posted
Now I have seen ducks and I have seen ducks, but man, this guy came storming into my hospital room (an infectious disease specialist) and began ranting about how I have been "hoodwinked" into taking antibiotics and how I "have been a victim of medical fraud" because of "those doctors" who go around prescribing antibiotics and blah blah blah blah blah.
The guy was practically spitting bile on me. He was completely venomous and just stormed into my hospital room and started ranting. I just calmly looked at him and said "I don't think we're going to get anywhere with each other, doctor," and then I told him I have had a positive clinical response to antibiotics so I thought I would keep taking them, thank you very much.
His eyes literally looked all crazy, all spinning-plate-like. I Googled him after the fact and it turns out he is also an actor. I could tell: the narcissistic personality disorder was practically rolling off his white sleeves.
He gets the number one duck of the year award from me.
He ended his extended rant with a flourish about how I seem overly invested in my "medical fraud" doctors and he didn't even want to work with someone who was so hoodwinked because what could he possibly do for me. To nail the point home, he said "and chronic fatigue is not treated with antibiotics" making sure not to call it CFIDS or ME or even CFS. I calmly said, "well, that depends on your perspective, such as if you're finding rampant mycoplasmal titers in your patients or not" and he was clearly thrown by my casual use of "mycoplasma."
So then he made some bizarre claim that he did a Lyme test this morning that showed absolutely no evidence of infection going to back to year 2007 -- I just looked at him like what the h*ll are you talking about? He was especially livid that my doctor tested me for Q Fever. "I, on the other hand, prefer to practice evidence-based medicine" he said. "Well, so do many doctors using antibiotics, doctor," I said calmly.
Do you think the gov't is just going around recruiting actors and giving them white lab coats now? I personally think his fixation on the Q Fever thing was kind of a tell. Jerk!!
Posts: 929 | From Massachusetts | Registered: Oct 2007
| IP: Logged |
posted
It sounds like you did really well given the situation. I probably would have lost it. Your story brings back bad memories.
Posts: 975 | From California | Registered: Apr 2007
| IP: Logged |
Just remember, you have the right to refuse treatment from a doc in the hospital. You can request a 2nd opinion from another doc -- they won't be happy about that -- and it might not be an option if you are in a small town.
And you can even ask that a doc be removed from your case.
Just be careful not to get yourself labeled with a psych diagnosis.
Just wondering if the cardiologist is any more helpful?
Bea Seibert
Posts: 7306 | From Martinsville,VA,USA | Registered: Oct 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
The cardiologist I dealt with here was really nice and I told him I would like to consult with him more which he was amenable to. And the main hospitalist doctor was also really nice. He actually just gave me this very friendly lecture about how there are two opposing camps dealing with Lyme disease so he seemed privy to the whole conflict.
I think the infectious disease specialist is the main guy here but I might see if there are any other options.
Posts: 929 | From Massachusetts | Registered: Oct 2007
| IP: Logged |
posted
WOW, good job!!! I ran into an ID guy that acted exactly the same. He was in Boise. UGH, he was horrid.
We ended up just walking out. Had another experience that was about the same in Las Vegas with an Imuno Duck. She was just as bad and my
Daughter ended up calling her the B word!!! Can you say lyme rage? We walked out on her too and a Neuro guy too when he looked at us like we had 3 heads each when we mentioned Lyme.
UGH, can these Ducks not read and educate themselves like we have all had to do?
Yes, I have read the Shack it was one of the best books I have ever read.
HUGS
-------------------- ICEY Posts: 468 | From Las Vegas NV | Registered: Jun 2005
| IP: Logged |
I had a bad experience with a GP kind of duck when I was first dxd. He stormed out of the room because I wouldn't let him win!
He was almost madder than ME!! Later, I broke down and cried.
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
| IP: Logged |
TerryK
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 8552
posted
So sorry you had to deal with this duck. I would not have been able to remain as calm and collected I'm afraid. You did great!!!
I would get a copy of your records. Look for his notes in your records. You may need to write a rebuttal of sorts for the record depending on what he said.
I agree with tutu, let the hospital know that you don't want him involved in your care.
Terry
Posts: 6286 | From Oregon | Registered: Jan 2006
| IP: Logged |
randibear
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11290
posted
some of the biggest jerks i ever met were in the ER!!!!
they've diagnosed me with everything except being dead!!!
i've had iv's dripping blood on the floor and they blamed me for moving.....
i hate hospitals and ducks....
-------------------- do not look back when the only course is forward Posts: 12262 | From texas | Registered: Mar 2007
| IP: Logged |
posted
So sorry you had to deal with that. I'm sure being in the hospital was bad enough without the rantings of that egotistical maniac! He must be writing whacky prescriptions for himself.
This guy is even worse than what I've dealt with in the past. Like everyone else pointed out, you certainly handled it with poise which probably drove him nuts. Good job!
posted
kudos to you on remaining calm and getting in your own jabs at ignorant/mad idsa dr!
i agree with all the other comments above as well, and would report him, and CORRECT ALL FALSE INFO HE MADE IN TYPED MEDICAL REPORT!
per hippa, hospital has to take your rebuttal notes and add them to official medical reports. if ANYONE were to ask for medical reports, they would have to send BOTH REPORTS ... his and yours!!
IP: Logged |
posted
Thanks so much everyone for these replies. I am getting released today (so they say unless the morning evaluation does not go well). I appreciate the advice about the records and reporting him -- I will get right on it once I return home. I know the state medical board here has a complaint reporting system as well.
I am doing better than when I came in, so hopefully will stay that way!!! Thank you for asking.
I do think the doctor was taken aback that he wasn't able to rile me. Normally it might have riled me but it actually felt so absurd and like this guy was truly acting nuts at the time that I felt very calm. He seemed so personally offended that my doctor would test me for Q Fever, for example, and kept talking about it, and I was thinking, geez, it was only one PCR test, and Q Fever is known to cause both a CFIDS-like chronic illness and chronic cardiac problems *and* be responsive to Cipro, which really helped me. He really seemed to be protesting too much, about that and other things.
Posts: 929 | From Massachusetts | Registered: Oct 2007
| IP: Logged |
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
![[cussing]](graemlins/cussing.gif)
![[Mad]](mad.gif)
![[rant]](graemlins/rant.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
![[loco]](graemlins/loco.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic