Need advice about where to turn when medical treatment is unsatisfactory.

aynneone

Going to try and keep this general, but to paint the picture, on 1st Feb got a strange tingling in my groin area and noticed a sudden swelling on the outside of my right thigh. I DONT DO doctors, but something made me go the following day.. Dr looked at it, 'nothing sinister'... a week later I was back, feeling like I had a million ants crawling under my skin, this time I was offered sleeping tablets, pain killers....(this is a doctor whom I thought the world of..), was referred for x ray, hips and spine, bit of arthritis, nothing much...another doctors trip, more tablets offered (didnt actually have pain, just swelling around my thigh, and my buttock), suggested to be referred for MRI.... had MRI, dr phoned, all clear.. vsited my physio 5 times clutching my MRI report, and she reckoned it was bursitis, and did her very best, but only getting worse, at this stage Ive only one pair of trousers left that fit this leg.. back to the dr again, in tears, cant sleep, find it impossible to sit given swelling of buttock, quality of life just crap...Consultant suggested.. visit consultant, she looks at my MRI, and says, its not all right, its full of fluid, measures my leg, 8 inches bigger on top than left one... very unusual says she, Im going to bring this MRI to show to some colleagues to consult and ring you in 3 days.... 2 weeks later Im still chasing her, finally get an e-mail, come into hospital and we will inject your bursa.. nothing else.. nothing about fluid etc etc.... Back to GP, feeling virtually suciidal at this stage.. cant do anything Im told, you need to go back to consultant..... back I go to consultant .. very unusual says she, but Im going away on 2 weeks holidays, sorry................. no fluid in there tho.... So before she went on holidays she referred me to a private hospital for a MRI with contrast... Went in a week ago, waited 2 hours, to be told, the radiologist decided I didnt need contrast, it wouldnt benefit me......(thats not mentioning they put me into the machine the wrong way around!!)... this was on a Friday, told me the consultant would have the results last Monday. I was booked into one of her clinics last Wed to have an injection into my bursa..depending on of course the result of the MRI.... I wait for an hour an a half... Enter her rooms, ask her what did the MRI say.. she had no recollection of having sent me for one, and she hadnt received a report back, told me it could take up to 2 weeks.!! I had the injection, (took 2 attempts) into my bursa... Sat now, and no improvement.. Please tell me............ Where do I go now.. my life has lost all its quality, myself and my partner are only together 2 years after knowing him 32 years, this is stopping us being intimate, I have to go out and buy clothes just to fit this leg, Ive a constant burning discomfort, and a large bulge over my right thigh and buttock, and worst of all Im trying to hold down an extremly stressful job.. At my wits end!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Any ideas, anyone at all.. just where do I go next?... I know you are probably going to say 2nd opinion, but have checked, could be waiting up to 3 months for an app with a different rheumatologist...... Anne

yank in ireland

I wish I had some advise for you but all I have is my own horror story of a simple liver biopsy. If you're not aware its a very easy and usually painless procedure where a local is given in preparation for a needle that is insirted between the ribs with guidence of ultrasound equpiment and 5 seconds later or less its done. Your left laying around for maybe an hour to insure there is no leakage. This one there was a great deal of pain and i was spewing blood and the staff paniced. Next thing I knew I was surrouded by doctors and nurses who pretty much did nothing. I could not move the right side of my body. I was kept in the hospital for a night and day of observation. Six weeks later when I had heard nothing of results I rang my doctor who put me off to someone I didn't know who told me there was "no liver material" in the sample, I was never told what the sample did contain. I could not get any solisator to do anything. One heard the story and said they would not go after anyone in the medical profession in case they were needed in the future as an "expert witness". What good is such an incompodent "expert"? One lawyer in Dublin said he'd take the case but I was to do ALL the leg work including information gathering and witness information and examination. What he was going to do was nothing but make money. Needless to say I could not persue it in the face of such incompodence and lack of concern. Nor did I consent to another biopsy. So the bottom line is that the poor excuse for a doctor is still in practice in all her incompodent glory, my specialist is gone, and I am very concerned about continuing any medical procedures. My condition is incurable and terminal. Now I have a new doctor whos clinic i attnd for over 2 years now and have yet to even meet this elusive doctor and see underlings who do nothing. But schuedle another meeting where nothing is done. So to answer your question ... it appears that there is nowhere to turn for any sort of unsatisfactory treatment. Doctors are immune to any reprocussions for malpractice and negligence. Life is cheap for a patient but the highly paid doctors are free to be as worthless as they can be and praised. If you find out anything please do let us all know. I do think your use of the word "unstaisfactory" is very kind of you ... I'd use "incompodent" and possibly "criminal".