Posted by pmz on October 11, 2004, at 19:13:46
In reply to Re: does anyone grind their teeth like me???, posted by invisiblemanpa on October 11, 2004, at 11:13:29
I am so glad that you are doing well with the weaning of the Effexor xr. I believe that everyone should be informed and knowledgable about their medications and treatments. I believe that everyone who feels that they are not getting the theraputic treatment from a medication should let their doc. know and ask for something else. I also believe that with the resources that are available today, we all should make the effort to learn all we can about our conditions or illnesses, and the treatments given for them. You are your own patient advocate. You are ultimatly the one who is in control of your health care.
Like I suggested in I believe the first posting I placed, If you are seeing a doc. that will not listen to you and really strive to understand what is going on with you, then find another doc. I have changed from doc to doc until I found one who will try to understand all my illnesses and really listen to me when I am telling about something that is wrong and needs to be addressed.
No, not all docs will do that. Unfortunately that is what the changes in the health care systems we have today has given us. Clinics who worry more about how many people they can run through the office today, than whether they are giving each patient the time with the doc. that is really needed for that patient. It isn't fair or right, but it is a fact. The insurance companies have made it almost impossible for the docs to do anything less. They have dictated how much any procedure should cost, how long a person should be in he hospital for anything, and what they will pay, and how much of that the doc actually gets which is a fraction of what it should be. Why do they run us through like cattle? Because while our costs of living has risen, so has theirs. Their cost for office space, utilities, wages they pay their office help and nurses, and the costs of their malpractice insurance has skyrocketed. Does that make it right? No, but that is the way it is.
You see, not only am I a fellow patient with a list of health issues as long as your arm, I was also one of those overworked frustrated people who was a health care giver both in the hospital and in the clinic. I am a nurse. I am not longer able to work due to my illnesses, but that doesnt' change who I am. I not only suffer from depression, but I am in a wheelchair a great deal of the time due to having guillain barre 4 years ago, I also have fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, GERD, pulmonary insufficiency due to interstitial pneumonia 3 years ago, and the list goes on. I speak from experience on both sides of the fence. I do understand what you are talking about.
poster:pmz
thread:13781
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20041007/msgs/401805.html