Message Boards for the CF Trust

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PAMMIE

Posts: 11
From: Manchester
Registered: 06-Dec-2006

Ignorant doctors... Have a read!
Posted: 06-Dec-2006 20:18

Reply

Long post but stick with it!
I went for my appointment at the ENT clinic the other day and while i was waiting in the very open waiting room, the doctor said to the receptionist nurse that he will see "The Cystic Fibrosis Girl" later and seen as i heared it im positive that the rest of the waiting room heared it too.
THEN when i got called in he sat me down and there was 2 student dr's in there, Now i dont mind students being in with me because thats how they learn, but every dr ive seen has asked b4 they get on with seeing me...
ANYWAY i sat down and then he said " I was looking at the girl in the wheel chair not you, You look too well to be a cystic fibrosis person" I was stunned and just looked as he laughed at what he just said with his student friends (they looked uneasy) and then he said how often do you come in and i said that i came in every 3-4 months for IV'S and every 4 weeks for check ups and port flushes etc. He then said "oh well you look like your having fun" HAVING FUN???? Yeah im having a whale of a time you pratt!!! So still i sat there and said nothing just letting him carry on.
Then he got on to my pollyps (finnally!) and i said that id been diagnosed with pollyps years ago and also the doctor on my ward had a look when they were giving me jip and she could see them and they were swolen big time etc etc all that stuff... so he told his students that almost all "Cystics" get nasal pollyps. Ermm Oi mr my names pamela and not cystic or cystic fibrosis girl, So i glared at him.
Then he looked up my nose and said well your pollyps seem to have gone and i think you just have had a severe headache. So i told him that it had been going on for a while and also the pain wasnt like a headach as it was in my sinuses and also that i could see the balloons up my nose. "Well they have gone now" He said "Maybe it was a migrane" he carried on.... OH MY GOD!!!! What a complete nob!
So anyway after that i got up and said well thanks for that and i walked out. Im kicking myself i didnt say anything and that i didnt get mark to come in with me but im not that quick with comments, I think Mark would have sparked him one!. I just cant beleive the ignorance and pure arrogance of this supposedly "proffesional doctor". GRRRRRRR!!!! I'm gnna have a word with my cf team when i go there and get a second opinion. x

trollydolly

Posts: 38
From: west sussex
Registered: 26-Nov-2006

Re: Ignorant doctors... Have a read!
Posted: 06-Dec-2006 20:41

Reply

Hi Pammie,

Words fail me, that is digusting.

I would have knocked him out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Im nowhere near as patient as you were when it comes to ignorance. I had a nurse last week ask me if I had given CF to my daughter! I sent her packing and reported her to the consultant who was looking after my daughter in ICU.

I would write a strong letter of complaint.

Love,
Trollydolly
xxxx

Jacarr

Posts: 67
Registered: 13-Nov-2006

Re: Ignorant doctors... Have a read!
Posted: 06-Dec-2006 20:43

Reply

Sorry you had such a bad experience. I see Mr Birzgalis in ENT at Wythenshawe and I've found him very helpful; hopefully it wasn't him that you saw.

Best wishes,

~ James

PAMMIE

Posts: 11
From: Manchester
Registered: 06-Dec-2006

Re: Ignorant doctors... Have a read!
Posted: 06-Dec-2006 20:46

Reply

... Yes ill name him and shame him lol, For his utter ignorance. It was a man called Mr Camilleri. at wythen ENT clinic

Jacarr

Posts: 67
Registered: 13-Nov-2006

Re: Ignorant doctors... Have a read!
Posted: 06-Dec-2006 20:48

Reply

Ask to be referred to Mr B - he's really very nice and utterly professional.

I've never met your chap.

~ James

annemac101

Posts: 28
From: glasgow
Registered: 12-Feb-2004

Re: Ignorant doctors... Have a read!
Posted: 06-Dec-2006 23:10

Reply

Hi ,its dreadful for a dr to treat someone like that .I too get them saying "you look to well to have cf" or "your old to have cf "..I'm 49 and yes my cf could be classed as mild it doesn't affect my pancreas so I'm a healthy weight and I wasn't diagnosed until I was 27yrs ,although I "failed to thrive" as a baby and attended chest clinics all my life .
GP s I see are famous for saying this and yes if you forget about my ivs every three months ,my port I've had for 12 yrs ,my asthma, my ibs,my joint pains and the fact I have had to give up a part time job I loved because of constant chest infections and absences the ignorant gps and student drs are right !.....What DO they teach them at Dr school?????????
.

*Laura*

Posts: 97
From: Warrington, Cheshire
Registered: 15-Mar-2004

Re: Ignorant doctors... Have a read!
Posted: 06-Dec-2006 23:25

Reply

It used to REALLY annoy me when I saw doctors like that! Lately though, I tend to find it funny rather than annoying - due to my prepared responses

I like seeing their reaction (usually a shocked/blank expression) - Lol.
My favourites being... "How long have you had CF?"
Me: "Since conception".
And... "You don't look ill/like a cffer"
Me: "You don't look like a doctor".

I know, I'm too cheeky

trollydolly

Posts: 38
From: west sussex
Registered: 26-Nov-2006

Re: Ignorant doctors... Have a read!
Posted: 06-Dec-2006 23:33

Reply

Hi Laura,

I love it....great answers!

Love Trollydolly
xxxx

annemac101

Posts: 28
From: glasgow
Registered: 12-Feb-2004

Re: Ignorant doctors... Have a read!
Posted: 07-Dec-2006 00:19

Reply

Hi Laura ,yes good answers maybe I should try them And I get the one "how long have you had cf" too how about...
Were you off sick the day they told you about cf at uni?
or
you don't seem to be a very good dr must be a mild form of the degree you've got!!!
Wouldn't it be great just to say these back

*Laura*

Posts: 97
From: Warrington, Cheshire
Registered: 15-Mar-2004

Re: Ignorant doctors... Have a read!
Posted: 07-Dec-2006 00:23

Reply

Say them!

tommo

Posts: 2
From: southport
Registered: 07-Dec-2006

Re: Ignorant doctors... Have a read!
Posted: 07-Dec-2006 11:07

Reply

Appalling behaviour. BUT, I can assure you this doctor will be like this to ALL his patients, not just "us" CF people. I cringed when I read it, and as a Doctor myself with CF, I hear all day about similar stories. Esp. in my field, mainly Cancer. COMMUNICATION SKILLS are NOW taught at med school, but were prev under exposed. However, a rude git will always be a rude git, despite teaching!! And treat/think of him as such.
Sorry 4 your upset tho`. Not nice. I recall many times being the " Cystic" and actually whilst talking a few years ago at he International CF Conference I made a point of passing this on to the conference hall full of top CF drs/nurses etc!!!
Anthony

FATMAN

Posts: 16
From: ESSEX
Registered: 30-Nov-2006

Re: Ignorant doctors... Have a read!
Posted: 07-Dec-2006 14:25

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Typically disgusting behaviour from non CF specialist doctors unfortunately

My advice is to copy your post into word, address 1 copy each to the following:

1/ Your local family health practitioner committee (see the phone book)
2/ Chairman of the Board for the Hospital
3/ Your senior CF consultant
4/ Chairman for your local trust
5/ Local media (TV and papers)
5/ Local MP
6/ Watchdog
7/ Department of Health Westminster
8/ Your local NHS ethics committee.

Make sure, if possible, to name names, include a distribution list on ther letter, and demand an applogy/investigation in writing. I was told once upon a time that not asking your permission for students to be present is serious misconduct.

We had to go along these lines when Louis was younger to stop an incompetent consultant treating him. Hopefully you may get an apology, and this idiot won't do the same to someone else.

FATMANxx

NorthernStar

Posts: 24
Registered: 02-Dec-2006

Re: Ignorant doctors... Have a read!
Posted: 07-Dec-2006 19:58

Reply

I'm impressed that you've previously been asked if you are happy to have students present. In my experience, most hospitals don't ask you directly if you are okay with students being present anymore as they don't want you to say no. The letters they send out with the appointment details on often advise you that students may be there but some don't even do that. It is of course your right to say that you don't want them present.

I don't mind students being present but I do always insist that they are introduced - that was after one experience when a consultant just launched into the history taking and didn't even acknowledge the fact that there were five other people in the room! I think it's basic manners that you should be introduced.

From what Pammie has said, she didn't mind the students but she did mind the consultant being a jerk. I think he would have probably been as much of a jerk even if the students hadn't been there.

I think a letter of complaint is in order.

If you are feeling reasonably confident, a good technique for educating consultants, as well as future doctors, is to turn and address the students directly - so when the consultant referred to people with CF as 'cystics' it would have been great to turn to the students and say exactly why many people with CF don't like to be addressed in that way.

PAMMIE

Posts: 11
From: Manchester
Registered: 06-Dec-2006

Re: Ignorant doctors... Have a read!
Posted: 08-Dec-2006 14:10

Reply

Hi, Well to be honest i didnt know if i should complain cuz i didnt know if anything would be done. BUT after reading the posts i think maybe i should because like people have said he isnt just doing this to me its going to be to ALL his patients and thats just not on. So i will have a word with my doctor and also ill send a letter/email to the complaints depo at my hospital. Thanx for all your posts with this, And thanx for the things i caan say back...They have been stored and logged in my head for future use LOL. xx

cfdykey06

Posts: 33
From: hailsham
Registered: 17-Nov-2006

Re: Ignorant doctors... Have a read!
Posted: 08-Dec-2006 21:17

Reply

i had a bad time yestwerday wif mi ent doc bout mi port he really pissed me off my port has been painfull 4 nearly a year so wen i woz on the ward i went to see him an i got put str8 in a room coz i hv a bug dat is a nasty 1 so i wernt botherd den he cam in da room got his diary an sed hes tryin to seee loads paitens at da same time an den he went den her cam bk bout 10 mins l8er an had a look poked it took no notice da i flinched away from him coz it hurt den he sed o thats fine i woz like well it cnt b if it hurts all the time even when it aint bein used an it aint bleedin back now yea its goin in but i have been brung up not to use it if it dnt bleed back but da nurses jus been usin it anyway. an its pissin mee off the i can only lay on my back or my opesit side it gets really uncomfi but he woz like u can go no after seein me 4 bout 5 mins i wuda sed sumit but i had da cf nurse wif me at the time.

if any of u hav had des probs wif ur port or no any1 who has an wts happend can u tell me plzz

vicki