~~~~ing medical receptionist rant

[Canker_Canison]

I currently have the pleasure of suffering my first abscess caused by a tooth.

It started last thursday & by saturday I was maxing out my 30/500 co-codamols trying to kill the pain. Sunday morning the pain woke me up at 6am.... I've never felt anything like it, & I can handle pain.

At this point I grabbed a weeks course of antibiotics left over from a few weeks back when an insect bite got infected, and started the course. Monday I took 13 tablets trying to kill the pain. Supposed max is 8
Went to the dentist, who did sweet FA. But did confirm the antibiotics would do the job & I should come back to get the tooth pulled in a couple of weeks. At this point I also stopped taking my warfarin. Tuesday I picked up some 400mg ibuprofen & commenced loading myself up with max doses of both ibuprofen & co-codamol.

The pain vanished.....but my face ballooned up over night, so I went to the doctors as he needed to know I'd stopped taking the warfarin....& I might be able to score some more antibiotics.

Here comes the receptionist....

I asked if it was possible to see my doctor as an emergency.

'No, he's not in today'

Can I see another doctor?

'No, they stop seeing people at 12pm'

Can I leave a message for my doctor?

'He's not in, he won't get it'

But he will be in tomorrow, when he will get it!

'I'll have to check......Yes he is in tomorrow'

She takes my details and asks me what message I want to send.

Tell him I've stopped taking my warfarin so I could take ibuprofen

'Don't you think you should of seen a doctor before stopping!'

No, I was in a lot of pain & the warfarin isn't for treating a condition, it's to control & stop it's recourrance.

'If this is a dental matter you have to see a dentist!'

I've seen a dentist, now I'm here.

'A doctor won't give out antibiotics without seeing you first. They might not work'

They do work, the dentist confirmed it.


At this point I was starting to lose my rag a bit. I have a good relationship with my doctor & he knows I only show up if things are bad. In past cases, life threatening.

I don't know what she put on the note, but I didn't get the call I would of expected from my doctor. Even now I'm fighting the urge to go down there & give her a back hander accross the face.

She is there as a messenger service. she is not there to question me about my medical conditions & pass judgement on my actions or block my access to medical help.

Luckily I got some more antibiotics for my mother. It will be interesting to find out when my doctor actually recieved on the message. I'm placing bets it's something more like 'patient has decided to stop taking warfarin'
Yet doesn't explain why & the short duration I intend to stop taking it for.

[Kalipo]

I've been in a similar situation myself, It's like your banging your head at times..
Dentist "take these it will work".
Me "they never have worked before".
Dentist "The law says we cant take a healthy tooth out"


I must stress i was only 14 at the time..

I went home, went into my fathers rusty tool box and found some pliers. I remember them well, they where stiff to open and close. My father had used the handle as a lever at some point so the rubber coating had torn off.. the teeth themselves had black grease on them :)..

So i proceeded to self remove the tooth myself.. a simple twist and a pull and the focker was out.. i've never in my life had some much pain disappear so quickly... it was reliving..

At the time i had 2 too many teeth in my upper mouth.. i removed that myself and the other i knocked out when i fell off the school roof :).. i waited years for braces and never got them.. the teeth are out and they straightened out them self :).

Its scary people have to modify medicines.. remove teeth and basically look after themselves because the professions cant be bothered to help..

[super jumbe]

Most dentist are always busy, they pick the 1 they know they are going to get money.

Just ring emergency NHS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They will give you time and get tooth sorted same day????night.

:listen:

[TheCoder]

These receptionists do seem to take far too much on themselves and appointment waiting time is getting seriously silly now. Its damn near impossible to get a standard appointment within 21 days.

Whatever was wrong with the old system of just turning up, joining the queue in the waiting rooms and shuffling down chairs until it was your turn. You may wait a few hours but at least you saw the Dr on the same day !

[Meat-Head]

the desnitsts here in M/C can do percriptions!

Been there done that.

Oh last time i had 'same pain' - changing from ibrofins and parcetamol - asprins did sod all.

Eating LOTS of ice cream at 3am in agony.

Meat

[berley]

Most dentists will prescribe a script for antibiotics, call your dentist up again and tell him you cant see the doc until next week.

[mark8393]

easy to get sorted, ring emergency dentist. did this at start of year, pulled two teeth from my mouth, right at top left, within hour after bleeding stopped, no pain. dont suffer, no need, cost less than ?40, best money i spent, if your a scrounger on dole you pay ~~~~ all, think you also get free if you earn crap money, ?16000 a year i think

[Magjar]

She is there as a messenger service. she is not there to question me about my medical conditions & pass judgement on my actions or block my access to medical help.


This sounds like something that you definitely need to take up with your doctor. Sounds like she needs the fear of unemployment for basic a$$holiness instilled in her.




So i proceeded to self remove the tooth myself.. a simple twist and a pull and the focker was out.. i've never in my life had some much pain disappear so quickly... it was reliving..


Dude, you are a little bit of a bad ass, lol! Haven't had a toothache yet, and after hearing your solution I hope I never do!

[Canker_Canison]

Kalipo, if my tools were at hand at the time I would of done the same with my molegrips.

Good news is that the swelling has all but gone & there's only the faint whisper of pain left.

But I did increase the amount antibiotics I was taking. It just didn't make sense trying to take 4 a day an hour before I eat...while having an empty stomach. My life just doesn't work that way. So I just popped one every 4 hours or so, total 5 in a day. Either way, it worked.

Now I just have to go & get it pulled. This is more worrying given the things I've been told about this dentist. She has been known to remove the wrong teeth....more than a few times.
With luck I'll be able to get the asian dentist I saw last time, she was quite a nice bit of eye candy..... & she didn't ~~~~ anything up either lol

Not been to the docs yet. I'll be going to see him once the tooth has been pulled.

[super jumbe]

Christmas round the corner now, unless you are on diet?

Wish you best of luck mate????.


:bounce: