went to the quack last night (true story) big old mongrel he was, yellow nicotine stained moustache, big old gnarly grizzled hands the size of dinner plates, food stain on the shirt, scruffy hair, trousers up to his armpits, come from the dark ages, he came out to the waiting area, which I might add seemed a little bit empty, he shouts loud enough to bring in the cows NEXT!!!!!, I looks around no-one else here but me so I must be next, goes in he says in a big booming voice "SIT THERE" I did, he says "WHAT THE BLOODY HELLS  WRONG WITH YOU"  I said "it's my arthritis playing up something cruel"  "WHEREABOUTS" he say's "in my left shoulder, whenever I lift it above my head, it hurts"  the answer he gave was simple and straight to the point "WELL THEN  DONT BLOODY LIFT IT UP THERE "   to which he proceeded to the waiting room door and shouted "NEXT" absolutely true story, I kid you not !!!   

Come on.Davo..He'd be in that much trouble with the medical board...He'd be out on his ear.....And if he said that to me.....He'd be on his arse

well I guess both options were and still are available to me, I could report him or do him some damage. both of which does me or my shoulder no good, I will just go and see one of these new overseas doctors that I just cant plain understand, that is when I get the time again, because mate, whether you believe it or not is irrelevent, this is the state of physicians we are left with, we live in an age where we have second rate services if any at all, we have no choice, we see these people or we see no-one, me in the meantime still have a very agrevated shoulder and I must still attend work tomorrow, as I stated, true story.
my son has a couple of growths that I want removed, step (1) took a week to get an apointment with his physician, step (2) took a month for initial consultation with surgeon, step (3)  another month for ultra sound consultant appointment, step (4) 6 weeks to get another consultation with surgeon after results of ultra sound is known, step (5) book son in to hospital for non essential surgery, current waiting list 12 months. so I am staring down the barrel of not having his op done before we take off for good, answer we put our lives off until it is done. the health system is bursting at the seams, we grab the appointments with the dregs of doctors or get behind all the others and wait your turn. me I just smile and get on with life, what else can I do, havent got the time, money or energy to belt them or take them to court, if I belt him I lose, if I sue him his insurance goes up and it costs me more to go and see another doctor if we get a replacement at all, I lose!!! I'll just go and see another one when we are not so busy


-- Edited by dave06 at 22:18, 2008-10-30

-- Edited by dave06 at 22:24, 2008-10-30

hey mate at least he spoke Aussie.LOL.Cheers Ibbo.

I'm with you Dave. I've lost total confidence in the medical profession. Have had the added priviledge three years ago to have "the best neurosurgeon" in Canberra (young bloke, of course) who was trained under the best at St Vincents in Sydney. Four hour Op. major stuff, but a simple process done thousands of times. What's more it took only THREE hours. BUT two days later when pain had not subsided and I couldn't walk at all had to go back into theatre to repair chipped vertabrae where he put one of the screws (double fusion it was). Fixed that and had to attach a metal rod for strength and stability. Bingo! Next day was walking as if nothing had happened.
Point is, I was in top cover with MBF, had been for years, top surgeon, top hospital and they still got it wrong. It was hushed up pretty well.
So what hope now with no cover and a pension? Probably no difference in how they are trained.
My GP is supportive (good Irish sense of humour) and understands I will have no more surgery. Pills help daily and I'll settle for that. Because life is too short. Just need ot make sure of a strong matress and a straight-backed chair for my rig.

sue-ellen I was not going to release this info about what happened to our son in fear of further derogeratory accusations, but in the light of you talking about your mishap I will speak of our sons botched operation, remembering that he is mild/severe cerebral palsy we took him to a general practioner, (chinese) he has been our sons general since his birth, he was diagnosed with a hernia, consulatation with surgeon (malaysian) confirmed previous diagnoses hernia to LEFT side, immediate surgery required, surgery completed, upon release to surgical ward when I was allowed to see my son he was in extreme discomfort, could not sit up, could not sit still, upon examination of surgical area I discovered he had been opened up on BOTH bloody sides almost cut from left to right, we went to great pains to get an aenethitist to localise pain killers for the anasetic so no pain could be felt by him (never had any before, wouldnt understand pain) this little prick had opened him up like a can of sardines, meeting with the surgeon he immediately said "oh well we know there is nothing wrong with the right side" he blamed and sacked his private nurse for writing down the wrong side, I stayed with him of course for as long as I could stand the lack of attention that is necesary for a "special child" until I got fed up with having to attend him 24 hours a day with no help from hospital staff, I discharged him and took him home, the hospital did not even allow us to take a wheelchair to get him to our car, we get used to this treatment and refuse to sue (not the australian way) but it's got to change or we will have an american system that does not work. you talk about flattening an old general practitioner, it was all I could do to fight back the tears of anger and not kill that barstard

You have to admit the doc was right if it hurts stop doing it with that arm and use the other . You don't need to lift your arm above your head to down a schooner . If it's arthritis then it's there to stay and no bloody doc has a fix for it. Two Panadol every four hours a max of eight per day and work through the pain

yeah I agree with that but a shot of quartozol works wonders, this mongrel didnt want to know about it, got a shot from outpatients this morning, wet weather gives me a bit of time, lot better now.