One-Size-Fits-All

Ouch! I can't believe I wrote that. But, my anger is up and I'm tired of Doctor One-size-fits-all. This is the second doctor in as many years that I have walked out on during an appointment and told I would not be back. I walk out because he was not listening, but reading the lab results and writing prescriptions. He had not even looked at my current medications list or heard me when I said he would need to send the prescriptions to the VA clinic.

I was having a giant problem with the prescriptions. My blood pressure has been stable for more than a year at 120 over 60 to 70 and yet he was prescribing a larger or stronger dose of the same medication I am currently taking. When I complained, he asked why his nurse aid had recorded 140 over 90. I replied that after walking at a brisk pace from the waiting room, she took my blood pressure immediately instead of waiting five minutes, which is the suggested time.

I suggested that he take my blood pressure again, but he stated – not necessary. When I looked at the next prescription, I almost choked. My lipid panel was in good shape and better than normal. Yet the doctor was prescribing a dose of statin at double the strength I was currently prescribed and actually quadruple what the VA doctor had told me to use because of muscle problems and I was splitting the pills. Even the pharmacist agreed with this action as I had asked about cutting the pill because their was not a indication that the pill could be cut.

I may not understand doctors, but I was heating up under the collar and I wanted an explanation. I politely asked, and was unceremoniously told I was the patient. As I closed my briefcase and put my coat on, he looked up and asked where I was going and told me he was not through. I quickly looked at two more prescription and I knew I could not stay with this doctor. My daily aspirin dose was increased from 81 mg to 325 mg and he was writing one for Plavix, which the VA had taken away.

I dropped the completed prescriptions on the desk and said I was leaving. He said I needed the increased medications and I asked how much extra commission he was to receive and walked out. The nurse was escorting the next patient in and said I couldn't be through. I said I was permanently through and kept walking.

I have thought about this for a couple of weeks and wonder why procedures were changing so drastically. I knew the patient I met on the way out, but he wisely said nothing. We talked afterward and he had received increases in several medications. He was taken off insulin and prescribed three oral medications. He was not filling them and had already found another doctor. He did not want to be off insulin and on management of his diabetes with oral medications.

He is young enough that he could have LADA (unofficial type 1.5) and had a longer than average honeymoon. He told me he has not told the doctor he will not be coming back, but will wait and cancel his appointment the week before.

Both of us talked about the one-size-fits-all attitude of doctors and why they cannot treat us as individuals. His new doctor has called him and asked him to consider going on oral medications. He is now looking for another doctor. I suggested that he find one that would do the proper testing and determine if he was not insulin dependent and a LADA.

We had a long talk and he finally called an endocrinologist who would see him and do the tests. He decided to go to a different city and be away from his doctors of the past.