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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Rebecca on May 17, 2000, at 17:36:06
I called my pdoc today since I was supposed to "tell him how I'm doing" and I also needed a prescription refilled. I got home from work late and missed his return of my call.
so then I called the office and asked for his voice mail. it evidently doesn't work that way--I'm supposed to leave a message with the receptionist. Is that typical? There's no way I would leave a message about what my suicidal thoughts are doing with a receptionist.
I can't tell him to call me back at work since there's absolutely no privacy in cubicleland and I haven't told anyone about having mental health issues.
It's not terribly urgent that I get ahold of him now (other the prescription which the nurse will evidently call in tomorrow), but it's very frustrating to have to try to get home from work early and hope he's staying at the office late.
ideas?
Posted by allisonm on May 17, 2000, at 18:51:07
In reply to communication with pdoc, posted by Rebecca on May 17, 2000, at 17:36:06
I've never been able to speak with my doctor by just calling him up. There is a receptionist, and there is voicemail, which he checks regularly -- even at night. The receptionist will either take a message or send me to voicemail if I wish, but I also have the direct number for voicemail if I don't want to deal with the receptionist. Everything's confidential. Sometimes we have entire conversations via voicemail. Or sometimes, if it's a longer message and not urgent, I'll write a note. Likewise, he has both my work and home numbers. At first he only had one, but a weather emergency changed that.
Posted by bob on May 17, 2000, at 23:36:01
In reply to Re: communication with pdoc, posted by allisonm on May 17, 2000, at 18:51:07
My pdoc has an answering service, and they steadfastly refuse to take any information other than your name, your phone number, whether you're a new patient, and anything that might pertain to cancelling an appointment that day.
Considering issues of confidentiality and, mroe importantly, someone on their end getting the message screwed up if it gets technical, I'm quite happy with their policy. I usually leave a time in the evening when I can be reached, and my pdoc is very good about getting back to me at those times.
cheers,
bob
Posted by JohnL on May 18, 2000, at 3:14:49
In reply to communication with pdoc, posted by Rebecca on May 17, 2000, at 17:36:06
Rebecca,
I can sure relate to communication snags. I think in some ways it's therapeutic by itself just to know for sure how to get in touch with your doctor anytime.Next time you have an office visit, maybe this topic could be something to go over. He may have a beeper number, a home number, or some other way of getting in touch. Let him know how important it is. Let him know that business hours and receptionists aren't good enough, because mental crisis doesn't obey the clock.
My pdoc is fantastic in terms of communication. I think a lot of doctors would do well to follow his example. But then, he's an oldtimer and has probably learned a lot over the decades.
I don't think my pdoc ever expected I would use his home phone that he gave me...and I haven't. But it sure is comforting to carry it around. We communicate primarily by voicemail. No matter where he is...office, convention, out-of-state, out-of-country...I always get a response from him within a few hours after leaving a message. No matter where he is or what he's doing, he checks in with voicemail like it's the most important thing in the world...everyday and at all hours, not just weekdays or business hours. Heck, I've even sent him voicemails on Sunday, expecting him to pick it up Monday morning, only to be completely surprised that he returned my call in person at home just a couple hours later that same Sunday. Wow. That was impressive.
I think the moral of the story is....Mental illness doesn't take time off...and if someone is going to dedicate theirself to being a psychiatric physician, they should accept that they are on-call at all times, every hour every day. It goes with the territory as I see it. And in some cases, someone's life or death can actually depend on it. Any pdoc who disagrees should probably be in a different profession as far as I'm concerned. Mental illness doesn't take time off. And sometimes it can't wait for convenience.
I would definitely think about making this a topic of discussion at your next office visit.
JohnL
Posted by NHGrandma on May 21, 2000, at 18:09:07
In reply to Re: communication with pdoc, posted by JohnL on May 18, 2000, at 3:14:49
What procedure should I follow if I need to terminate my pdoc because of a move to another state? I am so bummed (depressed?) Should I ask to see my records so I know what is in them before the possibility of them being passed on? Should I just start out fresh with no records? I feel as if I am grieving the death of someone close to me. I know I am getting more depressed because I come back here just to read posts. Thanks.
Posted by allisonm on May 21, 2000, at 21:59:13
In reply to Leaving Pdoc, posted by NHGrandma on May 21, 2000, at 18:09:07
I guess if it were me, I'd ask to see them first, or maybe they would give you copies to take with you that you could show/give to your new pdoc. I think in any case, that it's important that your new doc have your records. Why go over old turf if you don't have to?
I know what you mean about visiting this board when you're feeling bad. It's one the gauges I use. If visit this place many times in a day or week, I know also that things are getting worse. Also, the more I write in my journal, the worse I seem to be. When things are getting better, I forget to write in my journal and leave large time gaps and I don't feel the need to check in here so much.
I've not ever lost a pdoc. I probably would be in a bad way were I to have to leave. I have dreamt about him going away and this was bad enough.
Take care.
Posted by Victoria on May 25, 2000, at 20:41:15
In reply to Leaving Pdoc, posted by NHGrandma on May 21, 2000, at 18:09:07
I may be facing the same thing because of a move, so I have thought a lot about how to handle it. If I have to move, I plan to talk to my doc about it as much in advance as possible, so he can help me with my feelings of grief, to ask him wheter we could have phone sessions or at least keep in touch by phone for a few weeks until I get settled in the new place and find a new doc. I'd also expect that working through the loss would be one of the first topics I'd be talking about with my new doc. (So far, I've only had the opposite experience--having had a bad therapist in the past and needing to spend a lot of time at the beginning with this one talking about what happened and "testing" to make sure he wasn't the same. It worked, so I figure the opposite would work, too, so I'd be looking for a new therapist who was comfortable letting me talk about my feelings of loss.)
> What procedure should I follow if I need to terminate my pdoc because of a move to another state? I am so bummed (depressed?) Should I ask to see my records so I know what is in them before the possibility of them being passed on? Should I just start out fresh with no records? I feel as if I am grieving the death of someone close to me. I know I am getting more depressed because I come back here just to read posts. Thanks.
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