Posted by Racer on July 23, 2005, at 18:31:15
In reply to Re: Need some help here » Racer, posted by MidnightBlue on July 22, 2005, at 21:15:49
Sorry for the delay, I just saw this today.
Let's see what else I can offer...
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> I asked my internist for suggestions and out of over 50 he picked two.That's about right -- usually, doctors recommend those doctors they have some experience with. Sometimes that means that they play tennis together twice a week, but more often it means that they share enough patients to trust each other as a referral. Recommending two is about as many as I usually hear.
> I checked them out with the AMA and state board. Only one is board certified and he was the second choice.
Board certification is great, but not necessary. It is one way to check credentials, but I've seen a lot of good doctors who were not board certified. In fact, my very well liked, very well respected by his peers, trusted, and excellent Dr CattleProd is not board certified. He has been head of several departments, including head of a psych department at a teaching hospital, has extensive experience and training in all phases of psychiatry, including ECT, and is a very excellent psychopharmacologist. The fact that the board certified doctor was second choice might tell you something -- that he's the second choice, despite the certification...
>I also checked out a few other people. One I think trained in another state with my all time favorite pdoc who I miss terribly!
Be careful that you're not trying to maintain a connection to your old pdoc, by seeing this one. I know that it's tempting, but be sure that you're still impressed and comfortable when you see this guy -- even if he does have good stories about your old pdoc, you know?
>The other is older but a full professor at two medical centers and received some kind of award from a mental health alliance for being an outstanding pdoc.
>That does tend to mean something. Check the award, though, to make sure it's based on what his clients think of him, rather than on what his peers think of him. While the peers may know something, it's the client experience that you care about.
> What on earth should I do now? My internist offered Cymbalta, but I just started crying because I know I won't get the emotional support I will need to be able to try a new drug. He really wants me to see a pdoc. It will be a 10-20 mile drive in heavy traffic. Sigh.....
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> MidnightBlue
>Yeah, I gotta agree there. I think you're too new to know about what I was going through last year, but let's just say that I know how important it is to have that support when you start a new drug.
Take a deep breath now, and know that what I'm about to say comes only from concern: when you write about the drive, and the traffic, it kinda sounds as though you're at that point in depression where it's gonna take you a major effort just to get to someone who can help. Forget the traffic, try to make an appointment during the down time of the day, and remember that 20 miles is nothing if it results in you getting better. I drive 60 miles to see my dentist. And there are plenty of dentists much closer.
I won't offer any advice about what I think you "should" do, but I will tell you what I think I would do in your situation: I would first call the number one choice from my GP, and maybe make an initial appointment with him/her. If it didn't feel right to me, I would thank him/her for the time, and say it's not working for me -- and leave. Right then and there, even if I were in the middle of the appointment when I realized it wouldn't work. And in that case, I would move on to the second choice, and so on.
Remember, you get to make a choice. You don't have to continue to see a doctor who just doesn't work for you. You can fire a doctor! (And trust me: it feels really, really good to do so!)
poster:Racer
thread:528110
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050723/msgs/532311.html