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Ulcerative Colitis
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sirenshooter
Veteran Member
Joined : Jun 2009
Posts : 2022
Posted 6/5/2015 9:42 AM (GMT -7)
So some of you may remember my labs being super out of whack...

WELL

Today I went to the GI and my appointment was with the p.a. Last time I saw this woman she basically repeatedly accused me of using a tanning bed and went on and on about how "stupid just so stupid" it is. BTW I do not go tanning. Anyways today she was an HOUR late. So I'm already irritated. Blah blah, GI comes in (I like him). He's talking about my liver numbers and says "so you're doing okay on 125mg?" I say "no... No one told me to lower my dose." He's irritated at the nurse. Guess when she was supposed to tell me? JANUARY. Surprise that's probably why my numbers were so bad. So the GI says we might as well wait and do my bloodwork later instead of today. We all agree. He leaves. I'm waiting.. And waiting. A nurse says "so the p.a. is ordering some bloodwork." What. Please.

Finally I got out. I was there for over two hours. UGH.

But hey at least I have answers now. Just had to vent!
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pb4
Elite Member
Joined : Feb 2004
Posts : 20577
Posted 6/5/2015 9:50 AM (GMT -7)
Glad you have answers now at least, unbelievable the extra crap we have to go through sometimes in dealing with our crap though!! It's like people have no clue when it comes to communicating!! I would hope the GI would have spoken to the nurse/p.a. so this doesn't continue happening or happens to other patients as well.

I probably would have told them to get their crap together so you could get yours together, nothing worse than dealing with a couple of loose links in the chain of healthcare!
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sirenshooter
Veteran Member
Joined : Jun 2009
Posts : 2022
Posted 6/5/2015 9:54 AM (GMT -7)
It didn't help I was pre-irritated because I was expecting her to berate me for being not-blindingly-white again lol.

I certainly hope he at least talks to the nurse. I made sure my next appointment is with HIM.
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CGK1998
Regular Member
Joined : Dec 2014
Posts : 313
Posted 6/5/2015 10:19 AM (GMT -7)
I hear you - that can be so frustrating. It's hard enough dealing with this without managing others and making sure they do their jobs! Hahaha - the first time I saw my doc's new PA, she told me that it was disappointing that I was still on the Canasa and the goal was to get me off of meds altogether (!!!). That's funny - because that is NOT AT ALL the treatment plan I have with the doctor. At my next appointment with him in a few weeks, I plan on bringing it up. It's important that they are on the same page and if that can't be the case, I will only see him from now on. Good luck!!
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kazbern
Veteran Member
Joined : May 2010
Posts : 8384
Posted 6/5/2015 10:25 AM (GMT -7)
Why is that person not fired? I want you to write a letter of complaint to the GI about this PA. Seriously!
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garylouisville
Veteran Member
Joined : Aug 2012
Posts : 9088
Posted 6/5/2015 11:08 AM (GMT -7)
She was probably late getting back from the tanning bed.
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Dikid
Veteran Member
Joined : May 2015
Posts : 2236
Posted 6/5/2015 1:04 PM (GMT -7)
OMG! I hate hate hate when doctors have incompetent staff!!!
it is a pet peeve! it is so frustrating
I am sorry you had to go through that garbage
hope you feel better
and please call the doctor and tell him that it is inappropriate what happened and you would like to see drastic improvements in the future
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mcfarl73
Veteran Member
Joined : Sep 2013
Posts : 501
Posted 6/5/2015 8:18 PM (GMT -7)
Wow. I don't really like PAs to begin with. I don't really understand their purpose. Like sorry but I'd like to see someone who actually went to med school not a 3 year graduate program. (Sorry if there are any PAs here! I'm sure you're great!) But seriously. The first GI I had I didn't even meet. Just dealt with his PA who told me to eat more fiber and take Prilosec OTC and my UC would be under control. Um no.
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sirenshooter
Veteran Member
Joined : Jun 2009
Posts : 2022
Posted 6/6/2015 6:41 AM (GMT -7)
Ugh. Yeah I don't even know why they scheduled me with her to begin with. They didn't even tell me. I love my doctor but jeez, these people around him!

kazbern, it was the nurse who failed to tell me about my meds. But I don't like the PA either lol.. On the plus side, since I scheduled my scope to be before I lose my insurance, she did tell me about a patient assistance program through the hospital where they mail you 6 month batches of the aza, and I'm assuming it's like a bulk price.
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pb4
Elite Member
Joined : Feb 2004
Posts : 20577
Posted 6/6/2015 7:45 AM (GMT -7)
Well at least she's good for something lol!! You would think though that she or your GI would have let you know about that program sooner though.
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NiceCupOfTea
Elite Member
Joined : Jan 2010
Posts : 11009
Posted 6/6/2015 12:05 PM (GMT -7)
Are PAs the American equivalent of IBD nurses then? i.e. somebody you see instead of the GI who doesn't know a thing about IBD and even less about your symptoms?
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Jonny_Murray
Regular Member
Joined : May 2013
Posts : 271
Posted 6/6/2015 12:09 PM (GMT -7)

NiceCupOfTea said...
Are PAs the American equivalent of IBD nurses then? i.e. somebody you see instead of the GI who doesn't know a thing about IBD and even less about your symptoms?

I've always found the IBD nurses to be really helpful. Always accessible and very knowledgeable. I've recently moved so I am under that care of a different hospital and my new IBD nurse in particular has been excellent.
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NiceCupOfTea
Elite Member
Joined : Jan 2010
Posts : 11009
Posted 6/7/2015 5:15 AM (GMT -7)

Jonny_Murray said...
I've always found the IBD nurses to be really helpful. Always accessible and very knowledgeable. I've recently moved so I am under that care of a different hospital and my new IBD nurse in particular has been excellent.

Which hospital are you at, m8, so I can join it?

At my first two hospitals, the IBD nurses were nice and friendly enough but absolutely useless in dealing with my Crohn's or being able to answer questions about it. At my current hospital, the nurse seemed to be slightly more knowledgeable about IBD, but made up for that with her miserable demeanour and unfriendliness. I phoned her up once about having a fever the day after coming out of hospital: she didn't quite say "so what, why are you bothering me with this?", but she almost did: her tone said it for her, tbh. (Three days later, I was re-admitted for a 9-day stay and an abdominal x-ray found I had toxic megacolon.) I should also add that I virtually never phoned up my IBD nurse, so she wasn't fed up with me because I had been pestering her with phone calls. Personally, I just don't think this woman had liked me.

There is another IBD nurse at my hospital now. I've had almost no dealings with this one, but she was helpful a few months ago when I was worried the Crohn's might have returned. She did actually get in touch with the relevant people and arrange for tests. Haven't spoken to her since, but I will give her a tentative thumbs up.

PS: Sorry to add to an already quite long post, but imo IBD nurses just don't have the experience to deal with the more complex, difficult or unusual cases. They're probably fine, so long as they are dealing with textbook cases which respond well to mesalazines or aza/6MP. Otherwise forget about it. They're out of their depth. It's not like GIs take over when this happens either. You still get seen by the same clueless IBD nurses or junior doctors, unless you specifically request to see your consultant. (It took 10 years before I learnt you could do that.)

Post Edited (NiceCupOfTea) : 6/7/2015 6:24:07 AM (GMT-6)

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sirenshooter
Veteran Member
Joined : Jun 2009
Posts : 2022
Posted 6/7/2015 6:55 AM (GMT -7)
I think this nurse is different than the one I had a few years ago, because she was great. This one seems a bit ditzy and I can never get my point across to her.

I'm not really sure of the P.A.'s role! She seems to work more closely with the doctor than the nurse does.
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