TL;DR: You're just a number and a payment here, not even a patient…read more
I've been seeing Dr. Glisman since 2016, and found her to be very understanding, and I thought, compassionate. When I went in this year for my regular exam, she advised me I would need a colposcopy. I have spoken about this with her at length previously, because I have had several before and I find them to be severely painful. I requested pain medication, local anesthetic, or sedation. Dr. Glisman informed me that none of that would be available, but not to worry! Someone would be there to hold my hand. Also, since none of my previous colpos were done by Dr. Silva, they wanted me to "just try it." Knowing that I have had several, each as painful as the last, I did not make an appointment.
Cue Emily. She called, because she had my chart stacked up on her desk, and she noticed I had not made an appointment. When I informed her I will happily make an appointment when I have a script for some sort of pain management solution, she advised, again, that hand holding is available and she doesn't know why I find it so painful because "the cervix has no nerve endings." Great. Mine does. She also felt that Dr. Silva could work some sort of magic and make it pain free for me. I don't see how putting a clamp on your cervix and pulling a chunk off could vary from practice to practice, but what do I know.
I made the appointment and sent a message to Dr. Glisman requesting pain medication or some sort of sedative to make the appointment a bit less stress for me. She prescribed me a one time dose of xanax. I took my xanax as prescribed and went to my appointment.
During my appointment with Dr. Silva, she tried to explain to me that somehow she was better at this procedure and it would be quick and painless. Given the state I was in, which could only be described as hysteria, Dr. Silva advised "Lets just get started and we will talk after." She also said if at any point I wanted to stop she would. She took her first sample, which was of course painful, and then the nurse advised she needed another one, which I replied "No." Granted, I didn't use the word "Stop." but I thought "No." Would suffice. It didn't, so she went ahead and took her second sample. When she was done, she left me with a box of tissues and a liner, said she would call in a week, and walked out.
I've been to a lot of doctors, and I am not afraid of medical procedures by any means. Dr. Silva and Dr. Glisman made me feel like my thoughts, opinions, feelings, and fears were completely unjustified, and worthless. If your patient is telling you that a procedure is painful, or they need alternatives, and they are willing to PAY OUT OF POCKET for their needs to be met, then at least try to meet them, if not, refer to a doctor that can. I will never go back to this practice, and that's upsetting to me because I was initially very impressed and very comfortable there.