What is your biggest pet peeve about doctors/hospitals?

[Barb]

We had a frustrating day of out patient surgery yesterday which prompted me to want to create a funny thread about the things that annoy us most:

Here are my top three:

1. When doing history you get asked the question "and when were you diagnosed?" I know to run like heck when I hear that question!

2. Doctors come in and start examining C without introducing themselves. Hello, we are people, not a medical school doll.

3. At discharge you are handed a huge stack of prescriptions to fill. Can't they send you home with at least a days worth? There is nothing I hate more than being exhausted from the hospital and having to stop and wait at the pharmacy!

So, what about you?

[Dodger67]

The way a lot of hospital staff - even doctors - don't realise that most of us are experts on our on condition. The next time some junior intern does a long complicated examination and wastes my time, when he could get all the information he needs by asking me a few questions, I'm going to hit someone!

[Barb]

I just refuse to answer them anymore. Teaching hospitals are the worst. I have a word document that I put together a few years ago that I hand to them when they start asking me stupid questions. I tell them to read it and after they have if they still have more questions they can ask me. That usually stops it as you know they don't bother to read through it!

[mommy2cnj]

I just refuse to answer them anymore. Teaching hospitals are the worst. I have a word document that I put together a few years ago that I hand to them when they start asking me stupid questions. I tell them to read it and after they have if they still have more questions they can ask me. That usually stops it as you know they don't bother to read through it!

Hehehe........you're very nice, Barb. I let them know that IF they intend to treat my patient, that they really SHOULD read their chart to know their circumstances.

Ever feel like they're trying to catch you in a loop?

On the other hand, my son had KAFOs since '04. A few visits to the clinic, KAFOs were charted. After that, someone put down RGOs and consistently after that, RGOs have been charted. When I got the new Rx for bracing, I had to ask which ones we are supposed to go with.....which ones did they really mean.

Go figure *throws hands in air*!!

There really are way too many things to list for this post. However, being choosy and adding my 12 cents (hehehe), the things that irk me most are 1) the case needing to be individualized...don't generalize with us....don't tell me my child has chiari II because he has SB when he truly does not have the symptoms (Dr. actually tried to schedule surgery for my son when he only had a resp. infection), 2) Listen to us, the experts on our children.....again, if he does not have the symptoms, don't "GIVE" him the symptoms.....3) When you are supposed to have a nurse who gets paid good $ for doing what they are "supposed" to do and because the parent stays in the room with the child, they figure "Oh, the parent can change the child's bed, as WELL as keep up with the constant liquid diarrhea the child is having AND make sure there's enough clean bedding to do so with". (sorry to be so graphic, but was another experience) Anymore, it seems the more I have to fight for my kids, the more it tends to boil down to people NOT doing their jobs. I know if I had a job, my boss would keep me to a much higher standard than most individuals I've dealt with.

[Barb]

Oh yeah!!! I hate when nurses do that in the hospital. I am here to comfort my child, not do your job!

[mommy2cnj]

I am here to comfort my child, not do your job!

AMEN!!!:p:D

[Proudmommy]

Maybe i am just bitter (since my son with sb is still young 8 months) but i cant stand when people in the hospital think and act like they really understand what you are going through as a parent just because they see these kids all the time.

[Dodger67]

That is so true! Things that are old news and everyday to them are really scary to you.
But now that you have found us - you have a whole bunch of new friends who really do understand!

[angel]

With this group we have all been there and done all of it. I am a lot like the doctors as i have already been through this so there isn't much that goes on with my son that scares me but i imagine if it were all "new" to me i might have a different outlook on it.

[technovicki]

As a child I hated spending hours and hours for clinic. As an adult it was a tough transition. I stayed with the clinic while in college and would travel back home for appointments. But when I got older and obtained a job with my own health insurance I wasn't able to go see the doctors that have seen me all my life. When I returned back to my hometown and tried to get back in and wasn't allowed to see the majority of the doctors because they were pediatric doctors. If you stay with the clinic then as an adult you can continue but once you leave you can't get back in. And while I was able to understand all of that, I was perplexed when they had no adult alternatives. Luckily I was able to find help here and there and finally have a good orthopedist but I went through quite a few.

[angel]

You are very lucky you found someone. I haven't. Where i went to clinic when i turned 21 i was out. I had seen them from birth!!!! My son's urologist agreed to see me she is WONDERFUL!!!!! I have been to a couple of ortho's when i had severe back pain they could tell me it was arthritis and they told me it was because of the spinal fusion 20 some odd years ago but that was it. Both knew NOTHING about SB and one of them had even trained under the doctor i had always seen!!!!! I made the point somewhere before maybe on this board that it is great that we are now living well into adulthood. But the problem is once you reach it no one seems to know what to do with you then.

angel

[Spokie]

There are very few pediatric spinal specialists down here, and with the "brain drain" happening in South Africa, it means that after searching for months, going from one doc to another until you find one that can help you, they emigrate to the greener pastures overseas! Then you start all over again... searching until you find one and give him the whole history from scratch... AAAAARRRGGHHH!!!!

[mommy2cnj]

There are very few pediatric spinal specialists down here, and with the "brain drain" happening in South Africa, it means that after searching for months, going from one doc to another until you find one that can help you, they emigrate to the greener pastures overseas! Then you start all over again... searching until you find one and give him the whole history from scratch... AAAAARRRGGHHH!!!!

This HAS to be frustrating. I know we are lost here, just when you think you have (for ex) a great physical therapist who knows how to work well with your child, and they're gone - poof! That's not even the doctor arena. :(

[Dodger67]

Another one is that one is somehow "not supposed to" live beyond your teens! :eek:
Why are all the good specialists in paediatrics.:confused:

[angel]

From what i have heard all the good specialists are in peds because for so long we didn't live much past our teens. There are some now that still don't. I had a friend who died at 20 and this was just 10 years ago. It seems like the pediatric doctors got so good at treating this that most of us live well into adulthood now we just need specialists who will put that much effort into keeping us going after we get older.

[Dodger67]

I last saw a neurologist when I was still a baby.
The last contact I had with an orthopeadic specialist was when I was 13/14 years old. Had a spinal fusion (L1-5) and was told to stop walking. (See my rant about it elswhere on this forum)
The only SB related specialists I have had any contact with since then are urologists. And even that is no more than once every couple of years, when I go for an IVP.
Even my GP only gets to see me maybe once a year (if he is lucky) when I get the usual winter "dreaded lurgi".
I am now 40 years old and as my Dad says, "disgustingly healthy".

[Spokie]

Took my son to see his new ortho yesterday.

What a surprise!

He did not discuss "the condition" with me. No. He chatted directly to my son.
The two of them discussed his spinal fusion, the growth since then, what needs to be done, what my son must do, etc. Then he showed him his X-rays, explaining everything in detail, so my eight-year-old could understand and give his input.

What a change!!

So, the good news is: There are decent doctors out there!

[Dodger67]

You've found a good one - stick with him!

[printemps]

yeah stick with a good one . I finally did find a great general practicioner . But since Ive moved around so much Ive lost touch with the pediatric urologists I had as a kid so anytime I have to go in to hosp or clinic even not SB related I have to go through all the explainations of my conditon and such . I've had some embarrassing experiences in those sitiuations . I have pet peeve !!! -- When some nurse who has no clue hands me a cup and says " here we need a urine sample " jeeze talk about embarrassing , I have to explain a Neurogenic bladder to a nurse ...

[mommy2cnj]

Bless your heart, prin......the 'pros' have been known to do that as well with my 2 youngsters. Makes me think the 'best' is yet to come! ;)

[Holly]

I am sure you all have dealt with thing more than me but I find it hysterical and sad at the same time that the medical community is this annoying everywhere!

[StrictNon-Conformist]

My theory is that it's because while everyone else spent many years with some time outside in the fresh air, they were all cooped up together, studying long hours, working long hours, not getting enough sleep, and being stressed out due to their mounting debts (on average) from the process, so now they've got many years of delayed crankiness/sleeplessness to overcome, so their patients get the resulting mess :D

I am sure you all have dealt with thing more than me but I find it hysterical and sad at the same time that the medical community is this annoying everywhere!

[Barb]

OK, I have one that no one has posted yet......................................drum roll please............................

PAY PER VIEW MOVIES in the room. Seriously, like it doesn't cost enough to be there. Now if you want to watch movies all you have to do is enter your credit card :eek:

[Holly]

LOL! OMG are you serious?! That is just ridiculous.

[Barb]

Deadly serious. Scary, huh?

[Spokie]

You pay them enough already to actually purchase shares in all the major movie companies!