Patient Relations Complaint

October 2008-May 2009

 

Immediately, I sent a detailed complaint about Dr. S. to Patient Relations at the medical center.

 

On October 22, I saw opthalmologist, Dr. C., again. He said that the stuff in my eyes was not infection. It was mucous. By gum, that was his story, and he was gonna stick to it. He asked if I ate fish at least twice a week. I said I did not. He said, “How do you expect your body to take care of itself if you don’t eat properly?”

 

Apparently, the party line, now, was that I had not been harmed by a doctor. My problems were all due to self-neglect—and maybe drug abuse. The medical center was creating a bum in order to cover their negligence.

 

I had been given a new GP at family practice clinic, but he was out of the country. I needed a new prescription for Lunesta. The clinic was making me come in every month for a new Rx.

 

I was seen by Dr. G. She told me that doctors have to be very careful of prescribing Lunesta because it is a big street drug. She said that the value of Lunesta on the street is $50 a pill which is $1500 for a month’s supply. I looked at her askance. She said, “Well, see, this is an example of how the world is changing. You have to be very careful. Don’t tell anyone you have Lunesta in your home. If you have a home invasion, they will not be after your jewelry or your money. They will be after your Lunesta.”

 

This story made me very uncomfortable. In the first place, it seemed there was a concern that I was selling the Lunesta. In the second place, the story had to be a lie. No one would pay $50 just to go to sleep. I checked, when I got home, and discovered that anyone could buy Lunesta from a Canadian pharmacy, on the Internet, for about $6 a pill.

 

Medical center Patient Relations attempted to sweep my complaint under the rug. I made around a dozen calls, over a month and a half, and was told that my contact person, T., was “unavailable,” “out sick,” or “away for a few days.” The day that the meeting finally took place, I was not informed. I tried all morning to reach T., and was told she was not in. I finally called her boss, and was able to ascertain that the meeting was set up for that day.

 

There were about eight people at the meeting, including Dr. S. I sat directly across from her. I demanded to know why she had treated me so rudely, and why she had written the comment about suspecting personality disorder, into my medical record. She could not have gotten it from any doctor’s notes, as she had not yet received any of my records, at the time Even if she had, there would have been nothing of the kind, in any record. She said that she had gotten it from Dr. F.—or his records. I assumed she said she had gotten it from his records. I said, “You mean the ‘histrionic’ note…that was crossed out and initialed by Dr. F., right?” She nodded her head slightly. Later, she alluded to a “conversation” that she’d had with Dr. F.

 

Dr. S. eventually agreed to remove this comment from my record. As time has passed, I have come to believe there was more to her treatment of me, and her making this note, than she revealed that day. I believe she had a conversation with Dr. F. and that he told her this.

 

I believe Dr. F. needed to destroy my credibility because his own was at stake.

 

After the meeting, several medical center employees stayed behind to talk to me. “Get out of the medical center system,” one suggested, “and leave your medical records behind.” Another said, “Stop going to doctors.”  

 

Dr. S.’s successor, Dr. P., did not treat me any better. May 2009, I saw him regarding my ongoing eye infections. “Every time you’re in here, it’s something about the surgery,” he said. “I have both spoken to Dr. F., and have received a letter from him. He told me that your problems are not related to the surgery.” Then he stood up, demonstrating a stiff, superior arrogance. “Have a nice holiday,” he said in a nasty voice. It was just prior to the Memorial Day weekend.

 

I have since changed GP’s, again.