posted
I have a friend who had a portacath put in, just like mine and our MD's recently. We both had a lot of trouble with them, causing pain, and mine is kinked and does not even work...they need to come out. The MD's is fine. When I complained and said mine needs replaced at a different location, he said he is tierd of Lyme people "complaining" about their ports and suggested he may not take Lyme patients anymore, (rant and rave)...very strange response! I have NO VEINS and mine was to stay in for life. Now she was not even told about a pic line and has great veins. Hers was in for her 2 month duration of IV abx. Does this sound like he may be getting a kickback on the sale of these VERY expensive ports? Is it a regular practice, if yes?
Posts: 52 | From Arizona , USA | Registered: Jun 2002
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posted
Very much doubt it. Did he tell you who had to put it in or did you have a choice? Did your friend ask about a picc line instead? Maybe there is a logical reason. Look for it before jumping to conclusions.
A doctor who has lyme himself and has to deal with all the mountain of lyme problems of others too may lose his cool now and then. Too bad, but these people are human too. Maybe a word of sympathy to him might help.
BTW, some docs do read this board, even if they don't post.
[ 10. September 2005, 04:14 PM: Message edited by: lou ]
Posts: 8430 | From Not available | Registered: Oct 2000
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posted
It is a bummer with everything going on with Lyme problems. Yes, he arranged both our surgeries, suggesting his recommendation. The other person had never even heard of a pic line until I asked why she did not have it for a two month treatment rather than a surgical procedure. I just knew it was OK in CA for Drs. to get kickbacks from pharmacuetical companies ('90's) so I wondered if it is OK from medical supplies. The surgery cost 12,500. for me, done by the radioligist. That is a lot of mula! I do feel I am sympathetic to my Dr. and feel we have developed a good relationship. And, I did tell him I was sorry if he and the other doc are good friends, because I am not satisfied with my port or the job done...(it hurts and it is useless). Thanks Lou for your input.
Posts: 52 | From Arizona , USA | Registered: Jun 2002
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Foggy
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 1584
posted
My LLMD sells herbs, vitamins, etc obviously for a profit. Apparently it's a way to suppliment the income, although they don't take insurance and have a full practice.
Posts: 2451 | From Lyme Central | Registered: Aug 2001
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Andie333
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7370
posted
My LLMD also sells herbs, supplements, etc. I was wary during my first visit but did buy what was recommended.
When those products started running out, I figured I'd just order them online...be able to find a less expensive, bargain price.
Turns out my LLMD was selling thse things less than (or in one case the same cost as) any sites I was able to find. All the herbs and supplements.
Now, I just pick them up when I'm at the drs. office.
Nice surprise!
Andie
Posts: 2549 | From never never land | Registered: May 2005
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posted
This is a very big issue at both the state and federal level these days, even if the physician does not take insurance.
Given that this is a public board, it might be wise to try to avoid using words like ki... when posting, unless there is an obvious issue. These types of things need to be reported.
Concerned that we may be inadvertently prompting a lot of interest from the wrong type of folks.
Posts: 183 | From US | Registered: Feb 2004
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People come here with things like this, frequently have the wrong pig by the tail, but never come back and correct the record when it becomes apparent they made a mistake. Meanwhile, accusations that should have been explored privately are getting used by the trolls who read this board all the time. I have posted just such an instance before, where info from here was published in a letter to the editor of a newspaper. This has happened more than once.
If you don't feel you are getting the treatment you need and have questions, find another doctor.
I'm sorry, things are not on the up and up in the medical world, not in the hospitals, not in health insurance, not with some doctors. But with things as they are in the lyme world, questions like this can't be explored in public, without giving ammunition to the bad guys.
My catheter was put in by someone recommended by my doc at the time. I was grateful he knew someone since I had no idea how to find a surgeon. Don't think because a doc recommends some other medical person that it is necessarily true any money is involved. Mine turned out very well. Unfortunately, getting anyone to prescribe IV was another story.
Sorry yours was such a problem, this is a real bummer.
Posts: 8430 | From Not available | Registered: Oct 2000
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liz28
Unregistered
posted
This is a very, very touchy subject around here. The above posts are correct, you can't always write about this on the board. It's for our own safety--the honest truth is beggars can't be choosers, and you have to exercise a little cautious strategy to get well from Lyme.
My take is that it's a big mistake to view the Lyme community in the same way you would the mainstream medical world. Lyme doctors operate with completely different incentives. They do not undergo the same peer review process, they do not compete for patients at the same rigorous level (they have a lock on the market, if you will), and they are under no obligation to cure you. Technically, their job is to provide you with drugs that will keep you alive, often in exchange for hundreds of dollars a month.
At the same time, they do pay a high price for being in this line of work, and they are all we have. Also, because there are so few of them, we often can blame them for having perfectly reasonable philosophical and practical differences from each other, because in the mainstream world, we would never go to people of their style.
For example, I went to a hotshot LLMD who insists all his patients order herbs from his guru. The only time I visited this guru, he was sick and coughing up phlegm the whole time, and told me the key to overcoming Lyme was to stop eating mustard and drinking coffee. To me, that's totally whack, but to many others, that's a legitimate philosophical choice, and if I didn't like it, it really was my responsibility to go elsewhere. Which I eventually did.
Therefore, the best thing to do, in my biased opinion, is to not be surprised when you see and hear certain things in the Lyme community. Expect it. Don't be shocked, and don't take it personally. Then ask yourself this question: if I find out what really works, and ask for a prescription, will a doctor give it to me? If the doctor won't do it, leave. If the doctor listens to you, stay. If they turn out to be the most honest healer in the world, great. If they are not, take those prescriptions and smile anyway.
Next, take a couple of days and read every single Lymenet post, going back to 2000, even if you think it doesn't have anything to do with you. By the end, you will be transformed from potential victim to savvy Lyme operator extraordinaire. Words like "oral cephalosporin," "picc line," "macrolide," and "cyst buster" (which are the first words you may want to look up in the archive before putting up with something as troublesome as a portacath) will be your lingua franca.
There's no guarantee that becoming an expert will save your current doctor relationship. But if you have to make a switch, chances are you'll have much better experiences from now on. Remember, people use people they can use, and respect people they can't use.
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posted
I do feel that if there is an legitimate problem, it should be posted about. We need to try to help each other from being taken advantage of. We need to help each other to prevent this from happening.
Unfortunately, there is a lot of money in healthcare, and the reimbursement is very convoluted and often overseen by some of the worst offenders (this is called self regulating). Because there is so much money and so little oversight, things can happen throughout the healthcare system.
Key is that there is more and more oversight, and the worst offendors are being heavily penalized and forced to reimburse payment and/or reimbursement. Let's use this to our advantage-on the insurer ducks!!!
That said, maybe we should have a list of words like ki...that should not be used in posts. My thought is that someone who is investigating could easily put the word ki...in a search engine.
From time to time, we should also issue reminders that this board is open to all, including oversight agencies etc.
Posts: 183 | From US | Registered: Feb 2004
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