Even Nurses Get Duped By Doctors

Well, all my readers know I'm a nurse practitioner. But we get sick too and need to go to practitioners and doctors! So I'm going to share a personal story with you this time...because what happened to me happens everyday to someone out there.  And it's wrong.

I had to go to an Ear Nose Throat specialist (ENT) to evaluate my nose and throat because I have very bad sleep apnea. I'm sitting in the waiting room and a guy in a suit comes in with Starbucks coffees for all the staff. The staff behind the front desk are all ga-ga over this guy. Gee, who is the popular guy I wonder?

So I'm called back to the doctors office and I explain my sleep disorder to him. He asks me about allergies and I tell him, no, my sleep problem is the same every season, it's not allergies. But he then insists on giving me a prescription for nasonex. I tell him that's not what I need, but he insists. So I take it and I fill the prescription...which by the way...I had to pay A LOT for because there is no generic for nasonex! But I had faith in that ENT doctor.

He also told me and I quote..."Your life is spinning out of control, you sit on the couch every night eating, you need to lose weight and you wont snore!" He actually said that to me! I told him I'm a size six and I run on the treadmill 3-5 times a week....I told him I snored even when I was a skinny high school kid. But he didn't listen to me. So I left feeling very bad about myself and with a nasonex prescription I didn't think I needed.

I used the nasonex as instructed...and it did absolutely nothing for me. So I went for my follow up visit with this same ENT and that same guy in the suit was there giving everyone food. The staff really loved this guy!! So when I got into the doctor's office, I asked him..."Is that guy in the suit the nasonex pharmaceutical rep?!?" And the doctor said yes! It all made sense now...he pushed the nasonex on me because he has some sort of relationship with the nasonex guy! How sordid! Well of course I confronted the doctor and he did not appreciate that. He brought up my weight again and told me I was overweight and not doing enough to help myself! What!?!? He was so defensive about the nasonex guy he ended up saying, "I don't pick medications just because of that, and yes he bought us all lunch today too and that has no influence over what I prescribe." Really??? 

I paid this guy good money to treat me like this. I was duped. So to all my trusted peeps out there...you know yourself best, if your doctor or nurse practitioner doesn't listen to you...find a new clinician!  And to you Dr. P. the ENT...you have no bedside manner and you are influenced by pharmaceutical reps and you don't listen to your patients...in other words...you suck.

Sometimes You Need A Lawyer

Question: I have a 15 year old son that has wanted to go  live with his grandparents and father. I agree that child support be stopped and he pay for all medical and dental and so on. I will still have full custody and child will come visit with me every other weekend. I want to be adults about this. Am I doing the right thing and how would I go get everything that child needs while living with them?

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LauraNP

When Your Mate Is In A Rehab

Question: Hey I'm kinda bummed out because my boyfriend who is in alcohol rehab is refusing to take my calls. He has been there for about a week now and haven't heard from him at all. So I called tonight and the night nurse informed me that he is not taking any of my calls. So I guess that we are no longer together and I won't be hearing from him again. Ouch that hurts!!!! And just to think that he wanted me to wait for him when he gets out. I'm confused do you think that it's over?

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LauraNP

How can I control my anxiety and depression?

Question: I feel anxiety and depression for a long time. Please help me get rid of this condition and disease.

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LauraNP

How To End A Relationship

Question: I just found out that my live in boyfriend of 17 years is cheating on me. What is the best way for me to end this relationship.

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LauraNP

Is It Me Or Is It My Husband?

Question: I have been married for seven years now and me and my husband have been having the same problem with him needing to talk to other females from sun up to sun down.  Is this a sign that we are not made for each other? Or am I bringing this pain on myself by not doing something right in my marriage?

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LauraNP

Voting - There SHOULD Be An App For That!

As usual, there are ballot issues in scattered states across our technically challenged electoral college.  How is it that year after year there is fraud, broken machinery, and dirty deeds occurring within one of our most sacred American endeavors...the voting process.   There's even a website that tracks all the voter problems. Why my own little State of Connecticut couldn't even count correctly!  I just don't get it. Why isn't Silicon Valley inventing some kind of voter software thingy that we can use? I don't know about you, but I want to be able to vote on my iphone! Totally cool right? How about getting that super-genius-Zuckerberg-Facebook-boy-wonder to create a voting app? Then we can vote on facebook! And maybe all the candidates should join Farmville so we can see what they are really all about! Who tilled their garden best would be my vote for Governor. How about you?

Should You Hook Up with an Ex or Not?

Question: Okay so this guy I was best friends with for 3 years and I finally got together in a relationship back in February. Since then, he left the state and we broke up. For me, it's a lot easier to get over someone after a breakup if I just cut off contact with them completely. But he must IM me like...3 separate times a day! Granted, we DON'T talk romantically nor do mentionings of hooking up ever happen, but I can't help but think that if he keeps talking to me, despite his new and exciting life in another state, that he's trying to retain contact with me (maybe just because we're best friends--or at least once were) because he still has feelings for me. I still have feelings for him. We'd discussed when we knew our relationship was coming to an end the prospect of hooking up when he comes back home, though. He's coming home for the first time next week since I last saw him in June. And he's still consistently been talking to me online. What do you think? Is he going to try to hook up with me? I really don't think I'm going to be the one to initiate anything for fear of looking stupid and being rejected and like I can't get over him. Should I decline if he DOES try?

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LauraNP

Bipolar Medications Take My Emotions Away

Question: I have been off bipolar medication for 10 months now.  I did not like the way they made me feel.  I had no emotions and always felt zoned out and when my mom passed,  I did not feel a thing, no emotions at all, so I got off them with a doctor's help but I need them.  My bipolar is affecting my marriage.  What can I take that will help and not make me feel like that I am also very depressed due to constant pain?

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Laura NP