Prostate Patient: Why Change Specialist?

Thursday, May 04, 2006

Why Change Specialist?

My previous specialist, unlike his secretary, was a nice fellow with lots of experience and a good reputation. This time though, when it was clear that I needed to be referred to a specialist once again, I asked my doctor to refer me to someone different. Why?

There were four reasons for this.

I’d been given my two previous biopsies under a local anaesthetic. No choice. That’s just the way the specialist decided to do it. This wasn't much fun. Like many blokes, I don't have a terribly high pain threshold, especially when I’m lying there having something done to me. I took this up with him after the second biopsy, and he acted surprised. Made out it wasn't a big deal. Made me feel a bit of a wimp. Gwen, who was with me, then asked him if he'd had it done under local. He hadn't been through it himself. I decided that there was no way in the world that I would again have a biopsy under a local. So I either had to confront him on this or go to someone else.
I knew that if he found cancer he would want me to have surgery. He told me before that this was his recommended option. If that happened, I would have insisted on a second opinion. So it seemed to make sense to get a second opinion first by going to someone else.
After the second biopsy because of what had been said, I was sure cancer would be found. I’d spent weeks working on myself to try and be brave and so had Gwen. From the time of the biopsy it took me almost 3 weeks to get an appointment with him. There was no contact prior to the appointment, so I assumed the worst. When we got in to see him, with a gracious smile on his face, he informed us that the biopsy had come up clear, as if he was doing us a big favour. Surely he could have shown some empathy for what we were going through. Surely he could have got his receptionist to phone us with the good news as soon as the results were available. Why didn't he? Was he afraid that we would then cancel the appointment and he was lose money for this? We would still have needed a more detailed analysis. I think he'd just been doing what he was doing for too long and had lost the ability to have empathy for his customer.
The fourth, and the prime reason, I made the change to another specialist was because of his secretary/PA, the bitch from hell. As a customer service consultant, I do a bit of work with medical specialists and notice that quite a few of them employ strong minded, assertive PAs. I can understand this. A lot of them need to be organised, need someone to shield them at times from the demands of their patients, and often need someone to handle the money side of things, because the specialists are too embarrassed doing this with patients themselves. But that doesn't mean they should be able to lord it over their patients, regarding themselves as in charge and their customers as second-class citizens who should do exactly as they say. When I was waiting in the reception area, on a number of occasions, I noticed how she treated people, particularly over the phone. It was not nice. I hate giving my money to people who treat their customers in that way. So, I made sure they didn’t get any more money from me.

# posted by Jurek Leon @ 8:18 pm

Comments:

Jurek - I can not claim to have any understanding of what you are going through but wish you well with your recovery.I am of the view though that a positive attitude pays dividends and you will have a "large bank of dividends".

Like Jason said - so insightful!

Cheers
Liz Bindon-Bonney

# posted by