Hello, does anyone know if i can change the specialist i've been referred to?
he's an idiot... he's rude and unprofessional...
i've been super-nice to him in case i can't!
i have kidney stones - whoppers - i've got all the scans and jazz i need to go through the process. i had to wait 3 weeks to see him (which of course is fine) in my little local hospital. I think he's a visiting specialist. i arrived early, he told me i was late. he asked waht was wrong, had a quick shuffle through my mountain of documents and asked where my X-Ray was ? What ? No-one said i needed and x-ray...
he gave me a prescription and off i ran to the radio dept. he had written the WRONG NAME on the ord. luckily as i've recently had a hip replacement they know me, rolled their eyes and did the X-Ray (they wonder why also) I went back to his office and he had GONE!...
ok. New appointment 3 weeks later, I went with all my paperwork AND the X-Ray - he concluded from it that nothing was broken (?) At this point he'd asked me nothing about the problem. I told him I was in real pain and having attacks about every 10 days (it's the pits...) I told him i regularly had blood in my urine. He said it was probably my periods !!! I said, Mr Blah, I'm 51, I know when I'm having my period.
Ok. He said, I need blood and urine tests - ahah, triumphant I pulled them out of my file - just one week old, the full works. No, he said, I need to see 2 fresh urine tests.
I've now made a new appointment - the next is for 3 JUNE... JUNE! Obviously i've not been back to the lab.
Any thoughts?
x teresa (and the cailloux)
Well I can't tell you what your next move should be, but I can certainly testify as to the amount of pain involved. I've had them 3 times and I certainly don't think you should wait until June for another appointment. He doesn't seem to be taking it seriously, and I for one think he must.
@teresa - poor you, what a trauma! If this was me I would see my GP and ask for an emergency referral to another, more competent, consultant. You shouldn't have to suffer like this. Good luck. Joyce.
Thanks Chris and Joyce... GP tomorrow... (thanks Chris for the pain testimony! - hope you never have them again)
I can't offer any advice re. the specialist but my husband has had kidney stones a few times and I see how painful they are. A natural remedy that you may want to consider is black cherries or cherry drinks which are known to treat excess uric acid. My husband also drinks diluted apple cider vinegar with water when he feels them starting to ache. There's a few exercises you can do - ther's a 'jump and bump ( http://www.alternative-health-group.org/kidney-stones.php ) which he's tried. Not sure if it helped at all but he was trying anything. But ultimately, if the kidney stones need zapping, then you need an efficient medical specialist rather than the joker you've currently got. Could you ttalk to your doctor and ask his advice about how to get someone different? Good luck. Hope they get sorted.
Sandy you're an angel - thanks so much. As I don't know they're being caused by uric acid i'm drinking anything and everything! (but not cider vinegar - bleugggghhhh!!!)
as for the jump and bump - the first time i had them i ended up in the snow outside doing stretches and jumps and lunges - along the lines of jane fonda (i thought) - green godess (my husband)... you do actually feel you can PUSH it out!!!
but as you say they need ZAPPING. I'm off to see my doctor today. thanks so much - made me laugh
What helpful replies! I sympathize greatly, I thought I was dying the first time I had them. It seems that in France you have the right to go to whomsoever you please as a consultant/specialist, and I'm sure your GP will assist - I wonder if you can report this dangerous buffoon of a specialist to the french equivalent of the GMC?
My wife had a similar experience with a specialist and just asked our doctor for a second opinion referral paper and it was sorted nice and easily.
Teresa
Glad to read you are seeing your doctor. You have an absolute right to see any specialist anywhere in France.
My experience of local hospitals is variable and depends entirely on who you see.
In my experience I ahve found that a Clinique (which is private but does not cost you any more) is better than a Centre Hospitalier?? which is run by the state but that depends of where you can get treatment.
I have learnt to "make it clear" to my GP what my issues and concerns are and have found him to be quite responsive.
thanks Kit - i'm ashamed to say i also thought i was DYING !!!
yes, once i can get on the books of a new specialis i think i will report him
thanks so much. my local little hospital has been brilliant in the past, and the bigger one in carpentras has also been fantastic - we are so lucky - i think that's why it has come as such a surprise to find someone so out of tune...
Teresa, sorry to hear of your problems. The simple answer to your question is YES you can change specialist. In France you are free to consult any chosen specialist. You will simply have to ask your GP to refer you to someone else. Hope that helps.
I have no doubt Teresa you can ask your GP to refer you to another consultant. It's a sad but true fact that consultants sometimes suffer from "I'm God's gift to the profession" syndrome.
Thanks so much everyone who has replied here (and I hope it's a tiny but useful thread for people in the future)
I've been to see my lovely GP - who reviewed my dossier and thought the specialist was crackers/rude. He's referred me to another hospital and took care to enquire that specialist idiot would not know the new guy, & was not his friend or brother...
I have nothing but massive praise for the health system in france, everyone of the hundreds i've met have been happy, professional and caring... (a cat bit me a couple of years ago on the hand and my tendons were infected - bizarre & weird - and a proper super-specialist took fantastic, incredible care of me)
This is just one bad egg - what a joy to be able to do something about it!
All's well that ends well.
I symphathize you, Teresa. To be honest I thought that almost every doctor in France is a professional. Yes, I'm naive. I know one good specialist, but he is retired now. But anyway, I wich you full recovery!