Doctors in Saint John :: Saint John, NB - Health & Wellness

mommyd · #21 11-19-2007

Julie I'm glad your little one is feeling better

I have a rant about a family Dr.
My son started pre school this year so i had to get a copy of his immunizations. Well, we go into the fam dr..and first we get the nurse.. she always asks what's up and stuff before we see the dr. We told her we needed thecopy and she said since it has to be on a special form it would cost 15 dollars. We were a little peeved at that but whatever. Then she gave it to us and it was JUST a regular piece of white paper photocopy..special form my a%(
we didn't fight it.. and i know it's only 15 dollars..but still..WHAT is THAT???? And now i have to get another one to register him for kindergarten.

Cherry Pop · #22 11-19-2007

One thing I would like to add to this discussion is never let a doctor talk down to you. One thing I've learned in the last 9 years of bad health is that the doctors work for you not the other way around. I have found some doctors try to tell you what they are going to do or not do. A doctor's job is to fill the patient in on the different things that can be done and it is the patient who should be deciding what the doctor should do or what they want done to them. Also it helps to be well informed about any health conditions you have or think you might have. I have been in situations where the doctors knew very little about my condition or hadn't heard of it at all and I actually had to inform them about it!

mizunderstood · #23 11-21-2007

Good point CherryPop!
I have an issue with drs/nurses/health care people that just don't listen to us. They think that becasue they have years of medical training and experience that they know better than the "little people"
Good example
I am SEVERLY allergic to latex. It is noted in all my drs charts, hospital records, everywhere. When I was in the hospital with my daughter I told them when I pre registered, and when I registered for labor. I had one intern/trainee look me in the eye and tell me that I was not allergic and then try to do the internal exam with latex gloves.(This is in a latex free room mind you, she brought them in with her!) It took all my will power at that moment (mind you I am in between contractions) to not jump off that table and rip her face off. lol.
Another good example.
I am Bipolar and have been on many different meds over the past 10-15 years. I had a moron dr at the regional tell me that the symptoms I was describing had nothing to do with the meds that I had just started on but it was an allergic reaction to something in my home. He argued with me for 20 minutes that I was just over reacting, blah blah blah. I asked for another dr and guess what??? I WAS RIGHT! I hate it when they try to talk to you like you know nothing! I might not have a medical degree but I know that when I feel like there are bugs crawling under my skin and I scratch so hard that I am bleeding everywhere that the meds they have me on are not working for me and need to be changed immediatly.
I agree, don't let them TELL you what they are doing, or TELL YOU you are wrong. Ask for a second opinion. Not every dr knows every thing about every single issue.

sarahnb · #24 11-22-2007

Someone always graduates at the bottom of the class.

FutureChief88 · #25 11-28-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by sarahnb

Someone always graduates at the bottom of the class.

Gooood Point!

JulieHebert · #26 11-29-2007

Ok so I had my daughter to the hospital yet again for the same thing and they did an x-ray and said Oh she is fine there isn't anything on the X-Ray
So I got a call from from family doctor and he just got the report back and Come to find out she possibly might have phnomonia(spelling ?). So I would like to know what the Dr's are actually getting paid for if they can't be more careful when examining a child. What if something happened because they are being so careless. I just don't get it. Oh and this whole thing started about 3 months ago when I first took her to the Emerg the first time.

FutureChief88 · #27 11-29-2007

They dont pay attention.
I understand they are busy.. and so on.. but when it comes to children.. it unreal.. They did the same thing with my daughter.. I went to a "specialist" for Urine infections.. which were constant .. He tells me that she has NEVER had an infection.. cause they didnt "test" her properly..
( keep in mind i have problems with my bladder.. and know symptoms for infection)
Anyways instead he does an xray and tells me that her bowels are backed up.. and to give her Laxative!!!!!
When i gave it to her.. she had diarreah so bad.. and got sick..I mean she was not even 2.. she ended up becoming dehydrated.. So i had to take her off! It is rediculous..

FutureChief88 · #28 11-29-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by JulieHebert

Ok so I had my daughter to the hospital yet again for the same thing and they did an x-ray and said Oh she is fine there isn't anything on the X-Ray
So I got a call from from family doctor and he just got the report back and Come to find out she possibly might have phnomonia(spelling ?). So I would like to know what the hell Dr's are actually getting paid for if they can't be more careful when examining a child. What if something happened because they are being so careless. I just don't get it. Oh and this whole thing started about 3 months ago when I first took her to the Emerg the first time.

Ps. I hope your baby feels better soon!

JulieHebert · #29 12-01-2007

OMG Thats crazy! She still pretty sick but hopefully it will get better soon. But Thank you

beckettjag · #30 12-02-2007

I had the same problem with doctors with my baby,it seems to me that the kids are the ones suffering from lack of proper care because before they can talk they can't tell you what hurts.My daughter was born with glaucoma in both eyes.nobody new this and when I brought her too my family doctor 2 days after she was born because her eyes were gucky and not open I was told it was conjuctjuvitis, and I told the doctor that baby's born with my daughters condition often have glaucoma, the doctor totally ignored me, so I became my own doctor I called my optometrist and asked her to do a referral for my daughter to see an opthamalogist and guess what she had glaucoma and because it was left untreated the pressure had built up and had done damaged to the nerves my new doctors are hoping they repair themselves but it might not happen,if I was in the states I would have sued.thankfully we are going to see doctor alexander in Feb I'm very excited that she can help my daughter. To all you mothers out there be your child's advocate if you know something is wrong it probably is I got sick of the doctors at emergency brushing me off.But my daughters case is so unusual that we usually get a million doctors staring at her and giving there opinions (that's it).The shriners have also been great in finding the doctors i need if your child has a special medical need they are there to help with expenses they helped me.

T4 · #31 12-02-2007

It's sad when you go to see your family dr, or a dr at the hospital and have to defend yourself to them. If you have had a condition for many years and know when medication is acting or reacting to you...YOUR voice should be heard. I too have difficulty in getting dr.'s to listen. I have a condition that is not rare, but dr.'s here do not know how to deal with it. I am waiting to go to one of the clinics either in Halifax, Moncton or Sydney. Crazy I have to leave my own city to be treated. I have a card now however, that states my condition, and the appropriate medications I need for flare ups. Unfortunately one of the medications is morphine and of course when I would just go in during a flare up and tell them of the condition and how I am normally treated...they figured I was using them to get high. In fact I would also tell them it was the opposite, because my system is becoming tolerant to the medication and NEVER has it made me "high". Then there are others that can walk in and complain of something minor and be given heavy narcotics. They wonder why malpractice suits get filed against them. There have been too many deaths and "close" calls for them not to be on their game.

I am sympathetic to the fact that they are over worked, and yes are human too, HOWEVER...when they are working it is our lives and those of our loved ones that they are in charge of. The role would be no different if it were their child that we were teaching or coaching....they want the best that WE can be and WE should expect nothing less from THEM.

sarahnb · #32 12-03-2007

I went to the ER at St Joes with severe back pain. I could barely walk. It was a kidney infection and back pain is the only symptom I get and it comes on suddenly. The doctor that i saw took my history and when I told him of the injuries I have sustained, he wanted to do an xray. He ended up scaring me to death telling me that my spine is that of a 75 yr old and that I will end up crippled if I don't do this , this and that. I made an appointment to discuss it with my family doctor. "oh, Dr X? huh?" is what he said. Called the hospital to get a report on my xray and it showed nothing other than the scar tissue and bone fragments that we already knew about. So Dr X sent me into a panic for nothing and sounds like the other doctors don't trust his diagnosis.

T4 · #33 12-03-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by sarahnb

I went to the ER at St Joes with severe back pain. I could barely walk. It was a kidney infection and back pain is the only symptom I get and it comes on suddenly. The doctor that i saw took my history and when I told him of the injuries I have sustained, he wanted to do an xray. He ended up scaring me to death telling me that my spine is that of a 75 yr old and that I will end up crippled if I don't do this , this and that. I made an appointment to discuss it with my family doctor. "oh, Dr X? huh?" is what he said. Called the hospital to get a report on my xray and it showed nothing other than the scar tissue and bone fragments that we already knew about. So Dr X sent me into a panic for nothing and sounds like the other doctors don't trust his diagnosis.

Now THAT's comforting isn't it!! wow...Hope you at least ended up being treated appropriately.

commkathy · #34 12-04-2007

I remember in the write up that Dr. Siau (I know I spelled that wrong) had in the paper when he was retiring...they asked him for advice that he would give to new doctors and he said "if a mother says there's something wrong with her child, believe her, she knows her child better than anyone"
He was a GREAT doctor and we need more like him !!!!!!

T4 · #35 12-04-2007

I'll second that!!! I'm sure that there are many other doctors that have come and gone from this city either retired or moved elsewhere. The one's that have moved elsewhere have been our cities loss and another cities gain!!

Mandi · #36 12-04-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by commkathy

I remember in the write up that Dr. Siau (I know I spelled that wrong) had in the paper when he was retiring...they asked him for advice that he would give to new doctors and he said "if a mother says there's something wrong with her child, believe her, she knows her child better than anyone"
He was a GREAT doctor and we need more like him !!!!!!

Agreed!!!

smith · #37 12-05-2007

i have a very sickly baby that turns blue in the face and stops breathing the doctor's are just saying it's acid reflux which i know he has that. now my son has to go up to the iwk hospital to see a head doctor upthere as well.is head hasn' grown sence birth . he's on three types of medicine. now they are trying to tell me he has asthma and that's why he's truning blue in the face and stops breathing . he always sounds congested to . i had to fight with my specalist just to get him tested for different stuff. know i'm told when he turns blue in the face to take him to the emergency. so twice a month i'm up at the hospital with him or sometimes every week with him.i still have no clue yet what is worng with him. he also been addmitted four times now to all with the same problem.

FutureChief88 · #38 12-05-2007

OMg Smith!
I Will pray for you and your baby.. and i dont pray. almost in tears here thinking about what you must have to go through! fight.. and fight girl! I hope your baby gets better, and soon at that!

JustWatching · #39 12-05-2007

Smith

Check out this link....maybe something you could mention to your doctor...

http://wo-pub2.med.cornell.edu/cgi-b...contentID=2922

JulieHebert · #40 12-31-2007

ok so here is an update ,since writing this thread a few months ago I have had my daughter up to the hospital numerous times and have been told a lot of different stuff, So after she was really sick on christmas day and could barely breathe then going up again the 27th they admitted her to the hospital but thankfully she got out on saturday.Just thought i would let everyone know