Unacceptable Doctors Visit

So sorry Sunshyne, 

I have never dealt with a PA, I come from a different generation...and they do not have them here.

That said, I would print it out, go over it point by point and then send it back to them corrected.

I had a Big Wig surgeon over here (the president of the Board of Surgeons) who did the same thing to me and I finally got so fed up with him writing down whatever he felt like in my file (which becomes the truth one it is on paper) that I corrected it in Highlighter and made him explain to me where and how he came up with his information (even my birth date was wrong!)...it sounded like he was talking about a totally different patient.

When he said that it did not matter (writing erroneous diseases, surgeries etc) and that he wouldn't change it I insisted that if he didn't I would have him brought up on charges of malpractice (come on now...I do not have a colon!!!! and yes it matters).

He corrected most of it in the end but I never went back to him.

Fight for the truth in medicine and do not let them blow you away or you will not get the treatment that you need.

Sharon 

Sharon,

Thank you Sharon for your response. You are always so helpful and supportive. I did speak with the PA and she admitted that she had not wrote down my concerns. I informed her that the notes should be amended based on HIPPA laws. I am writing a letter to the surgeon as well as her to make sure they are aware of this situation and it is rectified immediately. I am going to personally deliver it to the office on Monday. I usually don't deal with PA's and this will be the last time.

Sounds like you had a good resolution. Going directly to the source was a good idea and I'm glad you felt like it was a viable option for you. It's cool that you can see what was actually written into your record. I have a patent portal too, but don't see my whole record.

Jan

Good for you to be able to see what they write and actually take action to fix it. You did a great job of advocating for yourself - something I am not good at and I'm trying to learn from all of you on this site.  These doc visits just wear me out and I just get so tired of fighting them.  So, I just suffer - but I don't mean that to sound dramatic - I just do it because the fighting to find some kind of solution takes more energy than I have anymore.  That said, I am function well about 1/2 the time and just stay home and don't do as much the other 1/2.  I enjoy being at home and maybe that is why I don't push it to fix things.  I like being by my own toilet!  When I go out, I go for shorter stretches of time...I did great for many, many years - full time work and then some.  So, I just figure - why not paint, garden, knit, and try to walk here in the neighborhood on good days.  Nap more on the bad ones.  Is there anything wrong with this at age 53?  I don't feel depressed - I was so depressed about this for years - and then, I just thought, "why am I trying to hang on to some idea of what my life is supposed to be like  - and just accept it as it is."  I hope that has been a healthy response- for years I felt like I "should" be doing more...and now, I'm like, "why?"  Who told us doing more and more and more is necessary? I think all this "more" stuff is killing a lot of people in this system....just my 2 cents.  70 hour work weeks for what? etc.

It is not easy for a woman to stand up for her rights as it is (especially women from our generation) but being sick and a woman? That is just a double whammy.

I had a gardian angel G.I. in N.C. at Duke back in 79.

He told me to never let them treat me like a 'case'...That a case was for carrying documents and not caring for people (I loved that man)...since then I try...don't always succeed but I have learned to not accept bad treatment and will not start now.

Soon I will have to add 'old' to my list of strikes against me and that will be a whole new challenge (old, sick woman with a pouch...yikes)

Sharon

I agree with you , being upset and such , and also trying to get things corrected. It seems that all to often doctors / surgeons write in our medical records COMPLETE FALSE UNTRUE INACCURATE  statements/notes...I do not know why,. but feel they sometimes portray the patient in a less than favorable light so as if any malpractice case comes up, people who see/read your med records, such as a jury or other physician, they come away with an inaccurate impression of you as a patient / person. Just imo, but seems that PA's  , surgeons, even some nurses write false notes and such. Maybe they are trained to do that for some reason, but believe me, you are not the only patient who has discovered that their med records were not true portrayal of situation.  R 

Thank you all for responding. I appreciate everyones support. I had even sought out legal advice if I needed to take it a step further.  I was able to get the situation rectified. I am now looking for another surgeon. Though the surgeon did not make the error, the PA's are under her watch. 

Good for you! And, good for you to seek legal advice just in case.  Looking back, there were definitely a couple of times I should have pulled that card - even if it was just a letter which would move my name to a "better try to get it right" pile in a doc's office.  The surgeon who botched one of my surgeries even told me later I was "much too nice" about it.  My thought was he was human - who doesn't make mistakes?  But, I tend to allow others too much slack and expect too much from myself at times - and that's probably something many women do.  I am so glad you got some help and I hope you get much better care moving forward.  You deserve proper care.  It can't be perfect, but it can be as close to a very high standard as possible.