a success from a technical angle, simple, elegant, quick and should be 'semi-permanent' for a lifetime. No problems or arguments there.<br /> But the financial, personal, mental/emotional turmoil is less acceptable... "Suicide Ideation" has not previously been something I needed to deal with.<br /><br />Being an 'engaged' patient may have exacerbated the pain, - I won't tolerate information being witheld nor am I intimidated by the Blinding Whiteness of his Coat... and I show it! - but the same philosophy of actively seeking effective and HONEST medical advice is, despite the co$t, keeping me alive. - And not suing the shirt off the surgeon's back.<br /><br />The sad thing is, IF he'd bothered to talk to me, listen, learn a bit about his patient, he might have opted for a more suitable treatment, or not, but with less total 'damage' to myself.<br /> Despite the urgeings of my GP and Medical friends, I'm not bothering with an "Official Complaint", just an 'Advisory' to his departmental head and the hospital concerned. Frankly, he's wasted too much of my time already.<br /><br /> I'm not in a position to sue as Australian law and practice is different to the US.<br /> But yes, 'Revenge' for MY sleepless nights, pain inflicted on my Wife, PHYSICAL plus mental health deterioration, false alarms for suspected heart problems, financial damage/job loss etc, is a sustaining fantasy for when I win Lotto...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-22489332718166479362016-01-19T22:54:35.909-05:002016-01-19T22:54:35.909-05:00First of all, I'm sorry this happened, Dr. G. ...First of all, I'm sorry this happened, Dr. G. When something happens and even someone who's supposed to be a professional colleague turns on you, it's like a kick in the gut. Something that leaves you breathless for a while. <br /><br />I felt a little like that when my son had a catastrophic health crisis at college and the 'health' insurance company that was part of my employee-contributed policy first of all said that they would only pay for 3 days stay in the hospital (over a weekend) ... and it got worser and worser ... and then they refused to pay the bill and all the necessary extra fees, drugs, rehospitalization, etc because they had refused to pay for the necessary amount of time to at least start him on the correct therapy, or at least so enough time to monitor for emerging side-effects (and the soonest he could be seen after discharge was two MONTHS). <br /><br />My son was a college student at the time when he had the break, and he was just trying to lead his own life. The minute after he was discharged, he begged to go back to class so that he could finish the semester on time, etc. <br /><br />The 'health' insurance company that was supposed to help with discounted costs for employee 'benefits' which I had contributed my fair share the previous seven years, and had NEVER used before, shortchanged my son and us.<br /><br />I contacted the insurance company, and got the names of the 'professional' adjudicator that refused to find it necessary to fund the correct treatments. <br /><br />I wrote letters to the psychiatrist adjudicator, the CEO, CFO, founder of the company, the person in patient relations, the finance company that the insurance company dealt with, and a letter to the consulting group that designed the guidelines that the adjudicator referred. I told them that their guidelines were irrelevant if the patient had no resources to access the necessary care in the community where the patient was discharged. <br /><br />I was so angry and hurt that all these people were just doing their job in providing the bare minimum necessary for basically ensuring the safety of and 'housing' a patient, and it was the doctor that actually saw my son in the hospital that said he really needed to be here another week to see if the treatment will work. And he had already clearly stated that in the phone call and communication with the insurance company. All those pencil pushers were doing was reading the doctor's notes that he was breathing and had a heartbeat and wasn't going to commit suicide. They did not care a fig about the patient actually being able to function (and, indeed, if my son had had enough time at this first diagnosis, he might still be carrying on and enjoying the benefits of MODERN medicine).<br /><br />I was so ashamed that I was a healthcare provider with a doctorate and knew that my son was not receiving acceptable and appropriate treatment. My son that never asked for any part of the diagnosis (no one asks for cancer, or a broken bone, but it's especially poignant to me if someone has always tried and is trying their hardest to get through school to get a good job and live out their life and then someone comes along and cuts the marionette strings). <br /><br />They didn't know that before the episode that landed him in the emergency room and for which he was transferred to the psych, had IQ 135-151, was going to play violin in the Chicago Symphony, had won this and that prize and was attending college on a full-tuition math scholarship. They did not give one thin dime about the patient, the human being in the dilemma. <br /><br />And, it was a psychiatrist that had gone over to the dark side working for a 'health' insurer that set the whole thing in motion. I felt that he was a traitor to his Hippocratic Oath, that he had sold out to the bean counters, and furthermore I would consider scum of the earth.<br /><br />If my son had committed suicide, then, I would've sued everyone except the doctors and nurses that cared for him. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-60311897488694402092016-01-19T22:11:21.163-05:002016-01-19T22:11:21.163-05:00I feel your pain. I was frankly amazed when after ...I feel your pain. I was frankly amazed when after over 30 years of practice doing Interventional Radiology and ultrasound with thousands of amniocenteses, OB sonos, biopsies, angioplasties, angios, plain film readings, etc I was able to hang it up without ever being served. Perfect? Far from it! I've has complications, some serious, a very few fatal. I can only say that I have never tried to hide a problem or failed to fully document a complication. Most importantly I think, I always tried to fully explain to the patient and family what happened and what we would try to do address the problem. I think far too many doctors tend to withdraw after a complication which causes frustration and anger with the patients and family.<br />I would also suggest that not all physicians that testify on behalf of patients are money grubbing pimps. I was asked to testify for a patient that I believe had sustained an injury during a surgical procedure. I had actually performed a diagnostic procedure afterwards that demonstrated findings highly suggestive of an untoward event during the surgical procedure. The patient certainly deserved compensation for the significant injury suffered. Suggesting that physicians adopt a, "White wall of silence" would be a dereliction of our duty to the patient. By the way, the case was settled on the day I was supposed to have given testimony.<br />Don't take the suit personally. Like the Mafioso said, "It's not personal, it's business".xrayangiodochttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15140821262169961600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-69514369849051237342016-01-19T17:11:12.152-05:002016-01-19T17:11:12.152-05:00awesomesauciness: Fair enough. :)awesomesauciness: Fair enough. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-26866416446901236282016-01-19T16:34:57.129-05:002016-01-19T16:34:57.129-05:00I have a brother-in-law, who, when in college, sta...I have a brother-in-law, who, when in college, started having trouble with his sinuses. School Doctor said "sinusitis, here are some antibiotics", for a year. When he was home on Christmas break, he told his Mom he was having trouble with double vision. She moved heaven and earth to get him into an ENT that week. The doctor took one look in his nose and could see the tumor in his nasal cavity. It was growing around his optic nerve, that is why the double vision.<br /><br />All the local oncologists refused to operate - too much risk of blindness. It took some cutting edge proton laser treatment in California to remove the tumor.<br /><br />7 years later, and 2 kids, he is cancer free. He still has to deal with double vision and hearing loss from the radiation treatments, but he is alive.<br /><br />He consulted with several lawyers about suing the School Doctor for malpractice, for not doing something sooner, like a referral, before he started losing his vision. But no lawyer would take the case. They all said, you are alive. In this State, the Juries won't award enough money in a case like this to be worth my time.<br /><br />I don't know if my BIL's case was malpractice or not, but it sure made the family angry. We are grateful to the doctors who saved his life. But really annoyed it that treatment was started a lot sooner.<br /><br />I am posting anonymously, because I don't want my BIL to know that I ever talked about his case on line.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-47930792418779831682016-01-19T16:24:49.904-05:002016-01-19T16:24:49.904-05:00Anon...good suggestion...sort of like mediation wi...Anon...good suggestion...sort of like mediation without anything binding. The problem with that is doctors with a god complex will learn nothing from it, and patients out for revenge will leave unhappy.<br /><br />By the by, you did lump me in with someone who obviously had issues with a doctor in the past, so don't try to sidestep it now by telling me I'm insulting. I was merely separating me from him/her/whatever. <br /><br />I filed the complaints for good reason. I'd do it again, and I did it then after all attempts to resolve the issues with the physician in question failed. The last one was funny. At my last appointment, I was led into what was obviously an exam room used for storage and told by the doctor's assistant that I was not going to see him ever again. When I asked why, she said because "...you represent a failure for him, and that is unacceptable...." I giggled, and told her I couldn't have been the first. She smiled, wearily, and gave a slight nod. Her eyes told me everything. I waited FIVE years (enduring increasing pain and constant infections) to trust another doctor to resolve my issue (with a 20 minute outpatient procedure), and it was she who practically begged me to file the complaint. I wasn't the first patient she'd seen and fixed based on the first doctor's incompetence and arrogance. <br /><br />So, you see, there are times when complaints or suits are warranted. And, just as we cannot whitewash all doctors as incompetent, we cannot do the same for patients labeling them as revenge-seekers. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-40881569891744680202016-01-19T16:08:34.651-05:002016-01-19T16:08:34.651-05:00I know. That's why I said "people who su...I know. That's why I said "people who sue" rather than "you." But you are also dodging my point by hurling personal insults. <br /><br />Don't give yourself too much credit for "just" filing a complaint. This is still a public accusation and I think the end result is the same. As you yourself said, I'm not sure you did much (except further the battle and bad blood between you and your physician).<br /><br />Maybe there should be a non-punitive process by which physicians and patients engage when there is a dispute to ensure that mistakes are minimized and quality is improved. But it's the "non-punitive" part that probably prevents this from happening.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-91339166433913808922016-01-19T15:51:18.544-05:002016-01-19T15:51:18.544-05:00Ummm...anony up there ^^^ I am pretty sure I said ...Ummm...anony up there ^^^ I am pretty sure I said I didn't sue. Pretty sure, yep...read it again, I DID NOT sue..even at the request of other physicians.<br /><br />I said I filed a complaint. I just wonder if doing so had any effect, and yep..looky there, I said that too.<br /><br />Perhaps, and I'm just speculating here, reading comprehension is not your strong suit?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-59240688714336757772016-01-19T15:43:35.851-05:002016-01-19T15:43:35.851-05:00It's people like Banterings and awesomesaucine...It's people like Banterings and awesomesauciness that are attempting to perpetuate a battle between doctors and society. Let's talk about what people who sue really want: revenge. Instead of believing that you are on the unfortunate end of an honest mistake, engaging a physician or hospital in honest dialogue about what happened and attempting to find solutions, you decide to strike back at the physician, and you do have the tools to do so. A malpractice suit is a powerful weapon, causing years of emotional turmoil, uncertainty, lost sleep, stress, loss of career satisfaction, and permanently altering the way physicians' views of patients: not as people to be helped but as potential adversaries. The outcome doesn't matter. Even if a physician ultimately prevails, and they often do, the damage is quite done. A physician will do anything to prevent this from happening again.<br /><br />Many doctors are able to get through it, compartamentalize, retain enough belief and goodwill in what they are doing to continue on and treat the thousands of their patients who are actually grateful for what they do.<br /><br />Others are not so lucky. Doctors kill themselves at a much higher rate than the rest of the public, and malpractice suits are a top reason.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-43888310318010328142016-01-19T13:59:20.611-05:002016-01-19T13:59:20.611-05:00It's difficult, from the patient's perspec...It's difficult, from the patient's perspective, to understand true malpractice or even negligence.<br /><br />I'm a patient. I've been on the receiving end of care more times than I'd like, and twice I've had a doctor royally fuck me up. So much so, that the next doctor - the one who fixed the fuck up - urged me to sue or file a complaint...or both.<br /><br />I did file complaints, but I never sued. I hoped that calling attention to stupid mistakes would be enough to deter future stupidity on the part of the physician.<br /><br />Now, I wonder if suing for malpractice is the only way to get a doctor's attention. I mean, it certainly got yours, Grumpy.<br /><br />I don't know. I just know that mistrust is a two-way street, and I'm the most informed bitch of a patient that any doctor will ever encounter. Any doctor who thinks me too brash is one I never return to.....and it's happened many times.<br /><br />My current PC doc is a gem. She is able to handle me, and I've been with her for nearly 20 years. I trust her, completely, but I question her enough to give her a headache sometimes. It's my body, my health, my choices. I just wonder if less passivity might help and lend itself to fewer opportunities for malpractice suits in the first place.<br /><br />I don't know. I just know how I am as a patient.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-33869214932870442252016-01-19T13:13:03.900-05:002016-01-19T13:13:03.900-05:00About 20 years ago I was at a friend's house w...About 20 years ago I was at a friend's house waiting for her to come home from work - she is a genetic counselor. She had diagnosed a condition where kidneys do not form in utero and the family made the choice to terminate the pregnancy based on the diagnosis. Afterwards, the fetus showed kidney buds. The condition the fetus had was incompatible with life, but those kidney buds where none were expected threw her hard. Luckily her husband is an MD so he could be helpful and talk to her ... all I could do is keep refilling her glass while she cried and doubted herself. That really stuck with me - she was hurting and horrified and it took her a bit to brush off. <br /><br />I get people jumping down my throat for not being able to ship late orders or forcing them to follow procedures and all sorts of things no one should ever find important enough to raise their voice over ... that frazzles my nerves until I remind myself its not a matter of life and death. My nerves are frazzled just thinking about not being able to tell myself that, of my decisions mattering on a life and death scale.<br /><br />Here's to you who are smart enough to see all the pitfalls of caring for living beings and still brave enough to do it anyway!Carolynhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15729874208188899300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5883634615775822475.post-13623587025868201352016-01-19T12:32:31.425-05:002016-01-19T12:32:31.425-05:00I shudder at the troll comment by A. Banterings ab...I shudder at the troll comment by A. Banterings above. Obviously someone who has never been through this.<br /><br />I'm a veterinarian, out 30 years, practicing emergency medicine. I've had two board complaints. Neither won, both were people upset that the animal died despite their DECLINING medical advice. Do I practice differently? I still offer gold standard diagnostics and treatment, but when going to plan B,C or E.... I document and make the owners sign an AMA( against medical advice). I offer testing that may not be necessary but could be. A negative test still gives pertinent information. Some don't seem to understand that, nor that there is an art to medicine, not a laying of hands to get psychic visions.<br /><br />It's come to the point that I yearn for retirement....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com