I am so sick of doctors.

They go off & spend a bit of time studying chemistry anatomy & a bit of other stuff, then suddenly they think they know it all.

Well fellers, I've got news for you. In my experience you are only just good enough at your day job to get by. In fact quite a few haven't got to that stage yet. I could give you quite a list of your failures if desired.

So I'd like to suggest you go back to your day job, & polish up those skills a bit. You aren't good enough to drop that ball, & start dictating how we should live our lives, or bring up our kids.

The worst of course are the professors, it seams all professors want to pontificate, & the medical ones are about as bad as they come. I wonder if some psychologist could diagnose the cause of affliction.

Come to think of it, don't bother. You & the physiatrists the ones who keep letting still very sick people out of institutions, much to the detriment of them, & the public.

So fellers, pull your collective heads in, mind your own business. No one accepts your self appointed stewardship. Get back to the day job, you've got some way to go to perfect that, before you become gods.

So what is your beef about.

One medical Super once told me "how can you suffer from stress, you're only a worker"
Another Super told me "I can't give you stress leave, I have already given the others stress leave. Brisbane would start asking questions if I gave you leave as well".
A first time young Doc said "you'll need a week off".
Now there was a Dr in the making, someone who knew something about people.
Another one refused to write down when I told him my symptoms.
Now I haven't any evidence in my files.

Not sure if this is on topic (hell, I'm not sure what the topic is), but it appears that this is as good a place as any to grumble about doctors.

Like the one who, upon examining my swollen salivary glands (in my mouth, for those who may be confused) told me that my tonsils (in my throat) were inflamed and would need to be removed. Curiously, they had been removed some 22 years earlier. And no, they hadn't grown back. Thankfully, another doctor gave me the simple remedy of a teaspoon of lemon juice whenever they swelled up, to get the juices flowing more quickly, drain the glands and reduce the swelling. A solution without a kickback from a drug developer? Wow!

Many in our society hold doctors up as the pinnacle of brilliance, wisdom and intelligence. The reality, as I see it, is that doctors need be no smarter than mechanics (who, for some reason, aren't valued as highly). Both do routine checkups; both also use symptoms to diagnose problems and apply solutions. While a doctor's error can often be more immediately catastrophic, we trust both doctors and mechanics to get it right - so much so, that we trust them both with our lives.

Nine years in a small hospital has shown me that you're right Otokonoko.

My missus has CF and has had a double lung transplant. There's only TWO doctors and a a handful of nurses we trust with her life. Plenty have 'tried' to take her out MANY times through being inept.

If you've got someone with ongoing illness my best advice is to EDUCATE yourself on the illness and keep up to date with treatments and know the drugs they're on. Keep an eye out for mental side effects from drugs and trust your gut.

I'm going to add my whinge about doctors here as well.
I suffer from a very high pulse rate at times and an
irregular heart beat. My GP referred me to a
cardiologist a few years back - I've gone through
every test imaginable - my medication has been changed
to stronger tablets which leave me very tired and
lethargic. And the irregular heart beat sessions are now
happening more often. They leave me drained and take a
couple of days to get over. I'm due to see my cardiologist
in March and he mentioned putting me on wafarin - which
my brother's not too keen on my doing.

There you have it. I'm not a happy female. And surely
there must be something better that can be done - to
let me lead a normal life. We're due to take a road trip
in mid February (Sydney, Hunter Valley, Terrigal, Canberra)
and I'm scared - "what if this hits me in the middle of
nowhere?"

Doctors, like everyone else, come in all shapes and degrees of competence.

My daughter, (now 29), developed Type 1 diabetes just before she turned ten. This is not related to lifestyle and is an auto-immune condition where the body turns on and destroys the insulin producing cells in the pancreas. Our GP initially was tardy in picking up the problem, and by the time we got her to the hospital she was very dehydrated and probably not that far off a coma....the upshot is that her care was excellent after that (it's amazing what a shot of insulin does to perk you up :)

I owe the life of my son to an alert and competent nurse and doctor who twigged that I was probably going to need an emergency caesarian when my unborn baby began to experience difficulties during his birth. They got him out just in time - if it had been five minutes later, I don't like to think what would have happened. It was only the sheer professionalism and alertness of the medical staff attending me at the time that got us through by the skin of our teeth.

Lexi,

This may not be connected, but I used to suffer periods of palpitations...then I ditched "instant" coffee. I still have a coffee mid-morning but it's percolated. I haven't had any "episodes" of palpitations since.

Dear Lexi,

We may have discussed this before but from the sounds of it you have AF with some episodes of flutter. The recommendation for Warfrin is to reduce the risk of developing a clot if an episode continues for over 24 hours. Worse part of it is the innumerable blood tests to get the levels right and managing the diet.

Has an ablation been discussed?

Have you tried magnesium supplements? Cardio X is a good one.

Now here is what the doctors won't have told you. You heart is reacting to your medication by producing more receptor cells thus you will be requiring stronger and stronger medications. In other words it is becoming more sensitive to triggers that result in episodes.

It is a nasty loop for you but makes the drug companies a hell of a lot of money.

The eventual outcome may well be permanent irregularity especially if your atrium enlarges too far as is the risk for AF sufferers. Different if you have VF.

I took the family around oz for six months and copped half a dozen episodes, one on the Oonadatta track. Thanks to a bush nurse and a hell of a lot of Mylanta I was back on my way. Think of it as part of the adventure.

Flippancy aside I do know how scary it can be. There can be large differences in the knowledge, empathy and communication expertise among cardiologists and quite often information doesn't come without you being aware of the right questions. Let me know if I can help in that regard.

Dear Poirot,

Thanks for that. However I only drink coffee once
a day (lunch time). But perhaps I should give it up
altogether. I used to drink diet coke until I ended
up in emergency at the Austin Hospital one Saturday/Sunday.
They told me to quit drinking diet coke - which I did.

Dear csteele,

Thank You for the information. I've made a copy of it
and will ask my GP on Monday (I've got an afternoon appointment).
I'll ask him about the meidcation that I'm currently on
and see if he can recommend something that doesn't make me so tired.
I deeply appreciate your offer to help. I will take you on it
when my appointment with the cardiologist comes around in March.
You've been very helpful. It's calmed me down considerably.
Again - Thank You.

Lexi,

csteele is probably offering advice closer to your problem...nevertheless if you have problems in that area, my advice would be to ditch caffeine altogether.

Lexi perhaps we should get together, I have an extremely slow heart rate, & very low blood pressure, although that has not stopped me having 3 heart attacks.

Don't worry about your trip my sweet, you will be a very long way from the "middle of nowhere", in fact you will have to get somewhat north of Rockhampton to even approach loss of mobile signal, let alone the middle of nowhere.

One of the things that banks do to try to convince us they are "nice" is to fund rescue helicopters, which can whisk you to a hospital, from anywhere on that route, quicker than we can get a road ambulance here, just out of Brisbane.

I was a bit obtuse with this thread. My bitch with doctors in general is their attitude of all knowing. In particular the call by some twit professor to make smacking a child illegal. In the words of the song, "what the hell would he know". If he's a professor, not bl00dy much most likely.

I've been dealing with them for about 14 years, with out much luck. I have wandering quite severe pains, [can appear instantly anywhere, & go just as fast], which some think is an immune system attack.

They know steroids will control it, the Pakistani doctor at our little country hospital found that. They have tried killing me with all sorts of other stuff, the worst of which was sulphur. They stroke their beards, [god I hate natty little beards], & make kind of mmmmmmming noises, but none have had any more success than our Pakistani. Everyone knows the steroids are killing me.

Hence my message to doctors, forget trying to bring in laws to suit your own prejudices, get back to the day job, & try to do that somewhat better than you do at present.

Dear Poirot,

Fully agree. It is quite amazing though how many different triggers, quite individual in a lot of cases, AF sufferers report.

One was definitely caffeine, I got into Chia Lattes on a recommendation for my cardiologist long before they were popular, in fact there was only two cafes that had even heard of them. Missed my coffees for a long time. I crossed alcohol of the list for a while but later found some additive in cheap wine was a trigger. Soy sauce was another.

I had wished I had found Cardio X earlier. My younger brother who had my same early symptoms put himself on it and has thus far avoided having to have the 'op' six years past the age I was forced to undergo it.

Dear Lexi,

If you end up discussing ablations ask about getting someone with at least 500 procedures under their belt. Mine was over 1500, one of the few times in my life I was happy to put my life in the hands of an loud, arrogant, cocksure person.

To Hasbeen,

Back on to doctors, I think it is unreasonable to think they will be over all aspects of your particular issue. Research is your best friend but the worst thing you can do is appear to be trying to trip them up. It is a collaborative thing, working together to get the best outcome. However at the first sign of obvious incompetence, get the hell out of there and find someone new.

I was recently treated for a problem by an Iraqi doctor who gave me an alternative treatment to what normally would have required a more expensive solution. It was home grown in some ways, born from having to get by with limited medicines in his home country before he fled. However it worked a treat.

Dear Poirot, Hasbeen, csteele,

Thanks to you all for your excellent advice.
I will cut out on coffee altogether. It's just
not worth it.

And I love Chinese food and must admit I do
use Soy Sauce and other additives. Now I'm
going to have take a second look at my methods
of cooking - very carefully. I would never have thought
that Soy could be harmful. Wonder what else I
need to scrap?

cont'd ...

Talking about the variety of doctors out there.
My previous GP was extremely casual (for want of a
better word) about symptoms. Several years ago -
I had developed rectal bleeding - and she told me
"It's your diet - eat more fibre." However, while
my GP went on holidays overseas I saw another doctor
who swiftly recommended I have a colonoscopy done by
a specialist. I did that and it was discovered that I
had bowel cancer. To make a long story short - I went
through a horrenduous process but all's well that ends
well, as they say - I've now been clear for a few years
and fingers-crossed that this continues.

Imagine if I would not have had that original colonoscopy.
I'd probably not be here today.

It was only due to the prompt action of this marvellous
doctor and my specialist - who acted immediately that
I am here today. Choosing the right doctor is so crucial -
and as Hasbeen said - go with your gut. Symptoms are
your body's way of telling you something.

There are good and bad workers in all jobs, including the medical profession.
Hasbeen seems to tar all Doctors with the same brush.

I would hazard a guess that far more people have been helped by Doctors than have been harmed by them.
Not that we should turn a blind eye to those who have caused harm.

There are legal processes by which we can report poor medical treatment, and if more people used this process, we could weed out those ineffective medical practitioners more quickly.

While there are certainly still some older Doctors out there who believe themselves to be "Gods" or above the law in some ways, the newer breed of Doctors, which includes far more female Doctors now, seem to be a little more empathetic.

So if you are annoyed or disappointed with the Doctor you have seen, then do shop around until you find a good one.

Lexi, I am sorry for what you are going through with your heart problems. While I agree that giving up stimulants such as caffeine is a good idea, I would caution you on listening to too many other lay-people re your heart problems, because everyone else's problems are usually much different than others.

Warfarin is not the big bad wolf drug that many believe. I know many people who have lived quite happily for years on that drug.
Yes, it has some side effects, but these can be well managed by regular blood tests and a good Doctor.

Certainly, if a Doctor recommends warfarin, it is usually after much thought, and I would therefore humbly suggest you go along with it.
The alternative problems that may come up if you don't, may well cause you more angst than you have already.

Why not ask for another opinion from another cardiologist?
Then, if they give you the same suggestions, you may feel better about it.
Good luck with whatever you decide. xxx

There is a shortage of doctors in Oz. we bring in incompetent overseas ones to fill the gap as the AMA protests vigerously. Like the legal profession, the medical profession is a collective, clandesting closed shop. The AMA doesn't want any more doctors - there must always BE a shortage to keep fees rediculously high. The victorian college of surgeons was offered 5 million dollars GRATIS to train more doctors; they said to the state government " get stuffed - we dont want to train any more doctors than a fixed intake set by the board." If no one took out private health cover, medicare would collapse because even when you pay $2,000 in private health fees / year; the moment you need surgery and you have private cover, the fees quadruple. Private cover ONLY gets you ahead of the queue and the privelidge of paying more fee's. More doctors would mean competition, lower fee's, better competing service.

Dear Suse,

I'm so glad that you're back and posting again.
Thanks for your advice. My GP has now increased
the dosage of my Sotacor tablets from 2 and a
half to 3 a day. That may help. As for Wafarin -
I'll see what my cardiologist decides in March.
I don 't want blood clots or a stroke - that's
for sure.

I'm being more careful now regarding what I eat
or drink. And I'll see how I go. Again Thanks
for your advice. I'm finding that it's important
to continue to have a healthy diet and exercise.
Finding a good GP is so crucial. And I've found
one who actually makes house-visits when you're
sick. Can't complain.

Good for you Lexi :)
Keep your chin up.

There are always new cardiac treatments being devised, so there is always hope.

Cheers,
Suze.

Dear Suzie and Lexi,

Neither of you are the kind of people I would ever want to distress so forgive me.

Lexi, you told us you were going to speak to your doctor about a different medication since the Sotalol you were on was making you feel very average. 

Good call I thought since I know first hand how depilitating that drug is. You have come away with a prescription to increase your dose of exactly the same medicine?

Suzie, I am a layperson but also a veteran of 20 reversions, two ablation operations, countless experiments over seven years with diet and drug combinations, seen numerous GPs, over a dozen cardiac doctors, spent countless hours researching my issue and countless more on support forums.

This is the sum of what I have learnt.

Your heart's electrical system is like the fuel pump in your car.

The first person you will see when it starts playing up is the RACV guy (GP). Knows something ain't right, has a fair idea of the area involved but recognizes you really need the skills of a proper mechanic. Leaves you with tips on driving carefully to get yourself home.

Along you limp, to see the mechanic (cardiologist). He finds the problem is a bung fuel pump.  He might tweak the carby and change some plugs to keep you going but to fix it properly it's off to see a fuel pump specialist (electrophysiologist).

So here is the crux of it; at each stage you will find that about a third of what you had been lead to believe from the person before is rubbish and will be directly contradicted.

It was only my electro physiologist who made a big deal out of a suitable Magnesium supplement, something I was able to pass on to my brother, so far keeping him off the operating table.

Of course Lexi you should follow your doctor's orders until you see your cardiologist but please never be afraid to question or even confront people who are prescribing treatments for your body.

I hope you feel empowered enough to so.

I don't want to distress you either CSteele, as you have obviously been through countless problems with your heart.

However, one person's heart problems are rarely exactly the same as anothers, especially given the different other medical problems each person may also suffer from.

What is good for you may not be suitable for someone else, so I guess what I am saying is that generally, while acknowledging that a patient always should be well informed, we should leave cardiac problems to the experts...

Dear Suzie,

You may stress me away since after the second op I now don't have to tip-toe around the monster. You will have little idea how absurd the notion of stressing about trying not to stress can be. And I do take your point about individual situations but the side effects of Sotolol are pretty universal.

I am however conscious of stressing Lexi and while I think I have been quite judicious in the way I have discussed this I will try and be a little more generic or at least keep my comments to my own experiences.

The last person who told me to leave my condition up to the experts was my GP attempting to address the concerns I had with the surgeon I had been assigned. He said trust was a very important part of the relationship. He finally asked me who the gentleman was. I told him and there was a brief pause. "Right" he said, and these are his exact words, "how much money do you have?", "Beg, borrow and steal and get yourself along to ####. He is the best going." he then wrote me out a referral.

I later found out just how totally incompetent this particular surgeon was and to this day my wife's sister will swear he was responsible for a number of deaths.

Since then I have always done my research on doctors before they get their mitts on me and you nurses have been a superb source of information.

In your experience have there been surgeons you wouldn't have wanted operating on you or your family?

Cont..

Cont..

At the first meeting with my electro physiologist I asked him how many procedures he had done and what his success rate was. From memory he had lost 12 patients in his first 500 (a little worrying since I've backed Melbourne Cup runners for longer odds), three in his second 500 and none in his last. I was the first person to have ever asked him.

I had learnt through research the single biggest factor by a country mile of successful outcomes in this discipline was experience. There were many fully qualified 'experts' out there doing 20 or so of these ops in a year. This guy was doing hundreds. When I'm in my eighties the others can practice on me but not when I'm in my forties with a young family this was the expert for me.

My brother's father-in-law was a professor of pediatrics at the same hospital I was treated at. He was put on a anti arrhythmic medication by one cardiologist that nearly shut down his liver. He is still 'livid' about it many years later.  Since successfully ablated.

So Suzie I make no apologies about personally not leaving it to the experts but I do understand why some might chose to do so. 

Actually I should rephrase, I have no problem leaving something to an expert but only after I have determined who that expert is because from experience that term does not apply to all in the profession.

This is exactly the sort of discussion that should be had on a thread like this.

Dear csteele,

Please don't apologise for the advice you're giving me.
It is deeply appreciated and I am taking all of it
on board. I should have explained in more detail that
I was taking Sotacor (Sotalol) 2 and a half tablets
a day. One in the morning - one at night, and half a
tablet in mid-afternoon (around 2pm). My GP has increased
the dosage by half a tablet (3 a day), only when I have
my palpitations (as I understand it). I haven't started to
take the extra half tablet yet - as I haven't had any
palpitations recently.

What does concern me is my upcoming road-trip that I mentioned
earlier. I'm doing it for my husband whose Birthday is coming
up on the 18th February and I promised him that we'd be
spending it in the Hunter Valley. We've pre-booked all of our
accommodation - and my husband says that he's going with or
without me. He's sick of us cancelling our trips at the last
minute because of my health as we've done in the past.

I really don't want to be a spoilt-sport - and this time -
I am determined not to disappoint him. Fingers-crossed that all
goes well.

Dear Suse,

Thanks for your concern as well. Between my GP and my Cardio -
I'm sure that things will work out eventually. CSteele has helped
me a great deal, as have you. And I appreciate all of your
concerns.

there is a docter franchise
its purely a capitalist marketing ploy
less docters creates scarcity/increases charges[income]

its much the same with dentists

[as i suggested to kevin rudd rudely...we dont need specialists
to issue a vacination or fill a tooth..

just a..'just in time'..service
rather than needing the expense special ist rebuild..later via 'special-LIST* rate..[mate rates]..

we should each have a local docter
recall when docters..were barbers?
and every candy store was a druggist

when we used the best medicine..cheaply
like cocain...in a bottle...they replaced
with the more addictive caffeine...giving peoples heart extra stimulants

noting soy sause..and other 'flavouring additives'
when on the road avoid all fast food..

go fresh juices
feresh sea food...[not too salty]
fresh salids..bbq meat...gentle walks..and sunrise/sunsets

balmy nights
spent with a lover of life..etc

dont sweat on it
holdays heal stress*

not add to it...

[if stess..
your doing it wrong]

No CSteele, I totally agree with you about some Doctors/GP's/ Specialists! Certainly we should always do our homework about a medical professional before consulting with them.

However, it is not always easy when you don't have private health insurance, as not all specialists will see public patients, unfortunately.

The only way to weed out defective Doctors (or Nurses!) is to report them to the medical board. It annoys me when one specialist puts down another one, but is not willing to take it any further with the relevant authorities, leaving unsuspecting patients at their mercy.

What I don't like is one patient scaring other patients when they don't have all the facts of the other person's problems.
On the other hand, offering constructive support for another health sufferer can be very helpful at times.
Don't let a cynical nurse like me put you off : )

Dear Suse,

I should probaby note for the record I have never had health insurance in my life.

Been involved in charity work for the local hospital though I don't think that gets one special treatment nowadays.

The time has come to shift the conceptual framework away from the idea that cancer is something bad that happens to the body,

to something the body does
in order to survive

vis-à-vis an increasingly toxic..and nutrient-deprived environment.

Only then we will begin to unravel the mystery behind the colossal failure of the conventional medical system and why the ‘war against cancer’ will only be successful

when we embrace our enemy with greater compassion and understanding, instead of blasting it (and ourselves) into oblivion.

For the past half century, the “Mutational Theory” has provided the prevailing explanation for the cause of most cancers, where, as the story goes, accumulated mutations to the DNA within the nucleus of our cells lead some to “go berserk,”

their “insane” behavior a result of multiple destructive events to the intelligent code within the cell (DNA) that keep them acting in a ‘civilized’ manner relative to the larger bodily whole.

In this view, these rogue cells clone themselves inordinately, spreading outward in a characteristically cancerous manner (cancer = Greek for “crab”),

not unlike the characteristics of an infectious process within the host, eventually obstructing vital processes, resulting in morbidity and death.

One paper summarizes this view as follows:

http://wakeup-world.com/2012/02/14/is-cancer-an-ancient-survival-program-unmasked/