Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Do you feel like the Physicians work for you or the other way around?

My neice has Lupus Erythematosus and Fibromyalgia. She is always in severe and I do mean severe pain. She had been seen by a certified nurse practitioner and then began seeing a new physician and always had a Rheumatologist. Because she felt as if she wasn't getting along with the CNP, she sought out a new physician. She visited the new physician 4 times, got her medications and had just sent a letter to the CNP to inform her that she no longer wanted to be a patient. The CNP however beat her to the punch. She received a termination letter from the CNP basically letting her go in 30 days because of communication breakdown and narcotics abuse. Now, from what my neice told me, she informed the new primary of her previously seeing a CNP and that she was not satisfied. However, you know how it is when you visit a physician. You all might mesh and you might not. At any rate, she had refills on prescriptions from all three physicians and she got them filled, not all at the same time. But, she was so hurt because she stated that morally, her CNP had an obligation to speak with her if she felt that something was wrong, and I agree. She had been seeing this CNP for over 6 years and truth be told, was only seeing her because of a friend of the family. She is known in the streets to give you whatever you want. However, my neice wasn't seeing her for that. I felt that the CNP threw her away as if she was a piece of trash. A similar situation happened with a friend of the family and through the Michigan Automated Prescription System, the state of Michigan notified her primary to pull a report from this system. The system showed that she was seeing another physician and getting her prescription with him. Because of her being red-flagged of sorts, she too was also terminated from her primary thus causing her to be so despondent that she blew off her head with a .357 magnum. Because of the doctors termination letter, she tought that she would never ever be able to find another doctor. Okay, now my neice has the new primary, whom she just loves and has her Rheumatologist as well. But yesterday, she asked me. Abuela (Although I am her aunt), do you think that I will get in trouble? My answer to her was a resounding NO! You have a right to go and see any doctor that you want. I did of course reiterate that out of fairness to the new physician, you should let them know if you still have prescriptions and/or any medications that still need to be filled. I feel bad for her because her conscience is soooo heavy. If it where not for patients, physicians would not be in business. Why do they act as if they are doing us a favor and why do they often treat everyone as potential drug addicts? My neice's fingers are so turned and twisted, you would think that she has Rheumatoid Arthritis and I know that Lupus and RA are in the same family. She is scared to go back to her Rheumatologist because of this new Mapping system. However, I told her that she has every right to talk with her doctor, whether it's doctor 1, 2 or 3. And if her Rheumatologist no longer wants to treat her then dammit, find someone else. My father always said, one monkey don't stop no show! What do you all think yahoo community? Did I give her the correct information. I love her and would never intentionally steer her or anyone wrong.

No comments:

Post a Comment