[npatterson]

#1067931

IT sounds like you have made up your mind, and it is probably a good thing.

The "check with your Family doctor" is one way of saying "I only do your thyroid". What we all need is someone who will look at the whole person. Probably you need to touch base with your family doctor anyway. He’s the one you go to for the flu, backaches, and whatever else. After you check out the new Endo, you need to decide (and you need input from them) as to who will be your primary doctor. Ordinarily it is the one that knows YOU the best. Whoever it is, ask the other(s) to fax copies of your labwork, and copies of their visit note to that doctor. You will probably have to remind them every time.

Now you need to call the doctor you have been seeing, request a release of information form, sign it, fax it back, and get them to send your records to the new doctor. If you are uncomfortable with this, you can call the new one and ask them to do it for you. They will have a release of information form you can sign. The disadvantage to that is that the new doctor won’t have your old records.

It will also help him if you will type up a condensed version of your history with Graves’. That way, he will have more time to spend WITH you. Be brief, concise and factual. Good Luck!

Take care,

[Madame_X]

#1018936

Okay. Now I’m annoyed, like I said.

I went to the endo last week for a follow up; all my labs were within normal. Last visit I asked if I could sign up for dance lessons and also go to physical therapy; he said "Let’s wait for one more blood test."

I would also like to sign on with my state DVRS office for vocational rehab programs — the counselors there will sign you up for therapy that will help your memory and so forth.

I asked again about the dance lessons and the DVRS; he would not sign off on either request. He tells me to see my GP about it. "He knows what other issues you may have." Huh??

I am also getting the feeling that I’m getting the bum’s rush from the endo in general; this has happened for each of the last 3 visits: I sit in his waiting room for over 2 hours, sometimes nearly 3 (and I get there early, in case somebody’s got a cancellation or what have you; I figured maybe I’d get the chance to be taken a bit early; one never knows) .

So now it’s See your GP.

I pretty much think this is going to be my last visit with him; I’ve already made another appt with an endo that’s about 15 minutes from here by car.

Each visit currently runs an average of three or four hours with the current endo: to commute to his office via my own car isn’t possible (there is no parking at all on streeet ner his office) so I park in a lot a couple of towns away and from there, I take a subway to get there. It’s a half hour’s travel to and from and factor in the time I wait in his office to be seen. This is a pretty sizable chunk of time; he also has no evening hours and no Saturday hours. He’s only open 3 days a week. No wonder we are all kept waiting for a good chunk of time — and I’ve heard other patients complain about how long they are waiting to be seen; it isn’t just me who has this gripe.

And also, now that my labs are near normal, he should have, I believe, told me to watch out for symptoms of becoming hypo. My next visit with him is not for another 3 months.

So I pretty much think that if I like this new endo, I’ll be going to him instead. Enough’s enough: I’m tired of the long wait and also tired of feeling like I’m getting passed through and that’s all.

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