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Doctors Visit

rosebud5

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A month ago I made an appointment with my new Urologist to establish a strategy for getting rid of my 15mm size kidney stone. He noted my previous history with prostate issues and started asking me questions about was my prostate. My PSA has been a little elevated for years and in fact, I had a biopsy six years ago that tested negative. He started telling me all the things they can do now if the prostate was interfering with normal body functions. We eventually got around to my kidney stone.

Today was my follow-up visit. From the start, he just wanted to talk about my prostate again. We discussed the results of a new prostate cancer screening blood test I took during the initial visit, apparently better than the PSA. He also told me to make additional appointments related to prostate evaluation and functioning. After 10 minutes he asked me if I had any additional questions and what else he could do for him. I very nicely told me my appointment was for my kidney stone. He was obviously embarrassed and apologized and said he was sorry. We then discussed the stone.

The more I think of it, prostate work must be pretty profitable these days. Would you go back to this guy?
 

geekette

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ooo, tough question. I have left many doctors after one visit.

If you are getting good advice, I'd go back, chalking this up to not sufficient time to review your chart before the appointment and it could have been 'everyone is prostate today' support staff review, or previous notes on this follow up weren't quite accurate. Maybe you were the first Mr Jones that day and he was thinking about the 4 pm Mr Jones.

I like to grant 'absent minded professor' latitude with very busy people that happen to be very smart. I would get a copy of my records before deciding. It's what's in there that people will pay attention to, and if you aren't recorded accurately there, good luck ever getting recorded correctly there. It will never be 'fixed'. There is no controlling what is written about you, but, you don't have to drag those records around. I completely omit some doctors from 'who else have you seen for this' based on oblivious notes in my files. If they got it wrong, I'm not putting that in front of my next doctor. It turns out that a doctor they've never met is going to be instantly much more credible than the person in front of them that owns the body being discussed.
 

elaine

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that is likely a front staff issue in which they did not note the reason for the appt. Assuming he gave good advice, I'd give him another shot. I tend to "remind" my (excellent) Dr. of outstanding issues at the beginning of the appt. Seeing 15+ patients a day and only seeking him at a 6 month interval, I'm OK to remind him of focused issues.
 

bogey21

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When I visit my Doctor I take two copies of a "cheat sheet" I have prepared listing the things I want to discuss. I give one copy to my Doctor and keep one. My Doctor is good about it and we go over my items first then follow up with anything on her agenda. This works well...

George
 

DaveNV

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Because doctors schedule appointments of different length based on the reason for the appointment, I'd give him the benefit of the doubt this time around. The fact that he did discuss the kidney stone issue bodes well for his interest in your health. My doctor usually asks what brought me in to the clinic that day, so I have a chance to tell him what's foremost on my mind. A good Urologist can be hard to find, so if he's good otherwise, I'd give him another chance.

Prostate issues are very common among men of a certain age, and apparently your history must be something he wants to get sorted out.

Dave
 

easyrider

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"The more I think of it, prostate work must be pretty profitable these days. "

Ten + years ago my doctor said my PSA test indicated "aggressive cancer" and they wanted to do a biopsy. I thought that aggressive cancer had to worse than regular cancer so I was a bit freaked out. I wasn't for the biopsy without another opinion by a specialist. The specialist did another PSA test and after the examination she thought I had an infected prostate. My doctor didn't agree so he did another PSA test and examination and thought she might be right but still wanted a biopsy. Because I wouldn't do the biopsy he had me come in every couple of months for an examination until he said every thing was good. In total it was five examinations and three PSA tests.

Skip to a couple of years ago and I had a new young female doctor that went through my file. She noticed my PSA test was on the high side of normal so she did an examination. I was sent to a specialist where they did another PSA test and examination. It was the same doctor from before and she said I was fine. Then back to my doctor for a follow up.

After reading your post I kind of wonder.

Bill
 

JudyH

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So how’s the kidney stone? I had one. Worse than the unmedicated childbirth I experienced 22 years earlier. You got some good advice here. See him again. Remind him about the stone first thing. You control the conversation.
 

bogey21

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Back in 2000 I was diagnosed with prostate cancer and treated it with radiation. In 2005 it came back and I was treated using cryosurgery (freezing my prostate to some ridiculous minus temperature) and have been fine since. Two things. First, if you stay calm and don't freak out biopsies aren't all that bad. Second, my Doctor who was the head of Urology at a major hospital told me something I'll never forget as it led me to finding the recurrence in 2005. He told me that the absolute PSA number wasn't the important thing, that what is more important is the rate of change in one's PSA....

George
 
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