Guess I should have expected it!

[lady67]

I thought my plan of writing the letter for the doctors to put in my chart requesting that I not be prescribed any narcotics or sleeping pills unless my husband is aware that I am getting the script.  After 14 straight days of headaches and blood pressure on a rollercoaster, I went to the doctor to get my pressure checked after the renal scan today and my blood pressure was up again and my head pounding.  It was so many people in the office, that they literally had people in the halls and on the floor.  My head was hurting so bad and I was throwing up so I asked my husband to just take me home.  He said he would just call up there and see if they would call something in (after all, I had been to this same doctor every day since 9/27/08.  On the 27th they gave me 3 new blood pressure meds and a script for 5  (5 mg) lortabs.  My hubby kept them and gave me one when the pain was unbearable.  Over the course of 10 days, I took 5 pills only, but the doctor's response was this (word for word).  "Tell her to just suck it up until we find something out."  This infuriated my hubby and he said he would be dam if I was going to be treated like that.  Anyway, when we got there, the nurse came out and tried to give me some samples of something so we wouldn't confront the doctor about it.  Hubby said no way, we want to see the doctor and we want to be referred to someone who could actually try and find the cause and not just see me for 5 minutes and rushing us out so they could see more patients.  

My point is this, before you have a letter such as I did put in your medical chart, find out if you will be able to have it removed in the future.  This dr. was such a jerk and said he wouldn't give me anything because of the letter I put in there.  My hubby said, "HELLO" we talked to you and told you that if she needed something, I (hubby) had to come with her.  He has been with me for every appointment and knows everything I am taking.  Just make sure you find out any info needed before putting a letter like that in your medical records.  I have done great and not needed anything, and only needed 2 lortabs when I had my gallbladder out,  Sometimes it doesn't matter what we do in order to be responsible, people are never going to forget who you are.  

Next time this happens with this doctor, I am going to remind him of all the times he was wasted in high school and college, not to mention the events we have seen him and his wife at where they couldn't even stand up straight.

Sorry So Long, but I had to vent!

[bubbles1096]

Nix the doc...ASAP & get your file too. If you had that letter in your file, the doc shouldn't have given you a hard time with you and your hubby. I agree with botchedup and mary have written. Get the bp under control girl, but I figure this ongoing mess with this doc has made it rise even more.

[sailing1]

The fact that your BP was around 70/40 all weekend from the changes in medications is alarming.  What was your BP before the change in meds, if I might ask?  And did you notify the "jerk" doc of this dangerous turn?  If so, he could be accused of malpractice, in my opinion...(I am a 20+ year veteran R.N.)    You may be able to use that fact in your favor to get back that letter you asked be added to the chart. Not exactly blackmail, but "heavy-handed."  

This is my advice:  When your usual primary MD gets back, go to him/her and tell this whole story.  Tell your doc that you now feel that putting that letter in your chart was ill-advised and you are concerned about future difficulties in getting adequate and appropriate medical care.  Since you voluntarily put that letter in there, that doc should be able to withdraw it.  Do not ask Doctor Jerk to give it back, just make a subtle hint to your usual doc that you might start an inquiry into this with your lawyer or the clinic.  Good luck.

[flmagi]

Get rid of the doctor....definitely keep the husband.
Hope they get you fixed soon.

[tryinhard78]

I just wanted to see if your Dr. has ever tried Norvasc for your blood pressure? Up until about a year ago my bp was running 250/150 sometimes higher. My Dr.'s tried everything and did every test in the book to see what was causing my bp problems they never found anything. I was on the highest does of clonidine and a couple other meds and it still wouldn't go down...My doctor tried Norvasc and within a day maybe 2 it was down to 130/70. It hasn't been high since either which is sooo nice. You have to be so careful about blood pressure my sister ended up in complete renal failure when she was 18 because of uncontrolled bp. If your dr is going to treat you like that I would have to tell him to hit bricks. This is your life...You don't want your kidneys or heart affected. I really hope you get this figured out and get to feeling better. I want to slap the s**t out of your Dr for you.

[botchedup]

I see, so he knows you socially BEFORE med school, both of you? Oh well, that leaves that out.  Maybe he has a g-d complex, maybe he remembers you differently than you are.  None of that really matters except your health and I;m w/wmary,,,BP=very serious.  I don't think I'd want to have an alcoholic, knows me from highschool, doctor treating me especially after the suck it up comment......I truly cannot get over that one.  Please let us know what they find out.  prayers out.  :)

[allaboutmary]

Dang-it .... I forgot to hit my spell-check again.

[allaboutmary]

Lady
It sounds like you were being the responcible one here and the doctor is being a jerk.  What really concerns me though is that blood pressure of yours. Sounds like you need to switch doctors and fast.  Thats serious stuff if they can't get it under control. Please take care of you.  PS  I think it is so sweet that your husband is there for you like he is.
Take care,   Mary

[lady67]

Oh, and let me add this.  God/doc doesn't mind telling you to go on a diet and lose weight when he weighs a whopping 300+.  The irony of this is the mighty doc went to Mexico to have the lapband procedure along with his wife (who had lapband and a boob job).  He did it in Mexico because he didn't want anyone to know, and he wanted them to think he had lost the weight on his own.  When he got home, he continued to eat like he was before and bursted his band and was septic.  He never lost anything and was put on all the churches prayer lists because of his illness.  After that, his secret was impossible to keep hidden.

[lady67]

The problem with this doctor is that my husband and I both went to high school and college with him.  He knows that a control freak is the last thing my husband is.  For the first 12 years of my addiction, I hid it from everyone, husband included.  He also knows that my husband is definately not an addict, far from it.  When my husband was writhing on the hospital floor trying to pass a kidney stone they had to force him to take something for the pain.  Also when he had his wisdom teeth pulled this year, he refused to take anything stronger than 3 advils.  

For the 9 months that I have been clean, I have not once asked for pain meds.  I did take 2 when I had my gallbladder out, but that was it.  As for the letter causing a red flag, he has known for years that I had this problem because it started when I was a receptionist at the office where he practices.  The letter was totally my idea and was recommended to me by a substance abuse counselor for situations such as this.  Where I would need to take pain meds for something.

As I said, this doctor was a jerk in high school and college.  When he graduated med school, he moved back home and went to work with a local clinic and has since thought himself level on the playing field with God.  The other doctor in the clinic is who I normally use, but he was out of town last week and won't be back until next week.  He had a death in the family and had to go and take care of arrangements out of state.  Since I had to see our good ole buddy, he raised my lotrel dosage, added Lipitor, hctz (fluid pill),Bystolic, and clonidine.  With all these meds I could not get out of the bed Friday and Saturday because my blood pressure was running a constant 70/40.  My husband was wonderful.  He could tell how scared I was when I saw how low it was going and sat with me the entire weekend.  That is something special when he gives up Saturday night at the speedway.

I had a renal scan done today (monday) and I am going in the morning for an MRI to see if we can tell the cause of the rapid rise in my blood pressure and the excrutiating headaches.

Thanks for your concern, it means a lot

[botchedup]

oh yeah, it sounds like maybe he's a doler,,,,3 bp meds??how come? Could that maybe be part of the headache problem???  when my bp runs low or high, the headaches can be awful....

[botchedup]

I wouldn't be surprised if the doc thinks your husband is either a control freak or you're getting the meds for him.  Altho, if he told your husband to tell you to suck it up, he thinks the letter was to please your controlling husband and that your husband doesn't trust you with the pills.  Something in the letter was definitley a red flag....I'm so sorry...I know you were trying to be honest and responsible.  They don't care.  not the ones who only have 5 minutes to hand you samples and your script.  If he was waiting for x rays or mri's, I consider it cruel for him to deny you pain meds.  That's totally messed up.  Get your files and get rid of that letter.  As long as you and your husband are on the same page,,,united front...the doctor works for you.  I bet that doc was surprised that your husband even showed up to confront him.  find a new doctor....Did they ever tell you what was wrong???  I hate it for you but don't let it get to you....I've had MULTIPLE surgeries and had to move to a different state for two of them.  Doctor's are like everybody else,,,some good, some bad.  If you ask them to keep narcotics away from you they will- happily- at any cost.  I don't know how you'd check the database with hippa laws and all.  Probably need a code.  Altho if you ever found that out.....that doc would be toast.  Take care...sorry so long too but I know it's buggin'ya.:)

[lady67]

Thanks for the info, but how would I go about finding something like that out?

[carr]

You need to find out if that doctor has black flagged you for future doctors. Here in Alabama they have an addict database that the doctors can log on to, to see if you are an addict and it can hurt u more than help you. I dont know if its where you are but I know its here at home.  

carrie

[wayway1414]

What a jerk!!!