Denise/Dizi
16th December 2024, 19:54
I am starting this thread, as I find that on PA we debate many things, we share what we can and we teach, but there are times when I find we get wrapped around certain topics and it becomes more of a debate of opinions, versus just pointedly sharing what we have learned along the way. Real working solutions...
I didn't know where else to post these things... This first post will be very long, as it tells of a medical situation, what happened, what I learned and how I tackled it... I will post a few more individually after this one, as it may sound familiar to others, and help them too, get a more favorable outcome... These were very serious situations.... And I am sure I am not alone in having to confront them.
I have had to fire several Doctors and specialists in my life, as well as fight my insurance company as well. And as a result, I got my life back on many levels. Understanding the system is key... I did so by holding those accountable to the misuse of the "cracks in the system", that allow for those individuals whom have a predisposition to seek gains - at the cost of of the well being of others, from perpetuating such atrocities..."
The second situation (I will post the first in another post, but this one was a big one)...
I had left a major medical research study trial for a new drug therapy treatment for Multiple Sclerosis once it had ended, and at that point, was on a regimen of care that could have been written by any neurologist, so I found one closer to home, to open up a spot with the major Doctors at the hospital for someone who needed to get on a program that helped them in crisis as I was in the management stage... (That you Dr Aguis and Richmond)...
As the hospital was hours away, and I had ended the new trial. I wanted to be closer to home, and found a local Neurologist. Keep in mind that by then, I had not only been diagnoised with MS for well over 10 years, I had all the records and even the records of being in a major medical study drug research program for the treatment of MS. There was no doubt I had the condition... And there was already an established treatment plan that was being followed... I just needed a local Dr. to follow it...
This specialist wanted to profit on tests that weren't necessary. He had my files, charts, MRI results, and KNEW I was in a major medical research study to test the effects of a new drug being potentially marketed for MS patients, yet he started to test me as if I had never had a diagnosis, and ran every test under the sun... Stopping the continuing treatments that were working, in the process... I was mortified.
He held 2 medical degrees... One was Neurology, the other was Psychology. I did not know this until he ran out of "tests to profit on..." So when he ran out of tests to run and bill my insurance for? He sat me down across him in his office, where for the very first time I saw his psychology degree on the wall.... and he tried to then treat me as a patient that was there for a psychological evaluation.
He suggested that maybe I wanted to believe I had MS because of a few little "Situations" that "looked like MS". Forget the dozens of MRIs, spinal taps, and dna draws for the research program I was in, in which I was a lab rat for a new MS drug being tested. (One must have the condition definitely before chosen for such a program)... suddenly it was as if he wanted me to believe I wasn't sick, and it was all in my mind... Yes it was, scars all over my nerve sheathings, my spinal cord, this man was a sick individual...
I was so angered by his lack of making sure I went back onto proper treatment for my MS, that I said to him... "I came here for a neurological examination, NOT a psychological evaluation, and if you cannot do that, you are fired!" I was very upset, but said it calmly and as a matter of fact, so calmly that he actually laughed at me... And I was surprised at how calmly I was able to even say it... I was enraged...
He was so indignant that I knew my rights, (and I had looked up my rights by that point), and knew I had to give him 2 weeks to give me copies of my records, so I could present those to a new Neurologist, and I demanded them. I told him he had 2 weeks from that date, at which time I would return for the copies... 2 weeks later, I walked into his office and asked for said files... (To the minute as he had angered me so much)... They had not prepared them.... I stormed out of the office, and told my husband, who knew I would blow up if I walked back in there... so my husband went into his office and informed him that he only had one hour to honor my request for my records from his office, or he would be meeting my attorney...
One hour later, after having some lunch, we returned, and my husband walked out of that office with my records in hand. They were no longer laughing... I did NOT send the records to an attorney, but he was fleecing my insurance company and withholding care for profit... I notified my insurance company of his fraud, and what he was doing, and I now had proof in my hands, as I have all my other records demanding my diagnosis and previous care for such things, which he had FULL KNOWLEDGE OF...
And it felt GOOD to remind him he worked for the people... Not the insurance companies, and being allowed to bilk them for profit, all the while putting his patients into situations that could be destructive in their lives. I forced him to look in the mirror... But I am sure he continues to do that same thing to patients to this day... But I know that as I left his office that day? I informed every patient in his waiting room what he does, and that if they could, they would be better served getting a different neurologist. I tried to help others... But sadly most of them were probably on an HMO that forced them into his care. I wanted to cry for those individuals.
His reasoning for what he did? He suggested he didn't want to strap me to a lifetime of "signifigant intrusive treatments", or to treat me for such a condition, until he was absolutely sure I was "sick", even though I had been on multiple clinical trials for said condition, and it was well documented, and HE HAD THOSE RECORDS... He knew what he was doing...
He instead kept scheduling unnecessary tests for profit, while my healthcare laid in limbo.. By then I was in pretty good shape in comparison to how I had initially presented with my MS... The university hospital helped me into remission, and by waiting this neurologist was greatening the chance I may relapse without treatment, I was mortified and PISSED OFF...
And when he exhausted the amount of tests he could run, he told me he wanted to send me to his "friend" who was also a specialist who had MORE equipment, to "Diagnose me". Three hours further away than the universty hospital I was trying to avoid driving to each visit! I had had my diagnosis for many years at that point, and was just seeking a local Dr. for follow up care, my care was already established however. He was using loopholes to profit, knowing that I needed care... I had been on medications for years, had records of such things, was injecting myself in the stomach, arms, rear, and legs for years at that point, along with taking hand fulls of pills a day to treat the symptoms so I could function... And this man wanted to tell me he didn't think I had the disease?
Many Physicians, Specialists, and supporting crew have gotten to the point where they are aware of the inadequacies and "breaks in the system" that allow for them to misuse it, steal from the population, overbill, delay care for more "Tests for profit"... and make the patients suffer in the process. And I DID eventually begin to get worse as a result of his lack of care.. I ended up buying a wheelchair by the time I was forced to go back to the same neurologist again who had initially put me into remission... Thank God he was there. As a result of going back to him? I still have full mobility, abeit I have major pain, numbness and challenges I manage, and no one would know unless I told them. I am now MS shot free, and no longer take those handfull of pills daily, only pain management so I can remain mobile... The rest was a lot of hard work, forced physical therapy that the insurance wouldn't cover as they thought it was a hopeless endeavor, etc... I had to take my well being into my own hands.
The lesson here is we do have patient rights, and during that time I learned what they are. We now have the internet with vastly more information at the touch of our fingertips. I do hope that people learn, the Dr.s are just there to help us when we need it, BUT it is up to us to make sure the care we receive is what we truly need... If you are frustrated with something your Dr. is doing, or NOT doing, you DO have recourse, you just need to find it.
I am not sure if the same rules apply today in my area, but learn what they are before you seek care....
I will be posting several more nightmare care situations and what I did to fix them... Some co mingle with what I learned from the series of events I am posting... So it would be helpful to read them all, if facing multiple issues... I just don't want to muddy each lesson I learned, as someone may find themselves in a similar situation, and I want to make sure each is specific to what I faced, so they get the right resolution to each situation.
There will be more than just healthcare issues, but the first few posts will be on that topic. And I hope it helps someone... I do plan to write a journal for my grandkids, so they will feel empowered over their own choices for themselves, so if they ever find themselves facing similar situations, they will know how to navigate them in the future... Or to use this thought process to troubleshoot other similar issues.
Knowledge is power...
Having written all of that out, I DO HOPE that people share their own lessons, ON WHATEVER TOPIC... To help their fellow man gain their own strength in situations with unfortunate paths... Putting the power of the individual back into their own hands.. At this time in history, so much seems to be taken from us, or manipulated to make us believe as such, that I find this a worthy endeavor...
I didn't know where else to post these things... This first post will be very long, as it tells of a medical situation, what happened, what I learned and how I tackled it... I will post a few more individually after this one, as it may sound familiar to others, and help them too, get a more favorable outcome... These were very serious situations.... And I am sure I am not alone in having to confront them.
I have had to fire several Doctors and specialists in my life, as well as fight my insurance company as well. And as a result, I got my life back on many levels. Understanding the system is key... I did so by holding those accountable to the misuse of the "cracks in the system", that allow for those individuals whom have a predisposition to seek gains - at the cost of of the well being of others, from perpetuating such atrocities..."
The second situation (I will post the first in another post, but this one was a big one)...
I had left a major medical research study trial for a new drug therapy treatment for Multiple Sclerosis once it had ended, and at that point, was on a regimen of care that could have been written by any neurologist, so I found one closer to home, to open up a spot with the major Doctors at the hospital for someone who needed to get on a program that helped them in crisis as I was in the management stage... (That you Dr Aguis and Richmond)...
As the hospital was hours away, and I had ended the new trial. I wanted to be closer to home, and found a local Neurologist. Keep in mind that by then, I had not only been diagnoised with MS for well over 10 years, I had all the records and even the records of being in a major medical study drug research program for the treatment of MS. There was no doubt I had the condition... And there was already an established treatment plan that was being followed... I just needed a local Dr. to follow it...
This specialist wanted to profit on tests that weren't necessary. He had my files, charts, MRI results, and KNEW I was in a major medical research study to test the effects of a new drug being potentially marketed for MS patients, yet he started to test me as if I had never had a diagnosis, and ran every test under the sun... Stopping the continuing treatments that were working, in the process... I was mortified.
He held 2 medical degrees... One was Neurology, the other was Psychology. I did not know this until he ran out of "tests to profit on..." So when he ran out of tests to run and bill my insurance for? He sat me down across him in his office, where for the very first time I saw his psychology degree on the wall.... and he tried to then treat me as a patient that was there for a psychological evaluation.
He suggested that maybe I wanted to believe I had MS because of a few little "Situations" that "looked like MS". Forget the dozens of MRIs, spinal taps, and dna draws for the research program I was in, in which I was a lab rat for a new MS drug being tested. (One must have the condition definitely before chosen for such a program)... suddenly it was as if he wanted me to believe I wasn't sick, and it was all in my mind... Yes it was, scars all over my nerve sheathings, my spinal cord, this man was a sick individual...
I was so angered by his lack of making sure I went back onto proper treatment for my MS, that I said to him... "I came here for a neurological examination, NOT a psychological evaluation, and if you cannot do that, you are fired!" I was very upset, but said it calmly and as a matter of fact, so calmly that he actually laughed at me... And I was surprised at how calmly I was able to even say it... I was enraged...
He was so indignant that I knew my rights, (and I had looked up my rights by that point), and knew I had to give him 2 weeks to give me copies of my records, so I could present those to a new Neurologist, and I demanded them. I told him he had 2 weeks from that date, at which time I would return for the copies... 2 weeks later, I walked into his office and asked for said files... (To the minute as he had angered me so much)... They had not prepared them.... I stormed out of the office, and told my husband, who knew I would blow up if I walked back in there... so my husband went into his office and informed him that he only had one hour to honor my request for my records from his office, or he would be meeting my attorney...
One hour later, after having some lunch, we returned, and my husband walked out of that office with my records in hand. They were no longer laughing... I did NOT send the records to an attorney, but he was fleecing my insurance company and withholding care for profit... I notified my insurance company of his fraud, and what he was doing, and I now had proof in my hands, as I have all my other records demanding my diagnosis and previous care for such things, which he had FULL KNOWLEDGE OF...
And it felt GOOD to remind him he worked for the people... Not the insurance companies, and being allowed to bilk them for profit, all the while putting his patients into situations that could be destructive in their lives. I forced him to look in the mirror... But I am sure he continues to do that same thing to patients to this day... But I know that as I left his office that day? I informed every patient in his waiting room what he does, and that if they could, they would be better served getting a different neurologist. I tried to help others... But sadly most of them were probably on an HMO that forced them into his care. I wanted to cry for those individuals.
His reasoning for what he did? He suggested he didn't want to strap me to a lifetime of "signifigant intrusive treatments", or to treat me for such a condition, until he was absolutely sure I was "sick", even though I had been on multiple clinical trials for said condition, and it was well documented, and HE HAD THOSE RECORDS... He knew what he was doing...
He instead kept scheduling unnecessary tests for profit, while my healthcare laid in limbo.. By then I was in pretty good shape in comparison to how I had initially presented with my MS... The university hospital helped me into remission, and by waiting this neurologist was greatening the chance I may relapse without treatment, I was mortified and PISSED OFF...
And when he exhausted the amount of tests he could run, he told me he wanted to send me to his "friend" who was also a specialist who had MORE equipment, to "Diagnose me". Three hours further away than the universty hospital I was trying to avoid driving to each visit! I had had my diagnosis for many years at that point, and was just seeking a local Dr. for follow up care, my care was already established however. He was using loopholes to profit, knowing that I needed care... I had been on medications for years, had records of such things, was injecting myself in the stomach, arms, rear, and legs for years at that point, along with taking hand fulls of pills a day to treat the symptoms so I could function... And this man wanted to tell me he didn't think I had the disease?
Many Physicians, Specialists, and supporting crew have gotten to the point where they are aware of the inadequacies and "breaks in the system" that allow for them to misuse it, steal from the population, overbill, delay care for more "Tests for profit"... and make the patients suffer in the process. And I DID eventually begin to get worse as a result of his lack of care.. I ended up buying a wheelchair by the time I was forced to go back to the same neurologist again who had initially put me into remission... Thank God he was there. As a result of going back to him? I still have full mobility, abeit I have major pain, numbness and challenges I manage, and no one would know unless I told them. I am now MS shot free, and no longer take those handfull of pills daily, only pain management so I can remain mobile... The rest was a lot of hard work, forced physical therapy that the insurance wouldn't cover as they thought it was a hopeless endeavor, etc... I had to take my well being into my own hands.
The lesson here is we do have patient rights, and during that time I learned what they are. We now have the internet with vastly more information at the touch of our fingertips. I do hope that people learn, the Dr.s are just there to help us when we need it, BUT it is up to us to make sure the care we receive is what we truly need... If you are frustrated with something your Dr. is doing, or NOT doing, you DO have recourse, you just need to find it.
I am not sure if the same rules apply today in my area, but learn what they are before you seek care....
I will be posting several more nightmare care situations and what I did to fix them... Some co mingle with what I learned from the series of events I am posting... So it would be helpful to read them all, if facing multiple issues... I just don't want to muddy each lesson I learned, as someone may find themselves in a similar situation, and I want to make sure each is specific to what I faced, so they get the right resolution to each situation.
There will be more than just healthcare issues, but the first few posts will be on that topic. And I hope it helps someone... I do plan to write a journal for my grandkids, so they will feel empowered over their own choices for themselves, so if they ever find themselves facing similar situations, they will know how to navigate them in the future... Or to use this thought process to troubleshoot other similar issues.
Knowledge is power...
Having written all of that out, I DO HOPE that people share their own lessons, ON WHATEVER TOPIC... To help their fellow man gain their own strength in situations with unfortunate paths... Putting the power of the individual back into their own hands.. At this time in history, so much seems to be taken from us, or manipulated to make us believe as such, that I find this a worthy endeavor...