Since having Joshua, I pretty much have a hate-hate relationship with doctors. I’ve yet to meet one who doesn’t think he’s of superior intellect and ideas. Or God. Or at the very least A god. And I’m a mere mortal not fit to have control of fire.
I? I’m pretty intelligent. And capable of wielding the fire-power without burning my face off. Or my house down.
You know how I railed against the lovely Lady Times that visit me all too frequently? Well, I had a doctor’s appointment today. With a doctor who joined this practice after I’d had Joshua.
This doctor comes strolling in with his high cheekbones (Skeletor-like in proportion), tan, slicked back hair, AND GOLD CHAIN NECKLACE and I immediately didn’t like him.
I knew from the minute he opened his mouth I wasn’t going to like him. Knew it.
And I don’t.
I thought about waiting until June to call and make an appointment, and then I decided to go ahead and schedule a consultation because I KNOW the PCOS is back.
For one, my cycle length is crazy.
Two, I’m pretty sure I haven’t ovulated since I stopped the pill the first week of March.
Third, my leg and armpit hair are growing like I’m some kind of wildebeest. (Are those even real things?)
Fourth, SHINY FACE OH MY GOD.
Fifth? Zits. Like a 14 year old boy.
Sixth. No weight loss even when paying careful attention to my food intake and regularly exercising.
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Seventh. When I’m emotional, I feel it in my ovaries. I’m serious. It sounds ridiculous. I know. I KNOW. But I’m telling you, I feel it in my ovaries. I feel like there are tears somewhere in there and I feel like they are coming from my ovaries.
Eighth…do I really need to go on or can I stop there? Do you get the idea that I’m in tune enough with myself to know that something isn’t normal with me?
Good. Because something isn’t normal with me.
I thought, at the very least, he’d want to know what’s been going on with me. When I picked up my phone to look at my charts to tell him the start and end days of the three cycles I’ve had, I could hear him rolling his eyes at the fact that there was a chart-er in his exam room. His disdain for a more natural approach to this was palpable.
He said “You don’t need to do this. This is a waste of your time. I have ways of knowing if you’re ovulating that are better. I did my fellowship with the NIH.”
I’m not kidding. He said that. And he threw in that bit about the NIH twice. Like that makes me feel any more comfortable with a doctor about his ability to know ME when this is the very first time he’s met me.
He says “Just use OPKs. And then come in on day 21 and we’ll do a blood draw. And if your progesterone level is higher than 3 micrograms per somethingorother we’ll know you ovulated.”
Um. Okay. Cool. But at this point, I AM NOT MAKING IT TO 21 DAY CYCLES YOU NEWB WITH THE NIH FELLOWSHIP.
I fumbled a couple more times with the phone to find the information he was asking for and he said “No RE I know has used charts in 15 years.”
I hope he could sense that I was seething. I’m positive I was radiating “WTF” from my pores.
So, I’m going to keep charting and pee on his precious and “99% accurate” OPKs (pee sticks he suggests I pee on at 2:00 in the afternoon, mind you, when I’m, oh, I dunno, DOING MY JOB) and I’m going to go in for that blood draw next Thursday, as much for my own curiosity as for his.
And then I’ll go back for the follow-up in two weeks to get those results. And if he pulls this “I am awesome with my slick hair and fellowship with the NIH” bullshish again?
I’m out.
I have a long history of pissing doctors off by going in fully prepared to tell them — and back up — what they felt it was only right they be the one to figure out and tell me. I did this in regards to myself from the time I was a child, and now I do it in regards to my son, to both his physical and his neurological issues, too.
Needless to say, they have a long history of pissing me off, on the same account.
I didn’t realize how arrogant doctors WERE until after I had my son. Now? They make me cranky almost every time I have to go to their office.
I hate him. I think he’s an idiot. I charted SUCCESSFULLY for two of my pregnancies. I used OPKs both times…only they were not only not 99% accurate, they were flat out WRONG. I started not trusting my temps and cervical fluids because the OPKs kept telling me I was definitely not ovulating. Except that I was. And I got pregnant, obviously. I went back and looked at the charts, and they were textbook. I could easily tell when I ovulated, but those stupid sticks most definitely could not. And I was not alone–I talked to several people who never got positives on them but were ovulating all along. For some people, they just don’t work. Period. And if he’s so brilliant, he should know that. If you ever want to switch practices and get away from this douchecanoe, I can send you in the direction of some awesome doctors and midwives.
I’d say that my charting was successful with Joshua in that it was the first sign that something wasn’t right. I know that charting is “reactive” instead of proactive because it tells you about ovulation after the fact, but after several months, you get the pattern, and that’s what I think he fails to realize as the value in charting.
The main thing holding me back from leaving is the proximity to my school. The idea that I’d have to take a half day or day off every time I need to go to the doctor is daunting.
And THAT is why I refuse to go to a male doctor. Especially a male lady-bit doctor.
Stupid jerk. I hate him, too!!
There’s another male doctor in this practice and I actually love him. He’s fantastic.
This guy? Yeah. I’m not singing his praises.
If he is so smart than WHY day 21 b/w??? Idiot. Honestly, the only ‘textbook’ cycle I had was the one I ended up pregnant, and I didn’t ever get a true positive on the OPKS.
He says CD 21 because the “average” cycle is between 25 and 35 days for “normal” so by 21, we should definitely be able to see ovulation via progesterone. I actually don’t have a problem with the CD 21 b/w date as I know from research (and my treatment with Joshua) that that’s a pretty normal date.
I also never got a true positive OPK when I used them last time.
i do not love this twatwaffle.
and I so do not understand why there are so few great docs out there. I love ALL of my docs. I had no idea I was in a minority. It makes me so angry and sad.
I do not love this twatwaffle either.
::sigh::
I thought I HAD great doctors. And I did until I became completely disillusioned with them and educated about what makes doctors good–the ability to LISTEN.
OK, I totally hate this guy. WTH? I have been very fortunate to have doctors who trust my intuition and knowledge of my own body. Sure, they order tests to confirm what I already know. But they don’t treat me like an idiot. Only rarely have I had to deal with an a**hat like that. Thank gawd. Any time I encounter one, it’s “NEXT!”
The other male doctor in the practice is just as you described–trusting of the fact that I know myself. I know my own body.
This guy’s about to get the boot.
i don’t think i’ve ever commented on here, but i have to say one thing. if you can see a midwife, give it a try. my doctors made a lot of assumptions, and luckily everything turned out well with drew. these days i’m seeing a midwife as i try to figure out what is going on with my body after having a baby, and my midwife has been awesome. she actually told me to get the taking charge of your fertility book and do charting before doing anything else. everyone i know who has gone to a midwife says they are more willing to talk things out with you. so far i have found that to be totally true.
There’s a certified nurse midwife in the practice now, so I think she might be my last resort in staying at this office. I’ll see her if I don’t like what this doctor has to say at my consultation in two weeks. And if I don’t like her? I’ll be writing the practice a letter about how they could’ve kept me as a patient. And then I’ll be finding a new practice.
Some people need to get with the 21st century and realize that the methods women have been using to understand their bodies for centuries are valid and should be paid attention to.
Or he should at least treat you with some respect.
Grrrrrrrrrrrr….. you have the patience of a saint my dear. I think I would have pee-d on him, never mind his sticks lol. Don’t give up, even if you have to give up on him.
Hi, I’m new to your blog! I just wanted to say that I’m just a dentist/not a “real” doctor, but I know enough to listen to my patients. Generally, when people feel something is off, they’re right. Like, ALL THE TIME. This guy sounds like a major douche canoe. Keep doing what you’re doing and keep track of everything on your end. There is no reason for anyone to discourage you from keeping record of what’s going on with your health.