Dealing with Canadian Doctors

[Nixter]

This isn't really a question so much as I just wanted to start a conversation about different members' experience or perception of their GP/family doc, mainly in terms of how honest you are about your usage. If you are honest, then how does your doc feel about? Supportive and let's you get bloodwork? Thinks you're a drug abuser, no different than a crack-head, or somewhere in between. I keep hearing more and more examples of guys with GPs who are more supportive than anything. Something like, "Well if you're gonna do this then let's make sure you're as healthy as possible".

Personally I'm scared shitless of telling my GP, who's been my doc most of my adult life. Separately, I use a men's clinic but mainly to get blood work, paid for out of pocket. I assume my GP has access to see that Im prescribed T, but he's probably never gone looking, otherwise I'm SURE he'd say something. Maybe I should look for a new doc. Very difficult finding a non walk-in style doc in Van though.

 

[Zuespas]

My doc knows and is not very helpful. For example he lets me get bloodwork every 6 months but he won’t prescribe me an AI if my estrogen is high or anything. He will only treat what he considers health problems but not what he considers just AAS side effects. Anytime I ask about help with things like that he replied just stop using long enough and it will normalize.

 

[animal-inside]

I know when I post, I'm generally long winded... lol..

If I wrote a post about experience I have had with Canadian doctors (the good and bad), the board would have to pay for more bandwidth...

I'll try to sumerize..

Our medical system (In alberta at least) is set up for bad doctors to get loaded rich.. They get paid per patient. A bad doctor will try to get through say 10 patients an hour.. In and out as fast as possible.. A good doctor might only get to 2-3 patients an hour. They really take the time to figure shit out for you.

Bad doctor might make 1000$ an hour, good doctor would make 200$ for the same hour.

The system is set up to promote bad doctors.

I believe in the end, the system actually causes more tax dollars because repeated visitis trying to solve the same issue but doctor won't tkae the time.


Fuck me, if this was wild west days, I'd knock about 5 local doctors out cold the next time I see them in town for the misery I suffered due to their negilgence.

My wife also had a shitty ordeal with a doctor this year. The doctor is otherwise very good, but she decided to manage a illness for my wife that she had no business doing so. I got more help from Bagua on here and my own reading.



I have had to see a couple top specialist doctor at university hosiptial in the past years.

One was sort of good... But he missed lots of stuff.. But he was caring and tried to do what he could, but I feel he truly didn't have the right background knowledge for me. He did the right thing and reffered me to another speciliast at the university hospital though. I respect him for that, many doc's won't refer you to specialist. Even though I thought he was caring, you could tell I had a time limit for my time to see him.

Another specialist at the university hospital I saw is a absolute horrible doctor who truly should have caught my conditions, but refused to listen to me when I told him my symtpoms. He'd say "oh no.. that symptom isn't related" over and over.. But in the end, it all was... I actually TOLD him what I thought was wrong with me and he dismissed it saying it would have shown up in my blood work. When I saw first saw him, I handed him a list of all the vitamins and supps I was taking.. And I pointed out to him that the reason it never showed in my blood work was because I was taking a massive amount of that vitamin when I did the blood work.. He wouldn't even acknoledge this.. I begged for a test for what I trhought was wrong.. I told him the 3 acceptable tests for my condition (and sent research papers to him to show him).. He picked a different test, and I sent him articles explaining my condition will not show up with the test he was getting me to do.. He refused and said he consulted another specialist and this was the acceptable test.. It was NOT at all how my condition was tested for lol... Of course the test came back negative.. I explained to him again why it wouldn't show up on the test.. I begged him for one of the 3 tests that are done for my condition.. never heard back from the asshole again..

1 year later, my condition was confirmed with a local doctor.

I fucking suffered for 6 or 7 years because the Canadian medical system.. When I say I suffered, I suffered.. my wife and kids suffered just as much because they had to live with me... Before it got figured out, I occasionally accepted that I just wasn't going to last on earth for another 5-10 years because it just got worse and worse.. scary worse.

Fuck... I started to look into reporting that one specialist to the medical board.. I saved all our email correspondence for proof... He'd never talk to me on the phone because I could only take a call 12:00 noon- 12:25 on any buisness day.. That was his lunch, so he would always call when I couldn't take a call and leave a message.. I'd call back at my lunch and his receptionist just told me over and over thats his lunch break sorry.


Anyways, I seem to have a great doctor right now.. I ask for any test, and he signs the paper.. we chat about my diet.. We chat about my weight lifting.. he's truly happy to see me each time.. I think he appriciates when he asks me to change any aspect of my diet or exercise routine, I do exactly what he says and it shows up in my next round of blood work.. He's also good in terms of not going by the outlined ranges for blood work.. For example, it doesn't matter if my thyroid blood work comes back within range, if I say I have symptoms of low thyroid still, he ups the dose until I feel great.

I did have another decent GP, but he was a young guy and he got me as far as he could, but he admitted I was beyond his abilities and expertise and recommended me another doctor.


It's funny, my current doctor that I love is known and a giagantic dick head asshole in our community... lol... I never have to wait to book an appointment with him, because the vast majority of ppl in town refuse to see him.. if you go to ratemyMD, he has absoutely awful ratings and tons of them lol.. Very very very smart doctor though.. and anytime I ask him to explain something to me, he gets his pen and paper out and does drawings, graphs etc.. what it takes for me to understand anything I ask.. Before COVID hit, when I went to see him, he'd take me out of the examination room and bring me to his private office where we'd chat and go over stuff.. Can't say enough about the guy, but I've been in the clinic when people literally storm out mad and verbally upset at him for how they were treated.. I think he's just a black and white straight shooter guy who if your over weight and its causing you issues, he'll tell you to loose weight.

I said I wouldn't go on, but I did lol

 

[Sorbate]

I know when I post, I'm generally long winded... lol..

If I wrote a post about experience I have had with Canadian doctors (the good and bad), the board would have to pay for more bandwidth...

I'll try to sumerize..

Our medical system (In alberta at least) is set up for bad doctors to get loaded rich.. They get paid per patient. A bad doctor will try to get through say 10 patients an hour.. In and out as fast as possible.. A good doctor might only get to 2-3 patients an hour. They really take the time to figure shit out for you.

Bad doctor might make 1000$ an hour, good doctor would make 200$ for the same hour.

The system is set up to promote bad doctors.

I believe in the end, the system actually causes more tax dollars because repeated visitis trying to solve the same issue but doctor won't tkae the time.


Fuck me, if this was wild west days, I'd knock about 5 local doctors out cold the next time I see them in town for the misery I suffered due to their negilgence.

My wife also had a shitty ordeal with a doctor this year. The doctor is otherwise very good, but she decided to manage a illness for my wife that she had no business doing so. I got more help from Bagua on here and my own reading.



I have had to see a couple top specialist doctor at university hosiptial in the past years.

One was sort of good... But he missed lots of stuff.. But he was caring and tried to do what he could, but I feel he truly didn't have the right background knowledge for me. He did the right thing and reffered me to another speciliast at the university hospital though. I respect him for that, many doc's won't refer you to specialist. Even though I thought he was caring, you could tell I had a time limit for my time to see him.

Another specialist at the university hospital I saw is a absolute horrible doctor who truly should have caught my conditions, but refused to listen to me when I told him my symtpoms. He'd say "oh no.. that symptom isn't related" over and over.. But in the end, it all was... I actually TOLD him what I thought was wrong with me and he dismissed it saying it would have shown up in my blood work. When I saw first saw him, I handed him a list of all the vitamins and supps I was taking.. And I pointed out to him that the reason it never showed in my blood work was because I was taking a massive amount of that vitamin when I did the blood work.. He wouldn't even acknoledge this.. I begged for a test for what I trhought was wrong.. I told him the 3 acceptable tests for my condition (and sent research papers to him to show him).. He picked a different test, and I sent him articles explaining my condition will not show up with the test he was getting me to do.. He refused and said he consulted another specialist and this was the acceptable test.. It was NOT at all how my condition was tested for lol... Of course the test came back negative.. I explained to him again why it wouldn't show up on the test.. I begged him for one of the 3 tests that are done for my condition.. never heard back from the asshole again..

1 year later, my condition was confirmed with a local doctor.

I fucking suffered for 6 or 7 years because the Canadian medical system.. When I say I suffered, I suffered.. my wife and kids suffered just as much because they had to live with me... Before it got figured out, I occasionally accepted that I just wasn't going to last on earth for another 5-10 years because it just got worse and worse.. scary worse.

Fuck... I started to look into reporting that one specialist to the medical board.. I saved all our email correspondence for proof... He'd never talk to me on the phone because I could only take a call 12:00 noon- 12:25 on any buisness day.. That was his lunch, so he would always call when I couldn't take a call and leave a message.. I'd call back at my lunch and his receptionist just told me over and over thats his lunch break sorry.


Anyways, I seem to have a great doctor right now.. I ask for any test, and he signs the paper.. we chat about my diet.. We chat about my weight lifting.. he's truly happy to see me each time.. I think he appriciates when he asks me to change any aspect of my diet or exercise routine, I do exactly what he says and it shows up in my next round of blood work.. He's also good in terms of not going by the outlined ranges for blood work.. For example, it doesn't matter if my thyroid blood work comes back within range, if I say I have symptoms of low thyroid still, he ups the dose until I feel great.

I did have another decent GP, but he was a young guy and he got me as far as he could, but he admitted I was beyond his abilities and expertise and recommended me another doctor.


It's funny, my current doctor that I love is known and a giagantic dick head asshole in our community... lol... I never have to wait to book an appointment with him, because the vast majority of ppl in town refuse to see him.. if you go to ratemyMD, he has absoutely awful ratings and tons of them lol.. Very very very smart doctor though.. and anytime I ask him to explain something to me, he gets his pen and paper out and does drawings, graphs etc.. what it takes for me to understand anything I ask.. Before COVID hit, when I went to see him, he'd take me out of the examination room and bring me to his private office where we'd chat and go over stuff.. Can't say enough about the guy, but I've been in the clinic when people literally storm out mad and verbally upset at him for how they were treated.. I think he's just a black and white straight shooter guy who if your over weight and its causing you issues, he'll tell you to loose weight.

I said I wouldn't go on, but I did lol

And your present doctor is the one I’d want to go to. Why go to get healthy if you don’t want to hear what will get you healthy.

 

[animal-inside]

And your present doctor is the one I’d want to go to. Why go to get healthy if you don’t want to hear what will get you healthy.

I agree.. The guy knows his stuff, so I listen and comply lol...

When the gym shut down from Covid, he told me to get my chainsaw going and make a new cut line in the bush... bascially told me, don't make an excuse for not being able to exercise. This was brought up becuase my blood sugars are higher, but not diabetes high.. I think previous doctors saw they were higher, but all told me they weren't concerned.. This doctor said I have lots of diabetes in my family, many get it around 40 years old so if I want to be healthy, I need to get my blood sugar levels fixed. Again, I had 4 or 5 other doctors over 4 or 5 years tell me they weren't concerned about my blood sugars even though I'm sure they were on the high end of acceptable range.

 

[Bagua]

I know when I post, I'm generally long winded... lol..

If I wrote a post about experience I have had with Canadian doctors (the good and bad), the board would have to pay for more bandwidth...

I'll try to sumerize..

Our medical system (In alberta at least) is set up for bad doctors to get loaded rich.. They get paid per patient. A bad doctor will try to get through say 10 patients an hour.. In and out as fast as possible.. A good doctor might only get to 2-3 patients an hour. They really take the time to figure shit out for you.

Bad doctor might make 1000$ an hour, good doctor would make 200$ for the same hour.

The system is set up to promote bad doctors.

I believe in the end, the system actually causes more tax dollars because repeated visitis trying to solve the same issue but doctor won't tkae the time.


Fuck me, if this was wild west days, I'd knock about 5 local doctors out cold the next time I see them in town for the misery I suffered due to their negilgence.

My wife also had a shitty ordeal with a doctor this year. The doctor is otherwise very good, but she decided to manage a illness for my wife that she had no business doing so. I got more help from Bagua on here and my own reading.



I have had to see a couple top specialist doctor at university hosiptial in the past years.

One was sort of good... But he missed lots of stuff.. But he was caring and tried to do what he could, but I feel he truly didn't have the right background knowledge for me. He did the right thing and reffered me to another speciliast at the university hospital though. I respect him for that, many doc's won't refer you to specialist. Even though I thought he was caring, you could tell I had a time limit for my time to see him.

Another specialist at the university hospital I saw is a absolute horrible doctor who truly should have caught my conditions, but refused to listen to me when I told him my symtpoms. He'd say "oh no.. that symptom isn't related" over and over.. But in the end, it all was... I actually TOLD him what I thought was wrong with me and he dismissed it saying it would have shown up in my blood work. When I saw first saw him, I handed him a list of all the vitamins and supps I was taking.. And I pointed out to him that the reason it never showed in my blood work was because I was taking a massive amount of that vitamin when I did the blood work.. He wouldn't even acknoledge this.. I begged for a test for what I trhought was wrong.. I told him the 3 acceptable tests for my condition (and sent research papers to him to show him).. He picked a different test, and I sent him articles explaining my condition will not show up with the test he was getting me to do.. He refused and said he consulted another specialist and this was the acceptable test.. It was NOT at all how my condition was tested for lol... Of course the test came back negative.. I explained to him again why it wouldn't show up on the test.. I begged him for one of the 3 tests that are done for my condition.. never heard back from the asshole again..

1 year later, my condition was confirmed with a local doctor.

I fucking suffered for 6 or 7 years because the Canadian medical system.. When I say I suffered, I suffered.. my wife and kids suffered just as much because they had to live with me... Before it got figured out, I occasionally accepted that I just wasn't going to last on earth for another 5-10 years because it just got worse and worse.. scary worse.

Fuck... I started to look into reporting that one specialist to the medical board.. I saved all our email correspondence for proof... He'd never talk to me on the phone because I could only take a call 12:00 noon- 12:25 on any buisness day.. That was his lunch, so he would always call when I couldn't take a call and leave a message.. I'd call back at my lunch and his receptionist just told me over and over thats his lunch break sorry.


Anyways, I seem to have a great doctor right now.. I ask for any test, and he signs the paper.. we chat about my diet.. We chat about my weight lifting.. he's truly happy to see me each time.. I think he appriciates when he asks me to change any aspect of my diet or exercise routine, I do exactly what he says and it shows up in my next round of blood work.. He's also good in terms of not going by the outlined ranges for blood work.. For example, it doesn't matter if my thyroid blood work comes back within range, if I say I have symptoms of low thyroid still, he ups the dose until I feel great.

I did have another decent GP, but he was a young guy and he got me as far as he could, but he admitted I was beyond his abilities and expertise and recommended me another doctor.


It's funny, my current doctor that I love is known and a giagantic dick head asshole in our community... lol... I never have to wait to book an appointment with him, because the vast majority of ppl in town refuse to see him.. if you go to ratemyMD, he has absoutely awful ratings and tons of them lol.. Very very very smart doctor though.. and anytime I ask him to explain something to me, he gets his pen and paper out and does drawings, graphs etc.. what it takes for me to understand anything I ask.. Before COVID hit, when I went to see him, he'd take me out of the examination room and bring me to his private office where we'd chat and go over stuff.. Can't say enough about the guy, but I've been in the clinic when people literally storm out mad and verbally upset at him for how they were treated.. I think he's just a black and white straight shooter guy who if your over weight and its causing you issues, he'll tell you to loose weight.

I said I wouldn't go on, but I did lol

That was a summary? Man, @animal-inside I've been reading three hours a day the last little while. I need the Coles Notes version.
@Nixter I can't help you out much with Docs. I have had mine since 82 and I'm honest with him to a certain extent. When I was cycling I didn't tell him my dose, but I did tell him it was enough to need bloodwork. Requisition right away. Simple review without any judgement.

 

[animal-inside]

That was a summary? Man, @animal-inside I've been reading three hours a day the last little while. I need the Coles Notes version.
@Nixter I can't help you out much with Docs. I have had mine since 82 and I'm honest with him to a certain extent. When I was cycling I didn't tell him my dose, but I did tell him it was enough to need bloodwork. Requisition right away. Simple review without any judgement.

Sorry!!

coles notes:
Canadian Medical system (at least in AB) is set up to give crappy care based on how doctors are paid (per patient per visit).

Some doctors who really care are out there, and when they take their time to provide good care, they make less $ then a speedy doctor.

Bad doctors can make tons of money by ripping through as many patients per hour as they can.


Specialists in my experience aren't really any different in these regards either.

 

[Goldenrod]

You have to know your doctor and work on a trusting relationship and be an advocate for your own health, be involved in analyzing results of blood tests by becoming knowledgeable and sitting down with your doctor and going line by line.
It took a year when my old doctor retired who trusted me because he was my doc for over 20 years. Now my doctor will order anything I ask for within reason. It took a year for her to understand I don't take a doctor's word without a discussion and I educate myself. Obviously she knows more about most issues but she often asks me about dosages for things like propecia, if I need a pain med she will ask me what is the normal dosage. She checks her book and confirms and we agree on something reasonable.
The only negative about telling your doctor about gear use is the possibility they may think all issues are related to gear use which they usually aren't.
regardless, try to get a trusting open relationship within reason (don't shoot yourself in the foot) and hopefully if they realize you do your homework they will start working with you.
Good luck.

 

[LePsyber]

My doctor would simply tell me to go somewhere else despite me not involving her for anything. She's great at most things but she doesn't view life as having a line that slides for some things.

Example. I have chronic pain. A LOT of injuries on record caused that pain. I have a muscle in my back that is seized and never stops burning. I'm 6'3" 265 pounds and have been using a reasonable dose of pain medication for decades...never abusing. I take enough to make life, livable.

Should I have a different dose than the 5'11, 180 pound guy? Nope. Not to her. I get the same regulated dose as the new recommendations that she tried telling me were "guidelines" are. They're not guidelines at all. I'm huge compared to most guys.

Man, I miss my old doctor. HE would give me what I needed, not what he thought I should have. He was in the business like 30 years was jaded and old and crotchety but he could be reasoned with. New doctors are just brainwashed to ride lines.

 

[PGM]

The the majority of doctors I have been to (MD's) have been very disappointing. Here are a few of the things that have happened:

-doctor told me I had a low tolerance for pain when I was doubled over with stomach pain for over 6 months. Never went back
-Tore left pec and bicep muscle, so much blood under the skin it was sagging off my elbow, lower bicep and tricep. 2 different doctors said not a major tear as I still had a lot of arm mobility. Never went back to them. I pay for that tear every day now. use a lot of Ibprofin.
-Immobilizing backing pain. Not one doctor suggested a chiro. Wasn't till I got adjusted by a knowledgeable person at a training camp and the pain went away immediately that I started going to a chiro. Got to the point I could lay in the back adjustment position on the floor, twist fast and hard and adjust myself.
-Last doc put me on meds for 2 years, put me in worse shape than I had ever been in. Wasn't until I started reading and talking to my friends and started trying stuff they were using that I found the right med that worked. The quality of my life has increase 2000%. I went back to the doc and asked for the med as it was highly prescribed, very few side effects and non addictive ... what could she say ... she prescribed them.
-doc went on vacation without refilling my meds and she did not have a back up, end up in the hospital and they filled the prescription there.

Do I tell my doctor about what I use, not now, I use mild dosages these days so not an issue. When I feel there is an issue that is not an emergency, I research it myself, talk to a few friends, talk to the doc, ask for a specialist, question what they are prescribing as they are not right a lot of the time, and keep going back and researching until it is figured out. You have to drive the search for the cure as once you leave the docs office you are out of their mind.

 

[ToastEater]

Fucking docs.
This is me too.
I don’t tell him shit. I worry about my insurance being nullified.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[PGM]

Fucking docs.
This is me too.
I don’t tell him shit. I worry about my insurance being nullified.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yep... it is no longer like the days when the docs use to make house calls and gave a shit about their patients. Different world now and you have to educate yourself and question and cajole the docs to eventually get what you need ..such as a specialist, a certain type of med, a certain type of test, even what you want tested on a blood test. Unfortunately that has been my experience. I only give the doc the information they need to come up with an opinion on their own and if I disagree with that we have a discussion. Testosterone and their derivatives are natural chemicals in the body so the doc does not need to know that I am increasing a few hormones in my body that already exist.

 

[storman]

Every doctor i have seen in the last bunch of years brings it up to me within the first 5 mins.
Even the physio guy and Kennedy Fowler asked me if i used steroids before he even looked at my torn quad. I said what does that have to do with anything? I got second rate treatment after that.
I had to get my medical for my class A licence and i went to a walk in clinic. I had a big russian doc that told me anytime i wanted to get my testosterone tested to come to him. He gave me that nod so that was cool. But other then him, they were all dicks

 

[LePsyber]

Yep... it is no longer like the days when the docs use to make house calls and gave a shit about their patients. Different world now and you have to educate yourself and question and cajole the docs to eventually get what you need ..such as a specialist, a certain type of med, a certain type of test, even what you want tested on a blood test. Unfortunately that has been my experience. I only give the doc the information they need to come up with an opinion on their own and if I disagree with that we have a discussion. Testosterone and their derivatives are natural chemicals in the body so the doc does not need to know that I am increasing a few hormones in my body that already exist.

Sorry for the book but I really feel strongly about this. Medicine has been lobotomized if you ask me. It makes me wonder if it's the government causing it or if the greedy doctors just optimize what they do to max money vs time. Give as little time as possible to something while they treat us all like items on an invoice.

It doesn't even have to be the visit to the door. I have a tough one for ya, doc. How about you just treat me right and make me feel like I'm not just 30 minutes of billable time to you. How about you make me feel like you're running a particular test so that it's important and maybe not just because it's another line item submitted to the government for additional services rendered.

Consider this. Vets out in the country that visit farms give more service and are more aware of their patients at someone's farm than doctors in a practice are. I've seen both.
I was at a friend's farm to see a calf being born to a mother who had difficultly birthing. Danny the veternarian who is probably mid 30s rolls up in an older pickup truck with a papcap on the back smiles as he parks. He starts off completely pleasant, asks how my friend's fathers hip is doing (they discussed it sometime in the last 6 months when he had his hip replaced and totally remembers it). Remembers personal things about my friend like kids and truly wants to know how they are and so on.
We go into the stall in the barn where the cow is in labour. Vet knows her name and that it's her second calf...asks how the first is doing. Smiles and joking while he has his arm literally all the way up her ass to his shoulder just making sure everything is fine. Delivers that calf with a smile on his face because he truly is happy it all went well before he gives the mother a couple of pats on the ass for working hard and doing a stellar job making us all laugh.
Pops up, takes a towel from my friend wipes his arm down while we watch the new bull slowly work his way to his feet. Jokes with me and my friend about if only we all could only get it up that fast, there'd be a hell of a lot more people on the planet. We all laugh because he's hilarious.
He doesn't insult my friend with offering information he already knows because obviously this isn't his first rodeo with regard to new cattle (heh heh, see what I did there?) and is just a decent dude.
How much did he get paid? $100 for two hours work paid right out of my friend's pocket. No extra line items billed because he soiled his shirt/pants and boots on her gore. Was the guy just mindlessly putting in time? No, he remembered my name and said it was nice meeting me on the way out making me think that the next time he shows up, he might ask how I'm doing because I couldn't bend down to see something he was pointing out because of my knees.

Would you get that from many family doctors who literally have your health in their hands and know the intimate details of every bit of your body? No, my mid-30s doctor looks through her electronic notes to remind herself of what she did 2 months before. The vet? He'd have remembered all of it and shown some fucking empathy about my health problems. Her? She looks like she's in pain as she types on the computer. All she has to do is fill out electronic prescriptions that she doesn't even have to sign or fax because their systems automatically do all of the work. All she does is type the information, the system does the rest and magically faxes it to my pharmacy. Oh, she looks like she cares when we start but then she starts implying like she knows how I should be reacting to certain medications. I have pain medication I need and she looks like she's about to birth a small bull every time she's absofuckinglutely overwhelmed and worked hard to type the medication on my e-prescription. Like my health problems are putting her out in a profound way. Oh god, the humanity of it all!

Something has done this to doctors. I don't know what it is but it's fucking us all up the ass. Doctors are so damn clinical now. No TRUE personal care or sensitivity to your problems. They express with empathy but its just a filler type, not a real, "Damn, I'm really sorry it's like that. Let's work together on this." No, you get a "This is how it is, this is how we respond to it and THAT is....THAT." My previous doctor was jaded, worked to the bone battleaxe but the man cared. He burned skin cancers, lanced boils, and even saw him administer a quick pain shot for someone who had thrown their back out. The guy was literally crying in the waiting room and then came out from the exam room in so much better shape. He would send people to specialists for certain things but damn he did a BUNCH of things my two doctors since would NEVER do. Always late as fuck up to an hour late but he remembered your file and did the job.

 

[Bagua]

Sorry for the book but I really feel strongly about this. Medicine has been lobotomized if you ask me. It makes me wonder if it's the government causing it or if the greedy doctors just optimize what they do to max money vs time. Give as little time as possible to something while they treat us all like items on an invoice.

It doesn't even have to be the visit to the door. I have a tough one for ya, doc. How about you just treat me right and make me feel like I'm not just 30 minutes of billable time to you. How about you make me feel like you're running a particular test so that it's important and maybe not just because it's another line item submitted to the government for additional services rendered.

Consider this. Vets out in the country that visit farms give more service and are more aware of their patients at someone's farm than doctors in a practice are. I've seen both.
I was at a friend's farm to see a calf being born to a mother who had difficultly birthing. Danny the veternarian who is probably mid 30s rolls up in an older pickup truck with a papcap on the back smiles as he parks. He starts off completely pleasant, asks how my friend's fathers hip is doing (they discussed it sometime in the last 6 months when he had his hip replaced and totally remembers it). Remembers personal things about my friend like kids and truly wants to know how they are and so on.
We go into the stall in the barn where the cow is in labour. Vet knows her name and that it's her second calf...asks how the first is doing. Smiles and joking while he has his arm literally all the way up her ass to his shoulder just making sure everything is fine. Delivers that calf with a smile on his face because he truly is happy it all went well before he gives the mother a couple of pats on the ass for working hard and doing a stellar job making us all laugh.
Pops up, takes a towel from my friend wipes his arm down while we watch the new bull slowly work his way to his feet. Jokes with me and my friend about if only we all could only get it up that fast, there'd be a hell of a lot more people on the planet. We all laugh because he's hilarious.
He doesn't insult my friend with offering information he already knows because obviously this isn't his first rodeo with regard to new cattle (heh heh, see what I did there?) and is just a decent dude.
How much did he get paid? $100 for two hours work paid right out of my friend's pocket. No extra line items billed because he soiled his shirt/pants and boots on her gore. Was the guy just mindlessly putting in time? No, he remembered my name and said it was nice meeting me on the way out making me think that the next time he shows up, he might ask how I'm doing because I couldn't bend down to see something he was pointing out because of my knees.

Would you get that from many family doctors who literally have your health in their hands and know the intimate details of every bit of your body? No, my mid-30s doctor looks through her electronic notes to remind herself of what she did 2 months before. The vet? He'd have remembered all of it and shown some fucking empathy about my health problems. Her? She looks like she's in pain as she types on the computer. All she has to do is fill out electronic prescriptions that she doesn't even have to sign or fax because their systems automatically do all of the work. All she does is type the information, the system does the rest and magically faxes it to my pharmacy. Oh, she looks like she cares when we start but then she starts implying like she knows how I should be reacting to certain medications. I have pain medication I need and she looks like she's about to birth a small bull every time she's absofuckinglutely overwhelmed and worked hard to type the medication on my e-prescription. Like my health problems are putting her out in a profound way. Oh god, the humanity of it all!

Something has done this to doctors. I don't know what it is but it's fucking us all up the ass. Doctors are so damn clinical now. No TRUE personal care or sensitivity to your problems. They express with empathy but its just a filler type, not a real, "Damn, I'm really sorry it's like that. Let's work together on this." No, you get a "This is how it is, this is how we respond to it and THAT is....THAT." My previous doctor was jaded, worked to the bone battleaxe but the man cared. He burned skin cancers, lanced boils, and even saw him administer a quick pain shot for someone who had thrown their back out. The guy was literally crying in the waiting room and then came out from the exam room in so much better shape. He would send people to specialists for certain things but damn he did a BUNCH of things my two doctors since would NEVER do. Always late as fuck up to an hour late but he remembered your file and did the job.

Man, why the heck can't you write more concisely? There is no doubt a lot of good info in what you wrote, but man my day is spent reading. I want to read what you wrote, but, man it is way too long. I will get through it, but not tonight.

 

[Bagua]

The the majority of doctors I have been to (MD's) have been very disappointing. Here are a few of the things that have happened:

-doctor told me I had a low tolerance for pain when I was doubled over with stomach pain for over 6 months. Never went back
-Tore left pec and bicep muscle, so much blood under the skin it was sagging off my elbow, lower bicep and tricep. 2 different doctors said not a major tear as I still had a lot of arm mobility. Never went back to them. I pay for that tear every day now. use a lot of Ibprofin.
-Immobilizing backing pain. Not one doctor suggested a chiro. Wasn't till I got adjusted by a knowledgeable person at a training camp and the pain went away immediately that I started going to a chiro. Got to the point I could lay in the back adjustment position on the floor, twist fast and hard and adjust myself.
-Last doc put me on meds for 2 years, put me in worse shape than I had ever been in. Wasn't until I started reading and talking to my friends and started trying stuff they were using that I found the right med that worked. The quality of my life has increase 2000%. I went back to the doc and asked for the med as it was highly prescribed, very few side effects and non addictive ... what could she say ... she prescribed them.
-doc went on vacation without refilling my meds and she did not have a back up, end up in the hospital and they filled the prescription there.

Do I tell my doctor about what I use, not now, I use mild dosages these days so not an issue. When I feel there is an issue that is not an emergency, I research it myself, talk to a few friends, talk to the doc, ask for a specialist, question what they are prescribing as they are not right a lot of the time, and keep going back and researching until it is figured out. You have to drive the search for the cure as once you leave the docs office you are out of their mind.

I have sent you a PM. Stop the Ibuprofen, please.

 

[Rocky]

My docs cool, never really asked about dosages too in depth. Told him the first day I started and he lets me get bloodwork whenever I want it (within reason). Guess he worried I’d end up hurting myself.

refers me to any doctors I need to see

 

[Nixter]

My docs cool, never really asked about dosages too in depth. Told him the first day I started and he lets me get bloodwork whenever I want it (within reason). Guess he worried I’d end up hurting myself.

refers me to any doctors I need to see

Like, full panel blood work?

 

[resilient1]

Like, full panel blood work?

You're getting your trt support through a men's clinic it's prescribed, so it's legit, and your doctor can't take issue with that. I've been told that I have an excellent doctor, and compared to what I've heard from others I agree. My gp, as supportive as he is will not get involved in specialty/off-label scripts. I mentioned ralox, he advised me to speak with my endo, the referral to which he provided. If I need an mri, xray, diagnostic, so long as it's legit I only have to ask. I believe in honesty, and even when I was young and messing with gear I was always straightforward. He would run my bloods and that was that.

I don't want to brag, but I had weekly blood tests for a year. Full hormonal + complete blood count panel. Now they are monthly, only b/c I don't see a point in going for weekly bloods. The other option you have, which I have mentioned on a thread is that you can obtain legitimacy with your gp by gaming your bloods. Go off everything, wait 4-5 wks, then go see your doctor and tell him you feel like shit. Once bloods confirm your low test you can obtain a referral to an endo. Don't know if that helps.

 

[LePsyber]

Man, why the heck can't you write more concisely? There is no doubt a lot of good info in what you wrote, but man my day is spent reading. I want to read what you wrote, but, man it is way too long. I will get through it, but not tonight.

No no, it's fine. It's a book but it has a story with it. No need to read it. It's just about a vet who isn't even for my own animals giving way more fucks than my personal doctor does.