That Really Made Me Mad

I had a disagreement with a physician which I wrote about to the State Board of Registration for the Healing Arts. It was rejected by them, without ever giving me a reason why.

I belonged to the insurance group, Advantra, and he was my primary physician. My visit was a routine visit. The doctor suggested I take a pharmaceutical (Amox-Clav) and do exercise for my ‘ROUND SHOULDERS.” I don’t think he ever listened when I told him over and over again, I have had round shoulders ever since I was six years old and I did not think any pharmaceutical or exercise could correct that at my age, which at the time, was over 80. I was sure an antibiotic would not fix round shoulders. He prescribed a drug,
which was because I wasn’t feeling quite well,. After taking one dose of the drug he prescribed, I had some bleeding the next morning, and called him. He did not return my call.

I went to his office that morning, and, because I did not have an appointment, was told by the receptionist that I needed to go to the emergency room, which I would not do, but waited four hours in his office before he did see me. After a quick conversation, he did not tell me to stop taking the medication but told me I needed to go to the hospital. It was I who had to ask whether to continue taking the Amox-Clav or not. One would have thought he would have told me that himself.

I didn’t think checking into a hospital through the emergency room myself. I call a friend to accompany me. After a grueling day, I ended up with a three-day hospital stay, but they never found anything wrong with me. This doctor didn’t come to check on my condition until the end of the third day, which was too late to discharge me that day. Staying an extra day would not be cover by my insurance company. I insisted on leaving the hospital without his discharge authorization.

What is the patient to do if there is no, helpful listening ear for the patient’s benefit? I am sure the doctor’s would not stand for this if the situation was reversed.