Yesterday I posted an article on "Stop Tolerating Things". Today, after the 5th phone call from inlaw's doctor reminding me of their appointment today (have never forgotten one plus this was only their 2nd actual visit to this doctor to begin with), I blew up with their office. I told them I did not need to be reminded 5 times in one week of an appointment for them. This evening, I got a phone call from the office asking me to give them a date for father in law to get his halter monitor (monitors the heart for 24 hours). I told them that this had been discussed over 5 times now and that when and if I have time to be with him for 28 hours consistently we would do it but in the family's opinion, it was not necessary. The man is 91 - almost 92. I had asked the doctor to do it while he was in the hospital and in physical therapy so we could know how his heart responded to activity so we could determine how much we could do with him. He needs a pacemaker but his health is not strong enough for one and the family said no heroics. We did not sign a DNR because there are things that can be controlled by medication but no heroics are to be done. Having the halter monitor attached to him requires a 2 hour hospital visit to start it, then 24 hours of constant monitoring and one of us with him constantly so he doesn't peel off the electrodes, then another 2 hours to see if all 24 hours was recorded. If any part of said 24 hours was not, we had to start over again. FIL has dementia. He doesn't remember anything past 1-2 minutes so keeping electrodes on him for a solid 24 hours is almost impossible without constant supervision (probably is even with constant supervision). I can't do that non-weight bearing so it can wait. This is why I had wanted it done when he was in the hospital - they could have just used a portable telemetry device and not the halter monitor. Big difference in how they work.
I should add in here that their doctor and I have had words. I get repeated phone calls from 3-5 different people saying the same thing. I get told to take one of the inlaws for blood work that an order was faxed to the hospital yet when I get to the hospital, there is no order. We call the office and are told the doctor decided they didn't need that test. Did they bother telling me? Nope. So there went a wasted trip out there. 2 days later, I get a phone call to now get the test done. This goes on back and forth to such a degree in less than a year that I insisted on orders being mailed to me instead of faxed to the hospital.
On top of all the above, the doctor put on one of my MIL's tests a code for a test with a wrong diagnosis code. Instead of correcting it with the hospital, the hospital made my MIL sign what is called an ABN (Advanced Beneficiary Notice) that this test will not be covered and she would have to pay for it. Well, it was denied by Medicare and sure enough we got a bill. I called the doctor and supposedly it was taken care of. That was until yesterday when I got a call from a collection service that the hospital sent MIL to collections and the doctor never corrected the claim. I hit the roof. I paid the claim but let the office know I was not pleased.
This evening, we get a call from their doctor who refuses to talk to me - said I was a rude ignorant person - yep to my face. She hasn't seen rude and ignorant from me - yet.
Enough is enough.
I gave my husband my cell phone. He gave her his cell phone number. Didn't say ONE WORD to her about why I was upset. Didn't say ONE WORD about the type of care she had been giving his parents. Instead he APOLOGIZED for my behavior stating that I was in a lot of pain and just had surgery. I was WHAT? Where were all the things I had told both sons this doctor had done and they made the decision to change doctors after FIL's home care and current medical crisis is over? Where did the decision that I made them make about not doing the halter monitor because the doctor forgot to give the order in the hospital? Where did all their complaints about this doctor go? No where if an apology had to be given. In my opinion, no apology but theirs was needed. So I removed myself from their medical care. Let the 2 sons deal with this doctor. Enough is enough! I am not tolerating this doctor anymore. She is an idiot. If and when they get a new doctor, I MIGHT help again but until then, I am done. Husband? He's in the doghouse.
