went to the quack last night (true story) big old mongrel he was, yellow nicotine stained moustache, big old gnarly grizzled hands the size of dinner plates, food stain on the shirt, scruffy hair, trousers up to his armpits, come from the dark ages, he came out to the waiting area, which I might add seemed a little bit empty, he shouts loud enough to bring in the cows NEXT!!!!!, I looks around no-one else here but me so I must be next, goes in he says in a big booming voice "SIT THERE" I did, he says "WHAT THE BLOODY HELLS WRONG WITH YOU" I said "it's my arthritis playing up something cruel" "WHEREABOUTS" he say's "in my left shoulder, whenever I lift it above my head, it hurts" the answer he gave was simple and straight to the point "WELL THEN DONT BLOODY LIFT IT UP THERE " to which he proceeded to the waiting room door and shouted "NEXT" absolutely true story, I kid you not !!!
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me, the dragon, & little blue, never stop playing, live long, laugh lots, travel far, give a stranger a smile, might just be your next best freind. try to commit a random act of kindness everyday
well I guess both options were and still are available to me, I could report him or do him some damage. both of which does me or my shoulder no good, I will just go and see one of these new overseas doctors that I just cant plain understand, that is when I get the time again, because mate, whether you believe it or not is irrelevent, this is the state of physicians we are left with, we live in an age where we have second rate services if any at all, we have no choice, we see these people or we see no-one, me in the meantime still have a very agrevated shoulder and I must still attend work tomorrow, as I stated, true story. my son has a couple of growths that I want removed, step (1) took a week to get an apointment with his physician, step (2) took a month for initial consultation with surgeon, step (3) another month for ultra sound consultant appointment, step (4) 6 weeks to get another consultation with surgeon after results of ultra sound is known, step (5) book son in to hospital for non essential surgery, current waiting list 12 months. so I am staring down the barrel of not having his op done before we take off for good, answer we put our lives off until it is done. the health system is bursting at the seams, we grab the appointments with the dregs of doctors or get behind all the others and wait your turn. me I just smile and get on with life, what else can I do, havent got the time, money or energy to belt them or take them to court, if I belt him I lose, if I sue him his insurance goes up and it costs me more to go and see another doctor if we get a replacement at all, I lose!!! I'll just go and see another one when we are not so busy
-- Edited by dave06 at 22:18, 2008-10-30
-- Edited by dave06 at 22:24, 2008-10-30
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me, the dragon, & little blue, never stop playing, live long, laugh lots, travel far, give a stranger a smile, might just be your next best freind. try to commit a random act of kindness everyday
I'm with you Dave. I've lost total confidence in the medical profession. Have had the added priviledge three years ago to have "the best neurosurgeon" in Canberra (young bloke, of course) who was trained under the best at St Vincents in Sydney. Four hour Op. major stuff, but a simple process done thousands of times. What's more it took only THREE hours. BUT two days later when pain had not subsided and I couldn't walk at all had to go back into theatre to repair chipped vertabrae where he put one of the screws (double fusion it was). Fixed that and had to attach a metal rod for strength and stability. Bingo! Next day was walking as if nothing had happened. Point is, I was in top cover with MBF, had been for years, top surgeon, top hospital and they still got it wrong. It was hushed up pretty well. So what hope now with no cover and a pension? Probably no difference in how they are trained. My GP is supportive (good Irish sense of humour) and understands I will have no more surgery. Pills help daily and I'll settle for that. Because life is too short. Just need ot make sure of a strong matress and a straight-backed chair for my rig.
sue-ellen I was not going to release this info about what happened to our son in fear of further derogeratory accusations, but in the light of you talking about your mishap I will speak of our sons botched operation, remembering that he is mild/severe cerebral palsy we took him to a general practioner, (chinese) he has been our sons general since his birth, he was diagnosed with a hernia, consulatation with surgeon (malaysian) confirmed previous diagnoses hernia to LEFT side, immediate surgery required, surgery completed, upon release to surgical ward when I was allowed to see my son he was in extreme discomfort, could not sit up, could not sit still, upon examination of surgical area I discovered he had been opened up on BOTH bloody sides almost cut from left to right, we went to great pains to get an aenethitist to localise pain killers for the anasetic so no pain could be felt by him (never had any before, wouldnt understand pain) this little prick had opened him up like a can of sardines, meeting with the surgeon he immediately said "oh well we know there is nothing wrong with the right side" he blamed and sacked his private nurse for writing down the wrong side, I stayed with him of course for as long as I could stand the lack of attention that is necesary for a "special child" until I got fed up with having to attend him 24 hours a day with no help from hospital staff, I discharged him and took him home, the hospital did not even allow us to take a wheelchair to get him to our car, we get used to this treatment and refuse to sue (not the australian way) but it's got to change or we will have an american system that does not work. you talk about flattening an old general practitioner, it was all I could do to fight back the tears of anger and not kill that barstard
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me, the dragon, & little blue, never stop playing, live long, laugh lots, travel far, give a stranger a smile, might just be your next best freind. try to commit a random act of kindness everyday
I guess we all have had trouble with doctors. Last year I was diagnosed with gall stones and recommended having the gall bladder removed. Took 6 weeks to get to a specialist, another 8 weeks to get into the hospital. Was told I could not leave the hospital unless accompanied by a relative, my son travelled 700 kms to be with me. Arrived at hospital, I waited all day, sitting in a hospital gown and boots, 6pm came around and the specialist came out and said "Sorry we cannot do you today, the operating theatre is now closed. You will have to come back next week. " My son was hopping mad, having taken time off work so I could at least be discharged from the hospital. The surgeon would not budge. Said all his theatre staff left at 6pm. We came home. Son came back the next week. I had the gall bladder removed. Six months later, I had the same symptoms, back to the specialist, more test, found 5 stones left in ducts. More surgery, this time I asked to be done in Sydney where my sons live, had to see new specialist, more waiting, eventually got a bed, had surgery and would you believe the specialist said "Surgery went well I found four stones and removed them", .."I said no there was 5 stones that showed up on ultra sound." So I am no better off, I am still having gall stone trouble but I will be damned if I will go back for a third operation. Perhaps I may have to in the future when things get too bad but for now I'm hanging in there.
You have to admit the doc was right if it hurts stop doing it with that arm and use the other . You don't need to lift your arm above your head to down a schooner .
If it's arthritis then it's there to stay and no bloody doc has a fix for it. Two Panadol every four hours a max of eight per day and work through the pain
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Pets are welcome but children must be leashed at all times
yeah I agree with that but a shot of quartozol works wonders, this mongrel didnt want to know about it, got a shot from outpatients this morning, wet weather gives me a bit of time, lot better now.
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me, the dragon, & little blue, never stop playing, live long, laugh lots, travel far, give a stranger a smile, might just be your next best freind. try to commit a random act of kindness everyday
Dave, (have been away) I well understand your anger and frustration. The elder of my twin sons also suffered. He would have been 25 this year. But observing the way things are shaping up, I wouldn't be surprised if there are a lot more of us who have given (at least) the hospital system a big miss and decided on quality not quantity of life. It's probably a generational thing. I hate the term "grey nomads" since the media got hold of it. By my reckoning there are two generations out there who have not had the "family unit" upbringing that we have had. And these people are running our country! I consider myself (and always have) a fortunate person. I'm not into the blame game, though it seems to be popular. It's almost scary. If they said in the 50s and 60s we may as well become the 53rd State of America, it seems to be happening regardless.
I'll get off my soap box now. Too many good things happening to me at present. I'll start a new thread in the morning - look like becoming a REAL grey nomad mid December.