My Dog Gets Better Care Than Me

I have observed for years now while my pets get total in house care for everything from cancer to stomach ailments addressed in days not months. From bringing in a dog with a lump that got a needle biopsy on the spot (diagnosed within a day and the tumor removed within a week) to my latest visit this weekend, and every visit with my pets just makes me angrier at the medical profession (who in Florida don't even draw blood in the Drs. office).

Meanwhile, us humans have to make the rounds for weeks if we have any complaint, gettting referrals, waiting weeks for an opening, even having blood done.

The final straw was this weekend, for my Aussie's annual. They gave him his shots, took some blood and said they'd be back in a few minutes.

Let me back up a little. A little over a year ago I was evaluated by the top Infectious disease guy in my area for possible long term Lyme. He did nothing but blow me off. (I was told we don't have Lyme in FL and he ignored the fact that it is prevalent where I come from.) Three months ago I got a bite I am sure was a tick bite and if I were in NY I would have been treated. (Just a bite for ten days then it turned into the typical Lyme rash.) The rash corresponded with a visit to my Rheumatologist. He blew it off because we don't have Lyme down here. No test, no treatment, no concern that I was running a fever.

Now back to this weekend. The Vet walks in with a 3-in-one test stick. Heartworm, Lyme and Ehrlichiosis (another tick disease) to give me the bad news but don't worry we caught it. My dog has Ehrlichiosis! I am like stunned. I just looked at her in disbelief that a dog can have an on the spot test for tick born illness and why are they even doing it in Florida? I tell her what I have been told by every Dr. down here and the entire staff's jaws drop open. They test for Lyme because they find it.

Maybe the Drs. down here should be talking to the Vetrinarians. Maybe they don't have many instances of tick related illness because they don't test for it. What a bunch of idiots. If the dogs are getting Lyme & Ehrlichiosis in Florida shouldn't that be a clue? What is the big deal with addressing this?

I hope you get another Doctor. I don't take much from a Doc. I know me better than they do.

I also think a lot of the delay is the insurance scam.

I hope you don't have Lyme. I think there are around 20 different diseases that tick carry. I have had three.

Roper

[edit on 28-8-2006 by Roper]

Thats a outrage, you should be getting better care then a dog, I have a dog and do love it, but this is a outrage, you deserve better care then this!

Originally posted by Roper
I hope you get another Doctor.

Well, when the top Infectious Disease guy, and the top Rheumatologist in the County have this attitude, exactly where is one suppossed to go? I'd go to the Vetrinarian if they could take me as a patient, I swear!

There is something seriously wrong with medical care down here (Florida) compared to NY. The sad thing is I actually know people who moved back north from MI to the northeast because of it.

And no, you don't walk away from a Dr. down here either if you have any ongoing issues, they can pick and choose what they want to treat and if you have anything out of the ordinary they will send you packing in a heartbeat, they don't want to deal with it, and apparently they don't have to. They can just send you a letter and tell you not to come back whenever they feel like it, and they do it all the time.

Think about that Seifeld episode where Elaine got blackballed and couldn't find a Dr. It was hilarious, except it does happen down here.

Of course, even up north you had to deal with the insurance controlled run around. I just give up.

Originally posted by Relentless

Well, when the top Infectious Disease guy, and the top Rheumatologist in the County have this attitude, exactly where is one suppossed to go? I'd go to the Vetrinarian if they could take me as a patient, I swear!

Im sure they would be happy to. Just walk in you vets office on all fours, lick their hands, roll over on your back so they will pet you belly,, and give them a sad puppy dog look!

Seriously, I know what its like to get screwed around by the medical establishment in the states. If you aint got insurance, they won't even bother with thourough testing foreverything, just the basics, then tell you nothing is wrong.

In Britain you wait even longer, but at least its free and they do go over everything.

skadi, how can it be free ? don't you pay for it in your taxes ?

I have had it up to my eyeballs with these quaks they are making doctors (I am convinced you can buy a medical degree )

Most doctors give run arounds and crappy diagnosises. believe they know "what is best" and what patients are telling the truth about their ailments and which are not.

the final straw I had with doctors was when I was discussing physical fitness and my doctor did not know what "cardiovascular excersise" was.....WTF?!?!?!?

how the hell can someone with a medical degree not know what cardiovascualr excercise is?!

the medical field is all about $$$$$

Cash Rules Everything Around ME........CREAM! get the money! dolla dolla bill yall!

[edit on 28-8-2006 by XphilesPhan]

Originally posted by syrinx high priest
skadi, how can it be free ? don't you pay for it in your taxes ?

Its free in the fact that you dont have to pay any doctors fees when you go in, nor do you have to worry about medical bills and debts if you are confined for a long time, or have a serious illness. Also, you arent denied certain treatments just cuz u cant afford it.

Yeah, you do pay for it with taxes. But its a small amount really in relation to the whole thing, and it does not matter what job you hold or how much money you make, its open for everyone. Including people who do not work or pay taxes.

Our medical care is free in the sense that everyone that works in Oz pays 1% of there wage into medicare, a trip to the local GP will cost around 30$ but you will be reimbursed about half. Those that dont or cant work receive free health care.
I have had tumors diagnosed and removed by my local GP (skin cancers) usually within a week. Though for elective surgery there can be quite a long wait.
Allthough we still complain about our health care system it definately sounds better than what you have to put up with.

Relentless

I am so very sorry for what you have to deal with. Perhaps is the state the one that is making harder for patients to deal with doctors and insurances specially if is laws that protect them and no you.

I hope things get better for you.

I understand. I just got out of the hospital myself. I need surgery but can't get it because I don't have insurance.

It took me a week to get a doctor to perform a 30 minute procedure and I was in some serious pain without it.

I do agree that it's all about the money. Any time that we allow big business to make billions of dollars off of sick people, well that's just sick. Illness should never have been allowed to become big business. The drug companies and the insurance companies can just kick people when they are down and call it good business.

Originally posted by marg6043
Perhaps is the state the one that is making harder for patients to deal with doctors and insurances specially if is laws that protect them and no you.

Yes Marg, I have definately encountered various differences that may be attributable to some of the problems in Florida vs. New York or MI for example.

First, we flat out have a shortage of good Drs. choosing to practice here. There is a serious deficit in Neurosurgeons and Ob/Gyn's in particular due to insurance/liability issues. This is a state problem due to rampant litigation, and Florida does have way too many Attorney's shamelessly advertising on TV to go after medical malpractice. Ladies and gentlemen, you are suing the good physicians out of this state.

Second, there is a high population of seniors who can fill their offices with all the ususal aging complaints. The stuff they know, the stuff the Drs. are comfortable with, in a population where their patients will guarantee enough needs to keep them going strong financially, take any medicine pushed on them without question, and never give them a headache. There is literally no need to accomodate anyone else, and no interest in it either. In NY every Dr. I had did at least one late night a week and one Saturday a month to accomodate us working stiffs. Unheard of down here. With the shortage of Drs., and the excess of patients, why should they bother when their cash cow is simple everyday seniors.

Even the VA is a joke compared to other states. They have a sever shortage of Drs. and they only work half a day. It can be months to get an appointment. I know of one guy who was in a serious acute diabetic state. There was a 3 month wait to see him even under these circumstances. He called the VA in MI where he was from to find out he would be seen in a week. He broke his lease and moved home. Left his beloved Florida becuase the alternative was possible death. How pathetic. You would think our own VA would have heard of a thing called triage and use it, but they don't.

Finally, you have a grave situation that came about by the Rush Limbaugh and Jebb Bush's daughter getting addicted to opiates. Everything a Dr. prescribes now is reported to the local Medical Board and both the prescriptions, patients and physicians are tracked. I need a much less addicitive script (not an opiate) to stop uncontrolled muscle locks and spasms. Why should a Dr. deal with the scrutiny of prescribing something that will call attention to themselves? This particular drug is one of the reasons many Drs. have just sent me letters telling me to move on, even though the insurance company and my history of use (8 years beginning in NY) clearly provides the evidence that I do not take enough to either get addicited or reach tolerance. It's irrelevant, they will get watched if they are giving it to me and it's a hassle they just don't need. There was an incident where a I received a counterfeit batch from a local Walgreens. Confronting that incident led to a bizarre scenario where I lost a Dr. from the pharmacy denying all knowledge of the incident where I had arranged for the manufacturer to retrieve it through the pharmacy (which they refused to do) and then ended up with being handed a script under the table instead of retrieving what I had and swapping what was left from a different lot. Yes I said under the table. I still have a few pills left from the sample if I ever find a way to prove it.

Meanwhile, no one is going to bother researching anything down here and have the you know whats to prescribe anything that studies show may be effective therapy even if I report to them the improvement I have had on these therapies in NY. Nope, again, why should they stick their necks out?

I rely heavily on my supplements and alternative treatments off the internet and my health food store. It's kept me at least a functional and contributing member of society. That's really all I can do.

P.S. My Sammie baby is responding drastically to his treatment and is back to his usual Aussie behavior, non-stop energy & exhuberance. Had a rough few days on the initial response, but is his old self again. Being that he is really my biggest comfort in life, I am glad the Vetrinary practice is on the ball down here. Wish they could educate the DO's & MD's about tick born illness - but heaven forbid they should be educated by a Vetrinarian.

[edit on 8/29/2006 by Relentless]

You know Relentless I had no clue it was so bad in Florida, thanks for the info.

On the topic of the animals having better care . . . I just remember my brother and wife . . . they are Florida residents in Jacksonville.

And yes you are right, his wife love to rescue cats and the last time I was there she just rescued a tiny kitten from the highway.

That kitten God free care got even surgery.

The reason well . . . that particular animal hospital no only is in a very wealthy area of town but also is supported by the same wealthy people in the area.

So they can perform free care and surgery for pets.

Can you believe that!!!!!!!!!

Incredible.

the healthcare system is broken in the US. no doubt about it

the dr shortage is going to continue for a few simple reasons.

1) malpractice insurance premiums are skyrocketing. Many solo or private docs will simply be forced out of business. this also effects residencies dr choose. the ob/gyn premiums are so high, many people are choosing famiuly practice over ob/gyn just for financial reasons. so we are generating less qualified specialists every year.

2) they can literally practice wherever they want to. They can go to NYC, LA, wherever. So if you live is a less than desirable area (for a professional), you will have more fmg's (foreign medical graduates) in your area. The US gov't gives them incentives to go to underserved areas. The problem is the locals in these areas aren't always, shall we say, accepting of foreign docs.

3) the baby boomers. they will cause a huge burden on the system in many, many ways.

so, the docs that are left can be picky. They can choose( a lot of times liability factors in) who and what they treat.