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I wish to remain anon for the time being. That may change.
I am furious, perplexed, and saddened.
An elderly family member is in need of hip replacement surgery. Surgery was scheduled for 1st week in August. Surgery appointment was made in March.
Primary care physician (PPC) was out of the country on vaca so referred patient to Dr. X who is also to be the surgeon. Due to severe and persistent pain, medication was prescribed. Patient did not respond to medication. An alternative was needed. Dr. X did not respond to several weeks worth of phone calls made by patient. In the meanwhile, patient was 'self-medicating' with wine.
While that somewhat took the severity off the pain, it caused other problems. Namely, patient is now housebound because she is unfit to go into public. Also, due to her acute drunken state, patient was perceived as threat to her safety which mandated close supervision by others. (to prevent slip/fall accidents and the like) Otherwise, patient is highly lucid and somewhat ambulatory, enough to bathe etc.
Due to patient's anxiety of making further attempts to discuss with Dr. X following several failed attempts, I got involved. I spent an entire day making repeated phone calls to Dr. X's office. (Squeaky wheel gets the grease) Quite late in the day did Dr. X respond to my phone calls. The Dr's response as to advise that they had notified 'pain management' (PM) (associated with same medical facility) that they would be calling within two days. Also, Dr. X stated they would not prescribe other medication until further information was received from PPC. Dr. X advised at this time that I should direct further contacts only to PM.
Two days later I called Dr X to advise PM had not yet called and to request contact information so I may call them. I was given that information and I did start making multiple phone calls to PM until I finally got a response. PM did affirm that Dr. X stated this case requires immediate attention. PM then offered an appointment 6 weeks out. I rejected that appointment and firmly stated that relief must come sooner. I was brief to summarize patient's condition of severe and persistent pain, that her sleep suffers which is causing other complications and that in absence of relief provided by any medical professional, she must do something for the pain and that something is to 'self-medicate'.
Note: Dr. X advised 'no injections this close to surgery'. In discussing modalities with PM, PM told me they use injections only! Grrrrrr
Two days ago the surgery was cancelled by Dr. X. The Dr. tried to pawn that off on patient's 'history' of alcoholism. Today. patient had discussion with PPC who stated the reason the surgery was cancelled was because when 'complaint' was made to Dr. X the patient was labeled as a liability risk, ie, likely litigious.
In my phone calls to Dr. X and PM, I was very careful in choosing my words. I was sure to emphasize the patient's wine intake was only in the context of managing her pain. I repeated that often. Yet, today did PPC repeat what Dr. X had stated last week which was to say that I said that patient consumes 750 ml of wine per day. I NEVER said that!
Frankly, I do not care what they think I said or did not say. My primary contention is that based on what I esteem as only hearsay, Dr. X has found it appropriate too cancel the surgery and it was because of the patient's unsubstantiated 'alcoholism'.
Not incidentally, but for the past three weeks the patient has been on an alternative medication to which she responds very favorably. She has not had a drop of wine in these last 3 weeks. Yet, that is of no concern to Dr. X because there remains the notation that this patient constitutes a liability risk to the medical staff and facility.
My questions to anyone who has read this far and who has insight, is what avenues exist to move forward towards the needed surgery and better medical treatment. I can most assuredly state that this patient is NOT litigious but simply wants the surgery she was told she needed.
I am furious, perplexed, and saddened.
An elderly family member is in need of hip replacement surgery. Surgery was scheduled for 1st week in August. Surgery appointment was made in March.
Primary care physician (PPC) was out of the country on vaca so referred patient to Dr. X who is also to be the surgeon. Due to severe and persistent pain, medication was prescribed. Patient did not respond to medication. An alternative was needed. Dr. X did not respond to several weeks worth of phone calls made by patient. In the meanwhile, patient was 'self-medicating' with wine.
While that somewhat took the severity off the pain, it caused other problems. Namely, patient is now housebound because she is unfit to go into public. Also, due to her acute drunken state, patient was perceived as threat to her safety which mandated close supervision by others. (to prevent slip/fall accidents and the like) Otherwise, patient is highly lucid and somewhat ambulatory, enough to bathe etc.
Due to patient's anxiety of making further attempts to discuss with Dr. X following several failed attempts, I got involved. I spent an entire day making repeated phone calls to Dr. X's office. (Squeaky wheel gets the grease) Quite late in the day did Dr. X respond to my phone calls. The Dr's response as to advise that they had notified 'pain management' (PM) (associated with same medical facility) that they would be calling within two days. Also, Dr. X stated they would not prescribe other medication until further information was received from PPC. Dr. X advised at this time that I should direct further contacts only to PM.
Two days later I called Dr X to advise PM had not yet called and to request contact information so I may call them. I was given that information and I did start making multiple phone calls to PM until I finally got a response. PM did affirm that Dr. X stated this case requires immediate attention. PM then offered an appointment 6 weeks out. I rejected that appointment and firmly stated that relief must come sooner. I was brief to summarize patient's condition of severe and persistent pain, that her sleep suffers which is causing other complications and that in absence of relief provided by any medical professional, she must do something for the pain and that something is to 'self-medicate'.
Note: Dr. X advised 'no injections this close to surgery'. In discussing modalities with PM, PM told me they use injections only! Grrrrrr
Two days ago the surgery was cancelled by Dr. X. The Dr. tried to pawn that off on patient's 'history' of alcoholism. Today. patient had discussion with PPC who stated the reason the surgery was cancelled was because when 'complaint' was made to Dr. X the patient was labeled as a liability risk, ie, likely litigious.
In my phone calls to Dr. X and PM, I was very careful in choosing my words. I was sure to emphasize the patient's wine intake was only in the context of managing her pain. I repeated that often. Yet, today did PPC repeat what Dr. X had stated last week which was to say that I said that patient consumes 750 ml of wine per day. I NEVER said that!
Frankly, I do not care what they think I said or did not say. My primary contention is that based on what I esteem as only hearsay, Dr. X has found it appropriate too cancel the surgery and it was because of the patient's unsubstantiated 'alcoholism'.
Not incidentally, but for the past three weeks the patient has been on an alternative medication to which she responds very favorably. She has not had a drop of wine in these last 3 weeks. Yet, that is of no concern to Dr. X because there remains the notation that this patient constitutes a liability risk to the medical staff and facility.
My questions to anyone who has read this far and who has insight, is what avenues exist to move forward towards the needed surgery and better medical treatment. I can most assuredly state that this patient is NOT litigious but simply wants the surgery she was told she needed.
