My Doctor is Useless!!!!!!!!

[Pumpkin]

Does anyone know if the doctor situation has gotten any better or If any have any openings for patients. I very rarely (1 or 2x per year) go to see my doctor and when I do she always puts me down and makes me feel very very small and she knows I have been diagnosed with major depression by a psychiatrist I had a few years back that has since left for Ontario. Though she disagrees that I am depressed and tells me I have the mind of a 17 year old for some reason. I am very tired of having a doctor I cannot go to to discuss my personal health problems with, to only be put down instead and leave feeling depressedand very down on myself instead of sick or whatever the cause for my visit would be.

And please no rude comments, after the visit I had today I am not in the mood for them so please keep them to yourselves this time please!!

[puppyluv]

sorry things are rough....sadly the doc situation isnt any better..... ;(

[Pumpkin]

Thanks for the kind words PuppyLuv! much appreciated.

Also summer of 06 I lost 40 pounds. Today she says, and I see you've porked on the weight again".....I haven't gained a pound back!! She saw that once she weighed me. Also told me I need to start parenting my child because I told her that she was having a hard time focusing in school. I just couldn't beleive how horrible I felt about myself when i left there today. Why does that mean I am not parenting my child. I want my child to do the best she can, that's why I brought it up so that she would have it for her files... so that is down the road we need help with her it's been documented by her teacher as well as her doctor. But I got the blame for that as well. I don't even want to go see her anymore. And one of the issues I went for concerning myself, she told me that wasn't right or normal but to remind her in 6 months again about it because she'll won't deal with it now, she'll deal with it then...umm hello, it's bothering me now and for the past 3 months and you're gonna wait another 6 months to address the problem? I dunno I just really dunno.

And there are other "issues" I have been wanting to talk to her about since summer of 06 and I won't because I know she will just pass it off even though another doctor already diagnosed me with the "issue" 8 years ago about the time she became my doctor. And strangely enough at the time agreed with the diagnosis but now doesn't... Quack if u ask me!

Sorry for the rant everyone. I am just really upset about it all and I am not sure there is a darn thing I can do. I feel stuck between a rock and a hard place!!

[lotssafun]

please check your private messages :)

[jennifer25ca2006]

Maybe try going to after hrs clinic not sure if they will do anything for you there but it is worth a try

[sanstu]

Pumpkin, so sorry you're having such a difficult time. If what is going on right now is connected to depression, please make an appointment with mental health. There are many trained people there that will be able to offer support to you. Good luck.

[Pumpkin]

Thanks everyone for the kind words and thoughtfull suggestions.

I have been through mental health before but there was nothing they could do for me really. At the time a psychiatrist had come to the center and they got me in with him. He has long since left and moved to Ontario and I was left in the care of the doctor I am having issues with, because I was told there were no psychiatrists in the city with any openings for me. So I had no one to go to. They all just seem to want to put me on the same meds, which I have been on a few times for long durations and it didn't help me at all. And, to top it off I was violently sick trying to come off of them. (Paxil, and yes they had a law suit against them for that reason I read before). So, by what I heard from someone, they may hve changed the way things work there so I might try again. I obviously have no other choices anyways so to speak.

So maybe between there and the clinic maybe it would work(seeing as i only go to a doc 1 or 2x times per year, I only go when necessary and will tough things out as long as I can before going)

Thanks again everyone. It's good to know there are some caring people left in the world. Too bad the caring ones weren't the doctors, because we probably wouldn't have the doctor problems we have here if that were the case!! It's so sad that the caring people are the ones out there with the low paying jobs and that the jerks and getting paid to live the high life. Funny how the world works backwards sometimes isn't it!! Oh, well not much we can do, but to keep on caring when everyone else stopped. Atleast we know we are good people and that is all that matters at the end of the day I guess.

And as crappy as it may sound, my friend may be right. We may benefit from a paid medical system like the united states. That way doctors won't treat you horribly and will actually get to the bottom of things for you because you would be paying for their services, so they would have to be kind or they would have np practice with no patients. They would leave and go to another doctor. I really don't like the paying idea, but if it brought back conecern and care into our doctors, I would almost rather have that. But that's only because of my experiences!!

[sanstu]

Oh Pumpkin, I feel very badly for the situation you are presently in. Mental Health does have psychiatrists that work with them(I believe they rotate). Perhaps you could get in to see one as you had been seen by one before. Perhaps with the proper meds. and therapy you would notice some improvement. It may be important to have certain tests done to determine a potential cause for your symptoms. (bloods, thyroid, ect.) I hope I haven't overstepped any bounderies with you. I feel there is help out there for you, it just might take a little bit for you to find it. Wishing you all the best.

[FutureChief88]

Does anyone know if the doctor situation has gotten any better or If any have any openings for patients. I very rarely (1 or 2x per year) go to see my doctor and when I do she always puts me down and makes me feel very very small and she knows I have been diagnosed with major depression by a psychiatrist I had a few years back that has since left for Ontario. Though she disagrees that I am depressed and tells me I have the mind of a 17 year old for some reason. I am very tired of having a doctor I cannot go to to discuss my personal health problems with, to only be put down instead and leave feeling depressedand very down on myself instead of sick or whatever the cause for my visit would be.

And please no rude comments, after the visit I had today I am not in the mood for them so please keep them to yourselves this time please!!

OMGG.. That is absolutely disgracful.. I would tell her you would rather not be her patient anymore.. and use the Health clinic.. get yourself on the registry for a new doc. That is insane!

also please call the college of physicians and surgeons. This is where you report doctors who act the way yours does.. She has no right to talk with you in that manner..

Its hard enough to get by nowadays.. Let alone having a DOCTOR put you down and insult your intelligence! Good luck pumpkin.. You are in my thoughts

[JulieHebert]

Pumpkin ..I feel for ya
Don't let her put you down like that you need to tell her how you think and stand up for yourself. As hard as it is going to be once you put her in her place she will probably respect you for it because there is no excuse for that. Good luck. No one deserves that

[sarahnb]

College of Physicians and Surgeons of N.B.
1 Hampton Road, P.O. Box 628
Rothesay, New Brunswick E2E 5A7
(506) 849-5050

[lizard_lover]

Pumpkin, I know where you are coming from...not that my family doctor is near that bad, but she is close. I have been on "the pill" since I was 15, because my menstrual cramps and bleeding were so bad it was making me pass out...she still (I am 19 now) pretty near refuses to give me my prescriptions because I am too young and it will make me have sex...so simple, i went off the pill 4 months ago. I have been in so much pain now on that time of month, but I refuse to go see her again.

Do not do what I did, do not suffer because someone feels they are better then you. You know your bosy better then anyone else, and if it takes that much, stand outside stark naked with a big sign stating your issue...see how fast they take you in then...they dont want bad publicity you know! (just an idea...sorry it is not very good...)

[patbez]

Pumpkin,

I'm so sorry to hear this :/

In November 2006 I had a terrible experience with a doctor at the Women's Wellness Centre at Saint Joe's. She basically harped on my weight, laughed at the fact that my husband & I were trying to chart my cycles to conceive & was just overall very rude. Although I don't have to go what you're going through on a regular basis, I feel for you.

I actually have anxiety issues & have tried to get help at the Mercantile centre unsuccessfully. I was also treated quite inappropriately there & was simply placed in a crisis group [?!] rather than the weekly anxiety & depression group. To say that meetings were at a kids's level & were very condescending is putting it mildly. I stopped going after 3 meetings. Do you have insurance through your workplace or a spouse's workplace? Some insurance plans offer at least 3 [sometimes more] sessions with a therapist. My husband works at Wyndham & they offer it through his plan so I am going to be seeking that out in the coming weeks or months.

Good luck!

[jenn527]

Sorry to hear you are having these issues. I just wanted to say that I also have tried going to the Mercantile for my depression and it was useless ! I totally felt as if I was bothering them and taking up there time. Eventually I decided to go to a therapist, which is covered under my medical at work, and the woman I saw was very helpful, she listen tome me without making me feel small. This was at Family Plus on Chesley Drive. Hope that helps some... but I understand what you are saying about the Mercantile and I thought I was the only one...

[patbez]

jenn527:

I have battled anxiety since I was 11, but really just REALIZED what it IS within the past year, or at least, finally admitted it to myself. At that point I felt the best thing to do was to be proactive & seek out help. Not being from this city originally, I had a very hard time even finding what organization I would call for help...finally finding info on the Mercantile Centre online.

I was simply shocked at the kind of treatment I got there. I went in for a screening, with a stalky male with glasses & curly blonde hair. I have NO clue what his title or training was/is. He led me to his office, barely saying a word. Once inside he wasn't even courteous enough to offer me a seat. He started asking me very specific, pointed questions...all the while looking me completely up & down with a blank look on his face. He was asking me some very personal questions & I actually started to cry...I felt very uncomfortable & almost like an animal being watched in a cage. He did not offer me a tissue, just simply said something to the effect of "I haven't killed anybody this week, as far as I know"....just totally unprofessional. He stated that he thought the 'head psychiatrist" would recommend I attend the weekly anxiety & depression group & possibly the weekly crisis group. Then he said he would call me very soon with info.

More than a month went by. Finally I took the initiative & called Mercantile & was patched through to him...he made no apologies for not calling me. He stated that I would be attending the weekly crisis group that HE himself runs. Great. I did NOT want to go precisely because HE was running it, but sucked it up & went anyway. Not sure why I was not placed in the anxiety & depression group, but that's a whole other fish to fry.

The meetings were horrible. I hate to say it, but a lot of the people attending had little education & therefore I feel they really dumbed down the information. He was very monotone & there was little interaction. When there WAS interaction, there were certain people in the group that would go on & on about their personal problems, until he would have to stop them & move on. I felt like a LOT of the people in the group would have benefited MUCH more from one on one counseling. One girl in particular would cry while talking about all she's been through & he would just tell her "well, we can't get into that right now".

At one point in one of the meetings he & another counselor were actually discussing that they're trained to watch body language etc. for specific signs of disorders. I guess that's why he was staring me up & down during my screening, but I found it very inappropriate to discuss their methods used during their screenings in front of the whole group.

But one particular thing very much bothered me & was a HUGE reason I stopped going....sometimes people would bring friends or family as support. At every meeting a piece of paper is sent around & you have to "sign in", just so they can see who is actually coming on a weekly basis. As it was being passed around, one of the "guests" asked if they had to sign it & the leader of the group said "Not unless you want us to start a file on you, which I really don't think you want" & he chuckled. It really pissed me off. Is it really so bad to have a FILE? Are the people seeking help for anxiety or depression or whatever other problem considered crazy? Because I have a file on me at the Mercantile Centre, can that be used against me in the future for gosh knows what purposes?

I sought help to better myself & my life, not to feel like an outcast or as if I'm a crazy person. I'm not sure if it's just that particular group/counselor, but I really felt there was nothing in it for me...not to mention that I just felt WORSE after attending the meetings.

Sorry to go completely off the original topic here, but I'm glad to find others that had bad experiences at Mercantile.

[FutureChief88]

Very True Patbez.. i went there once and spoke to the same man.. who decided that i must see the psychiatrist. When it came time for my appt, I entered the room only to find the doctor and 2 other guests. He informed me that these were student and would be "oberving" my session, during which he questions the students on my behaviour, and had them ask specific questions of me. It was INSULTING. I felt like a caged rat being probed! I wanted a confidential talk with a psychiatrist.. I didnt want to answer questions that i believed had NOTHING to do with the scenario at hand. And to top it all off.. i went to school with one of the STUDENTS!

It was so embarassing! I had to get up and leave, and as i was wlking out, i heard them say.. "typical response for someone in her state of mind". It was sickening!

[Pumpkin]

Patbez, I know exactly what you mean.

They wonder why mental illness goes undetected and untreated for a lot of people and really they shouldn't have to wonder. When people are treated like garbage going into get that certain type of medical help, why would they want to go back after being labelled. Why would some one want to go after hearing a friend's or family member's story of how sadly they were treated!! You do, you start to feel crazy, you think you are losing your mind completely, you feel alienated, and all sorts of other feelings. I mean, my doc discounted my psychiatrists diagnosis (major deoression which he wrote in a letter and forwarded to us both, I still have my copy, you better beleive it), when I was mouring the loss of a very very long term relationship and decided I wasn't suffering from depression, and told me and my mother who accompanied me at the time, that I was acting like a 17 year old and in the mind of a 17 year old and then proceeded to tell my MOTHER it was HER fault. You know, so how can someone who feels so down on themselves, feel good about themselves if their doctor who is supposed to be trusted and easily approachable, is the exact opposite and puts you down. How does that help!! It doesn't. If anything it send you backwards instead of trying to move forward to feel normal again. You can't name one person, that when feeling their depression, would say "I enjoy the way I feel when I am depressed. I like feeling down and alone. I don't want to feel myself again." We want to feel like ourselves again and personally I can say it's been years and years and years for me, and i would love to feel normal again. I don't even think i remember what it's like it's been so long.

I mean I can tell when my depression is bothering me, and it bothers me that I am letting it. I don't have much control over it sometimes but I try my best to pull myself out because I am not on any meds. They keep wanting to shove paxil in my throat and I was on it for 8 years and it it did nothing except send me into withdrawls when i tried to stop taking it (tho I did ween MYSELF off of it), yet they do not try me with anything else. So I fugured why bother at all. I have been dealing with it alone all this time, why bother to get help now. But, even when it strikes me to want to talk to someone about it, I am not comfortable to do so. Sometimes I wonder..."Good Lord, do I have to call in Dr. Phil, after he is finished with Britney?" Cuz no one around here wants to help anyone!! My doctor also knows I am put down a lot by a certain family member who also is a patient of hers, knows how I am treated, most of the details and yet proceeded to put me down just like my family member does? You don't do that to a patient with an underlying depression. C'mon, I am not a doctor and I know that for goodness sakes.

Oh it makes me so angry that they can treat us like this and we have to take it, or have no doctor. Pathetic really.

Anyways I want to say thank to ALL the people who wrote in. You were all so kind and it took me by suprise to be quite honest. I figured I would have been pummelled by the rudies on here that like to attack people who are down and out. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! I am glad there are still some "humans" left in the world in which we live. Without your compassion there would be very little!!



And, thanks for the info those of you provided some. I may just look into letting people know what kind of doctor she really is. :)

[Pumpkin]

Well an update of sorts.......

I went BACK to my doctor, due to some spotting I was experiencing outside of my cycle (I have been on Birth control for 9 years). The spotting was going on for 2 months, so I decided time to go get seen.

This time I was handed pills to take for some bacteria she seen in my female check up.....she didn't ask me to go in a jar to test for anything, just handed me a perscription and didn't even tell me to come back for a re-check!

Took the pills for seven days. And, I can't say if they worked until my cycle comes back , because it is usually the week before when the spotting starts ...but I can tell you I have been going to the bathroom non stop and so on! I do not understand why nothing else was checked. Not for pregnancy, not kindey infection, not bladder infection, nothing. Just handed some pills.

Then I decided to bring up my stomach problems again, because it has NOT stopped yet. THIS time she decided it sounds like it's my gal bladder and I have to book myself an apppointment........after telling me it wasn't normal but she wasn't going to deal with it & to come back in six months and remind her.......???????

This strike anyone else as very poor doctoring? I almost feel neglected or non important or something. I have other things bothering my body as well that feel out of sorts and have been for months and months and so on, yet I am afraid, no not afraid, but feel it's pointless to address her about these health issues I am feeling because she either tosses it aside as nothing everytime , doesn't want to listen to what i have to say, or it's not important enough to deal with... I don't know I'm becoming EXTREMELY frustrated!! And the out patient and after hours clinics, aren't much help because I find everytime I do visit one of these places, lucky me gets stuck with the only arrogant and unconcerned doctor on duty! I have even been told not to go there with such foolishness, when I had a cough for 2 months straight during University and that was in 1998. Hasn't com very far for doctors has it. They HAVE to do something. I fel like I live in a third world country when it comes to the doctor situation, exspecially in my situation!! and the luck I have been having with doctors, which is NO luck at all!

I am starting to feel we HAVE NO health care system what so ever! Wish I could afford to move to the states and pick a doctor who cares about their patients and not about going to Mexico every two months instead!!

[KRS]

Sounds like a cool Doctor..

[callinq]

I always thought my house doctor was cool but one day I asked him about certain surgery and his answer was 'I'm not sure if I want to support that, I have moral objections'.
Because HE has moral objections he will not support me? Since than my view on him (and he is a very young doctor!) as completely changed. And his on me. He wants me out of the office each time as soon as possible. Useless guy...

[Pumpkin]

That's not good calliq!! I don't have the problem of her not wanting me there and putting the run to me when I go, but she may start. I don't usually speak up to her, I don't at all to be honest but I am getting really SICK & TIRED of getting the run around and the cold shoulder! You know, it's funny when I was having a VERY difficult time with the loss of my boyfriend of well over a decade, she told me that I was acting like a 17 year old and asked where my spunk had gone! Well she's gonna get my spunk in full throttle if she doesn't start doing the job she's getting paid to do every time I visit her!!!!!!!!!!!!! Otherwise, she'll have one less patient coming to see her to pay for her trips to Mexico!!

[SaskSask]

Maybe you have a doctor who is suffering a little burnout?
Some of these doc's see 70-80 or more people a day. I guess....I am sure doctors can have a rough day as well. You never know what they had to tell someone that day.
I guess sometimes trying to figure out what is wrong with a person ...can turn into a process of elimination?
If your not happy you can always put your name on the waiting list and evetually you can get another doctor. I know it isn't perfect...but atleast you have that option. You have 2 reasons to do it....you do not seem happy in your current spot...and you may very well be risking your health by not doing so.
Maybe you do have a crap doctor....but in the same token...maybe your a crap patient. I do know this...whatever the case may be...I hope you get your health back.....cause without your health...life sure can be crappy =(

[KRS]

House is a cool guy

[drakelogan]

hi, don't take that from her, get yourself another DR....mine may be still taking new patients...Maragh, 648-0823...he is great, very understanding, i am sure you'd like him...good luck

[FutureChief88]

he is taking new patients???
I was a patient of Dr. tippetts .. who used to be in the same bldg.. I didnt know he was taking new patients!!

[Pumpkin]

No I can't say I am a crap patient, I rarely go to see her because I try and tough out what bothers me and if it doesn't go away then I go see about it. I am NEVER rude to her. I am not the type that thinks I have every disease known to man. I don't make up things that aren't wrong with me, i have never been a trouble patient to anyone, and I am no sook when it comes to pain, I have a pretty good tolerance, so why I am made to feel like a nuissance to her, I dunno.

Maybe she is over worked and maybe that's why she goes to mexico every two months, I dunno but it is NO excuse for neglecting patients and being down right nasty to them. I know I am not the only one treated in this fashion by her, so I know it is not me that is the problem here. I would be more than willing to admit if I was hot headed or an annoyance to her, because to be honest I wouldn't be writing on here if I knew i was the problem when it came to her!! But such is not the case. If I was a doctor I would love patients like me, never a complaint and rarely a visit!! Those are the people I wouldn't mind helping out!!

I mean I went to this woman about myself one day and decided to tell her that my child is having difficulty in school. Her attention fails terribly and she seems to be out in space a lot.etc etc The things her teacher and I have been discussing....I thought if I let my doc know, if it comes down to my daughter needing help in some fashion, that her knwoing about it might help to keep the ball in my court for getting her help down the road.....when i told her about her having troubles, you know what i was told?????
"WELL, YOU need to start being a BETTER PARENT hadn't you!!!!" Like what is that? What does that have to do with anything? Obviously I am a good parent I take a healthy interest in my child school progress and took teh time to approach the doc about it.... so I mean that should tell you right there..I wasn't rude to her about it, why would I be, so why i would be spoke to like that...

So nope, it's not because I am a crappy patient....it's crappy health care professionals!! I am telling you...don't beleive me, PM me, I will tell you who the doc is, and you go look up what everyone else has to say about her on rateyourmd.com you'd swear i wrote everyone of the negative remarks on there!! They all have experienced the same things I have, right down to a T some of them!!

[SaskSask]

Pls Pumpkin don't take the maybe your a crap patient ...to mean you are...I am just flipping the coin..devils advocate. I am just an outsider looking in giving an outsiders take. If you see others making similar comments then your not crazy and you should do something about it by starting the process of moving on to another doctor...other wise you are crazy for not doing something about it. He/she isn't going to become a better doctor overnight just cause people say they are bad.

Lol I think I know exactly how you are referring about! I am going to have to ask my wife her name again.

[Annie55]

There must be someone out there that is above these doctors and so on, with this many letters here alone all saying the same things, you would think that one of those professionals would read these are realize what they are doing to people. I find some doctors really great, and when you go to some especially a gynacologyst (not spelled right) there are very few, the one I went to was horrible, and it happened with a challenged girl too, said he examined her but he didn't would hardly touch her.
annie