Hi, Marnie - and welcome!
I'm so sorry you're in such distress. I'm hoping Heather will respond to your post - but could I offer some thoughts and a suggestion, based on my own experience as both an anxious patient and a health-care researcher (just as a layperson / volunteer - not a professional)?
1. Doctors may read all the info in your chart, like your meds, but they may not comprehend the signifigance. For instance, if you're taking an anti-anxiety med, it may not stand out to a GI specialist... to him, it's a "peripheral issue" even though the anxiety is inter-related to your GI problems.
2. Doctors aren't mind-readers and unfortunately they're not always "looking" for cues from us that they need to give us more information. Often, they give us just what THEY think we "need to know". Sometimes, we have to work harder at communicating with them - to get their attention.
3. Since you don't have a lot of time before the colonoscopy, but you have so many concerns and questions, could you try typing / writing these out in very brief, to- the-point language, perhaps in list format - and then faxing it to the GI doc? Start out with your name, birthdate, SS # (so they can find your chart), and the procedure and the date for which it's scheduled, then include a "subject" line. Ex:
From: Marnie Smith
BD: 04/09/52
SS#: 123-45-6789
Procedure: Colonoscopy
Scheduled for: Wed 09/24/2003
Regarding: NEED CLARIFICATION OF INSTRUCTIONS
Ask for "clarification" of the pre-procedure instructions regarding supplements and medications,etc. Prioritize your concerns, keep it to one page - no more than that - and ask for a reply from the doctor or his nurse. Offer the doctor some options for replying to you: you could ask the doctor to have his scheduler set up a phone appointment at a specific time, or give him your email address or a fax number to which he could reply. Give hours you'll be available to talk and include your phone #. Acknowledge in your message that you're being treated for anxiety and having these questions / concerns addressed would be very helpful to you, and, very important, thank the doctor for his valuable time. You might write something like, "I realize this request may be somewhat unusual, but any consideration you can give me will be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for any courtesy you would be willing to extend to me." (Just FYI: some doctors bill patients for phone appointments or letters - insurance may not cover).
It may seem overwhelming to edit your concerns down to a brief list, but you have the main points in your post. Just put them in some kind of orderly list - bullet points or 1, 2, 3, etc.
Doctors (and their assistants) are often just overwhelmed with phone messages to return, etc. This is almost like applying for a job - just as you'd want your resume to "stand out", you want your letter / fax to stand out and grab their attention. Doctors often don't respond well to anxiety and / or anything they might (wrongly) construe as "whining" - they're much more likely to respond positively to something that's carefully thought out and organized.
I can't guarantee this will get results but it might be worth your time to try... I realize that you're feeling really anxious, exhausted and depressed and this may be more than you can handle right now. However, I'll be praying that should you decide to try this approach, that God will go before you and prepare the way for the doctor to be kind to you and to give you the information and reassurance you need. Praying also for strength, stamina and relief from your distress...
God bless you,
Kaybee C
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Re: Please Help FAST
