I had an appointment with the doctor today for 2pm.
I made the appointment last week. They gave me a print-out sheet. I got a robocall yesterday reminding me of the appointment. I go in, check-in and they say, “you don’t have an appointment.” I said, “really? where do you suppose I got THIS?” I show them the print out sheet. Some lady comes out and LIES HER ASS OFF and tells me I CHANGED THE APPOINTMENT from the 2nd to the 9th.
.
“Really? Why would I do that when yesterday was my last day of my prescription. That is the only reason I am here, to visit this new doctor so he can write me a script that I’ve had since I was in my 20s.” She had no good answer. So, they “fit me in.” Like I’m some sort of gate-crasher. Well, my bp was 142/98. The highest it has ever been in a doctor’s office even with my white coat syndrome. This doctor wants to hospitalize me at this point.
I told him to do all his other stuff, stick his finger in my ass, hammer my knee, and take it again. 133/88. High, but not crazy. So he wants to supplement my mild BP med with another one. Fine, great. I need it with Obama in office. He says the new script is free at Publix. “Can’t beat that,” I say, “send it on over there.” “The other script will be at Walmart,” he says.
.
I go to Walmart first, they don’t have my old prescription. They have the new bp med, the one that’s free at Publix. This is strike 2. (Florida really has some dumbass people down here.) So, I figure the other script must be at Publix, right? Nope. No it’s not. So I drive back to the doctor’s office and they say, “no one is around to clear this up. Everyone is really busy.”
.
I say, “look lady, you’re gnawing at my last nerve. I came here for ONE THING, a script renewal. You’ve been friggin up all day. I am not leaving without the script. A paper one. I get ONE FREE VISIT a year with Obamacare and this is how I’m friggin wasting it? With you a-holes?” She comes out of the back and says the electronic script will be at Walmart at 6.
.
Raise your hand if you think that script was at Walmart at 6. You, you with your hand up, you don’t know how stupid people operate. You see, these low-life meth heads who manage to get a job down here, they are not only stupid, they are unapologetic and spiteful when they’re clearly wrong. Of course they weren’t going to call it in, because stupid people think this is being smart.
.
Well, I got a few pills out of some nice lady at Walmart, and it won’t be fun for anyone tomorrow at this doctor’s office. I’ll be around 205/165. My only hope is that when my head explodes, a little blood gets on them all, and I have ebola. Rant off/
Fur, check out the good forms of magnesium (NOT oxide). Got me off the hard stuff for pressure.
Sorry to here about your doctor visit. I’m lucky I guess I live with a Doctor. I have pissed off syndrome. People piss me off all day long. So my wife takes my BP while I’m sleeping.
It’s still high but that’s life.
I feel your paiJOR DEE
JOR DEE
JOR DEE
nah, seriously, all the best to you Hatman!
He stuck his finger up your ass, so at least you got that going for you.
I’ve had a few issues with doctors over the years. My former internist diagnosed me with COPD and never told me. Found out from my insurance agent when I was turned down for additional life insurance.
Oh, great, Fur. I have to go in to see the doctor to renew my two Rx for the year. I better make the appointment early in the morning so I can get everything sorted by evening.
Damn Obama.
“People piss me off all day long.”
Brad? zat you?
It’s too bad because the doctor was really nice. It was his staff that was ridiculous.
The only thing I didn’t like was that he was 6’3″ and had fingers like cigars.
I felt like Monica.
You have concierge docs there?
Hey Fur, I too have “white-coat-hypertension”.
Funny how most people in the medical industry know about this but I still run across idiots that have never heard of it.
And they want to take my blood!
BTW, I also pass out when they draw blood.
I was proud of myself though the last time they drew blood, I didn’t pass out.
Of course I was in so much pain since I needed an emergency appendectomy.
Thought I was too old for that….NOPE!
“I felt like Monica”…by any chance was the receptionist Betty Currie?
Just sayin
There is no good evidence that magnesium supplementation is helpful in treating high blood pressure.[50] Low serum magnesium levels are associated with metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus type 2 and hypertension.[51] Low serum magnesium levels have been associated with a higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome.[52] Magnesium therapy is recommended by the ACC/AHA/ESC 2006 Guidelines for Management of Patients With Ventricular Arrhythmias and the Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death for patients with ventricular arrhythmia associated with torsade de pointes who present with long QT syndrome as well as for the treatment of patients with digoxin intoxication-induced arrhythmias.[53] Magnesium is also the drug of choice in the management of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia.[54]
I had a doctors appt at 2:00 today too! Well, DH goes with me and sits down in a chair and I’m on the table. I too suffer from white coat syndrome, takes me 2 days to recover from the drama trauma. Any who, the doctor tells us that he’s been to a class reunion in Peru. Then DH starts in on the political stuff of Peru, blah, blah. I give DH a dirty look and I say, heh, I’m the one who suppose to carry on a conversation with the doctor not you. Do you want to trade places? I’ll sit in the chair and you hop on this table and you two can talk. The doctor got the message. I hate going to doctors. But I feel your pain Big fur, I really do.
Aw geez Fur! It must be contagious!
I have a great doctor but the 2 ladies who do his bidding (renew scripts, send papers that are needed, etc.), are the dumbest, lying broads ever! I tell him all the time & have even told him in their presence, They still lie! And now the 2 ladies who make the appointments have retired! That office is in deep poop!
$7600 for two $14..00 shots.Not to mention a seven and a half month wait and $750 out of my pocketYup. The gubnit will hold down costs-by killing the weak
FUCKING CHILDREN IN CONTROL
One other thing, my pharmacist at Publix is a complete unadulterated idiot.
I would check my meds closely, otherwise you may inadvertently grow a large set of tits.
(Then again…)
You blew me out of the water in the aggravation dept., Fur.
I just needed a scrip renewal for face cream from the derm. Since it had been three years, they said I had to be seen before they’d write it again ($40 “specialist” co-pay) to see a nurse practitioner who started writing the scrip from a five-foot distance.
The cream used to be about $65 a couple years ago. The next highest concentration (which I needed to move up to) goes for between $695-$900 as this stuff has quickly gained a reputation for being the fountain of youth.
To cut to the chase, I sleuthed around, found it at Canada Pharmacy Online and ordered it for about $80 (and in a hefty size).
Unfortunately, when you pay minimal scale wages (thank you low insurance reimbursement rates and Obamacare) this is the usual type of office staff doctors will be hiring. Welcome to the new (ab)normal!
Are you sure it was a finger? Try to recall if there was a hand on only one shoulder or a hand on each shoulder.
Petite women doctors and dentists with small hands only for me.
long QT syndrome
boy i had that when i was actually working 25 years ago framing houses. yessir, a quart of dr. pepper in the morning in my Quik Trip mug and another quart for the lunch break..
142/98 and the maroon wants to put you in the hospital?!? My doc would ask me if I’ve been taking transcendental meditation courses (and then up my dose a little bit)!
BTW, in my part of FL, I’ve found that Winn-Dixie is the pharmacy to go to. More freebies than Publix, better discount program, and they’ll match prices with anyone, including Wally’s World. And – at least at my 2 local stores – the pharmacists don’t hide behind the techs, and actually listen, research and answer questions. Even about OTC and “natural” meds.
Lol fur… Had the same experience yesterday…
After 30 yrs on same BP rx my pressure is all wonky…
So the Dr. … I like… But also has the same bitchy keepers as above…they send my rx to the walmart. Miles from my regular pharm…( even though I asked for the pharm)
So I wander out there at dusk .. And brave the Martians.. Stand in line … And finally get to the counter… My rx is $330 w/o insurance. $3 with .it was less than the Metamucil fiber bar I consumed while waiting. Go figure.
The rx makes my pressure too low and my heart race… So I guess I’ll have to do it all again. Survival of the fittest.
At one time 148/98 would have been a drastic improvement in my bp. Morbid high blood pressure runs in my family and mine’s been under control with meds for a while now, thank God and modern medicine. Nothing to mess with…
Haha! Count me in the White Coat Syndrome Group, too. And I was in for a physical last week. It must operate on a totally subconscious level because I’m not even aware I’m tense.
My doctor is cool though. He knows that the first reading is gonna be high. Then we chit chat about The Beatles or something for a few minutes and he takes it again. Like magic, it’s down.
Fur, at least get your doctor to buy you dinner first before you bend over. Don’t give it away for free.
I’m scared to death to ever have to be put on a life sustaining meds. I’m scared that our country is rabidly going in the crapper and fear pharmaceutical companies will be no longer. Then where and what will happen to someone on BP meds etc.? Scary !
LOL awww that sucks, Fur!
I once got so mad at the front office at a dr appointment I actually called up my insurance and changed doctors while I was waiting for my prescription to be written out. 😀
It was a series of very serious mistakes that they made that just finally made me snap at them.
Pee Ess:
ALWAYS always AlWayS get your Rx written out and handed to you. Did I say always? Yeah, always.
I learned that the hard way a long time ago.
Wait I got something along these lines. My wife takes the 5 yo to doctor complaining about ear. Goes to Nurse practitioner…Inner ear infection as a result from last week’s strep throat and cold the week prior to that. Calls Sam’s Club for the script….they don’t have the antibiotic or another so she calls Walmart gets a price quote for it of $4.
Great. Takes daughter home to get some food in her and leaves for Walmart when I arrive home. Gets to Walmart and they say they screwed up and the script will cost $90 not $4. Needless to say the wife has a cow and all this n 4 hrs sleep and it’s rag time. After toying with the idea of giving the little girl a horse pill or even spreading it over food(bitter stuff), I said get the freaking concocted suspension and get back here. The pharmacist calls wife back and says she’ll give it to her for the $4 price becasue she feels horrible about the misquoted price.
Thank you very much and she leaves but that’s only part of it. We’re both floored at why Walmart would give any thought to charge $86 for five minutes worth of work to add sugar and flavoring to nullify the bitter taste of the powdered antibiotic? Anyone?
BTW, glad you made it out alive BFH.
FarmWife, start googling about non-Rx remedies. You’d be amazed at what’s out there, and WORKS.
Lots of stuff doesn’t get publicized, since there’s no big bucks in it. For example, I’ve heard, more than a few times, that cherries rapidly combat gout. Heard this first-hand, and then checked the webz. Yup, seems ts true.
Me, I’ve got diabetic neuropathy. None of the Rx’ed meds touched the burning/pain/numbness. Then I heard about alpha lipoic acid (OTC and pretty inexpensive). Checked the net, and all good stuff, including from the National Institutes of Health. Only down-sides I saw mentioned that it doesn’t work for everyone and (horrors!!!) it may lower your blood sugar level. Also does good anti-oxidant stuff and nerve sheath repair and other stuff.
My MD is very open to researching my frequent questions (as is my pharmacy).
I agree with your concern. When the SHTF, it’ll be hard for us peons to get commercial medications.
Hey Biggie, when you go postal, can you scream “I did this for Menderman!”? I need that to raise the prices of your beautiful artwork I own. I’m gonna need the extra cash to pay off my medical bills.
Thanks man!
PS: get well soon
I learned the hard way about five years ago, to ONLY accept paper prescriptions.
p.s. I’m the queen of white coat syndrome. And my doctor and all the nurses think I’m a beotch. I worked hard at that, but once I established that in their minds, they don’t mess with me. They just give me what I want.
Oh, and BTW, Floriduh is not part of the south…hasn’t been for decades. It’s more like Trenton with palm trees and a Puerto Rican accent. I do hear the bingo is fun though.
AmericanBTG – yes I’m big on vitamins and I take herbs. I quit my doctor two years ago. I think they’ll all quacks.
Glad you made it through alive with cranium intact.
I like Chalupa’s advice, though. Petite doc with small hands. Definitely. My dentist doesn’t so much, but she makes up for it by being a hard core conservative who talks about what an idiot Obama is the whole time she’s working on me. Plus, she has huge bosoms that she can use to pin my head against the chair when she needs to pull a molar or something. Who cares about hand size? And there’s no need for novacaine.
When I was in the hospital this summer I had to learn to tell the night nurses to retake my BP if the top # was under 100. If not they would come back in 20 minutes later,per docs orders, and wake me up to do it again. A couple of times when it was still under 100 I’d ask the nurse to ask me what I think of Obama because that would get me 5 or so.
98/50ish was not uncommon at 4 AM. Daytime was 110/60ish.
Menderman, really depends which part of Florida you’re in. Paradoxically, northern Florida is definitely the South (with a capital S). South Florida (or so they call it) is either the north, or Cuba, or a combination of the two.
FUR, Yea, got the same problem. I miss my doctors appointment because I’m trying to make enough money to save what I think I own and the fucking doctor cuts me off my high blood pressure meds.Then I’m told your gonna die. So I ask them when? No responce. Then I tell them thanks for killing me, all that plaque can’t be good. I fucking hate doctors. They killed my mom, that’s no shit.
Okay, any of you that are over 40 and are not taking CoEnzyme Q-10, get your behind to COSTCO (where I have found it to be the least expensive) and get yourself some. No cardiac issues – take 100-150mg, high BP, or any other cardiovascular issues take 250-350mg. NOW! And every day for the rest of your life. If you are currently seeing a cardiologist and he has not yet prescribed it for you, get a new one.
It will not adversely interact with other medications and the majority of people with hypertension will find that they can DC their script, or take a smaller dose. Plus, it has the added bonus of being good for your immune system.
Oh, and no statin drugs. NO STATIN DRUGS. Your brain is made of cholesterol. I think there is a pretty clear link between statins and cognitive impairment.
This advice is from your friendly critical care nurse. 🙂
Indie – Spot on about statins. I’m not a medico, but I interact with medical-issue-people all day. When they tell me they get get leg pains, I amaze them by saying you’re taking blood pressure med X (or Y, or Z), right? Yup. I then tell them, since I’m not a doctor, to get down to their drugstore and tell the pharmacist (who’ll tell them to stop the meds and get to the MD). Statins suck.
Add – same with anti-cholesterol meds as I said above.
I don’t get too excited unless I’m over 170/105.
But I’ve got 4 bp meds to choose from. Here is my best advice:
1. Get on the cheap stuff. $4/mo from the Wal Mart List.
2. Tell your doctor you’re going out of the country on business and need extra while you’re overseas.
3. Get a one year script with no limits on refills, and then just go to your drug store 6 weeks early about 4 -6 times. Build up a 6-9 month cushion for the apocalypse.
Hey BigFurHat!
I have to take high blood pressure medicine too. It all happened when my kidneys were starting to get all toxic from the…well, you know! 😉
I had a guy named Doc introduce me to “Letting Go Of Stress” by Dr. Emmett Miller. There are four exercises on there and they truly do work. I’ve been listening to it regularly for years and it really does work and lowers blood pressure. Check it out! http://www.amazon.com/Letting-Go-Stress-Steven-Halpern/dp/B00009N1WZ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412306994&sr=8-1&keywords=letting+go+of+stress
One nutwad at the gawd almighty Cleveland Clinic (world class health care if you’re an oil rich Arab) told me there was nothing wrong with me except I was lazy, depressed and needed to see their shrinks.
If I had listened to that goat humper I would be dead.
A humble D.O. in Canton, OH figured out I had invasive carcinoma. The gawd almighty Cleveland Clinic confused Stage 2 Step B invasive carcinoma with ‘laziness and depression’. Eff U Cleveland Clinic. 13 years cancer free no thanks to your barely speaks English imported ‘Doctor’.
Sorry about the OT rant.
Hope you get your meds and chew someone’s dumbass of tomorrow.
If not I know some really great veterinarians.
Remember me? Hoo boy! Welcome to Fl (I live here, too).
Land of maroons!
@LocoBlancoSaltine: Speaking of meds, a few years ago I go pick up some meds at the pharmacy, and I was given another persons meds with the same name as mine! Highly lethal drugs that I could have sold on the street for big bucks! After leaving the store and discovering the error, I could have owned that store. I called corporate and told them of the mistake. A whole lot of picking up med protocols came into place. I returned the meds, but really watch out what you’re given, weed is now legal in many states and the clerks don’t pay attention. Look out for yourself!
I use an ace inhibitor.I understand it is better for the kidneys, whereas a beta blocker is better for the heart. I did discover that my bp did rise at night while I slept. So my doc wrote it for twice daily. I got him to bump it up to 20 mg per tablet, twice per day. I take one and cut in half, so one yearly script will last two years. BP stays at 130 over 85.
Sorry about your day BFH. By the time doctors are done with you, you need a doctor to undo the damage.
My system for avoiding this nonsense is simple – I haven’t been to a MD since 1948. No that’s not a typo.
Haven’t gotten off scott-free though. Since I was one of those weird people who wasn’t afraid of the dentist – as long as he administered novocaine with a garden hose – so my appointments were regular. I lost most of my teeth in one swoop at age 40.
It seemed I developed a little vision problem and had it checked by a fancy specialist at the major eye hospital here. Now I’m blind in one eye.
When I went for my last eyeglass prescription update, a wizened gnome in a white coat reviewed my file. She wanted to know what prescriptions I take. I told her “none”. She squinted at me as if I was lying. How could anyone get to the age of 77.5 without a fistful of prescriptions? Downright unAmerican!!!
A Sandybanks,
Give ’em hell, Marine! 😉
Contrary to AmGToG,
I strongly prefer Publix to WinnDixie where I am.
They offer Amlodipin and Lisinopril for free for BP.
Whether it works or not I can’t say (don’t play a doctor on TV).
The comment about Magnesium sounds interesting…never heard that before.
@BFH, I went to a urologist once who grew up on a small farm, on which his morning chore was milking the cows. I WISHED he had fingers merely like cigars.
But…but…Obama care is FREEEEEEEEEE!!! You’ll save over $2,500 a YEAR!
Gotta go. If I don’t give my pig breakfast, he’ll never fly me to school.
If you think getting your meds now is difficult,just wait until you’re 75.
Hey BFH and all the rest – Google “dead doctors don’t lie” and follow the rabbit trail. You won’t be disappointed.
I don’t go to the dr of any kind. Last time I was at a dr was for the snip snip. He asked about whether I get checkups or something, I was in my 30s then. I said “No I feel fine”. He gave me some line to get me worried about that.
Last time I was at the Dr for being sick I had pneumonia and that was in college in the mid 90s. I got a strong scrip and lived on my parents couch for a week, didn’t go to the hospital even though they (the dr) wanted to admit me. It went away just fine.
Before that when I was 15 I wrecked a 4 wheeler into a barbed wire fence. Family friend who is a Dr (the same one for pneumonia) gave me a tetanus shot and taped up the gashes.
I love my dentist, my primary MD and her lovely staff, my cardio MD, Dr. Hartley lol, and my pharmacy.
The advantage of living in a small town, they all know if you ain’t happy, the whole town will know they suck.
Health care is important, sorry for y’alls trials and tribulations.
Shift! 3pm on Friday and I just got a call from Dr’s office with blood work results.
“Your this cholesterol is 175 and that one is 234 and we’re going to up your dosage of to 40mg.”
– I asked what they are “upping”, since I don’t have a cholesterol med, she said “o. Starting you on…” – not til I know what is is, I’m thinking.
“Let us know if you have any problems.” -as in, they expect me to have problesm once I start this? Strike one.
Interesting. I put the drug Fukidol above in angle brackets and it isn’t there now.
(Couldn’t hear what the lady said on the phone)
Roundabout these here parts, we don’t see a MD unless we’re gonna get cut. Ordinarily, we see a Physician’s Assistant or Family Nurse Practitioner.
I’m on high blood pressure and cholesterol meds and they told me not to come back for a year – unless I ran into some problem.
Just call Wal Mart for refills.
AmGToG & Indie….
I’m getting that CO-Emzyme Q10 tomorrow! Have HBP but the med has been keeping it around 135/70 which is pretty good.
But hubby takes a 1/2 of a statin & gets leg cramps! And he’s getting so forgetful! (Heck I’m the one who will get “Oldtimers’ disease!! Runs in the family.) I told him to stop taking it. Heck his total cholesterol is like 105! That seems too low!