I saw Dr. Thomas for intermittent pain/swelling in both thumbs and on the outer right foot and inflammation in my right eye that an ophthalmologist identified when I developed a corneal ulcer. She gave me scripts for a slew of blood tests and x-rays. I'm not talking 1, 6, or even 12 x-rays: both hands, both feet, both hips, back, chest, and more -- and multiple views of each of these. The x-rays took well over an hour to complete.
When I went for my follow-up appt., Dr. Thomas told me I don't have any of the inflammatory diseases she checked for. She had ruled out anything in her area of responsibility and was ready to send me on my way. I asked her if she saw anything to explain the pain/inflammation I'm experiencing in my foot and could it possibly be a bone spur developing and since she deals in osteoporosis and bones I would think she could determine that. She said she didn't see anything out of the ordinary on the x-rays but she would look again and be right back. Several minutes later her nurse came in and asked me where I went for my x-rays because they couldn't find them. I told her I went where their form told me to go, Palm Harbor MRI. Several minutes later Dr. Thomas came back in and told me she thought she had reviewed my x-rays but apparently she hadn't because they don't have them. She said she'd review them when they get them, and "We'll give you a call with the results". Then she asked me if I had any other questions as she moved toward the door ready to leave. At that point I said yes, I did have questions; and I asked "If you were able to make a determination based solely on blood tests, why did you send me for all those x-rays?" She fumbled around trying to justify the x-ray request, and failed miserably. At one point she said "It doesn't matter". I told her it absolutely matters to me, and I would never knowingly go for needless x-rays - I don't even let my dentist take "routine" x-rays. Then I told her that I reviewed the Quest blood test results and asked her about the tests with results out of range. She said I'd need to see my PCP about those. Had I not reviewed the results and asked about them, this would have gone unaddressed. I don't know if it was to appease me or what at that point, but then she offered me a prescription for RX-strength anti-inflammatories that I declined.
I left that office unable to even begin to describe the feelings I was having about this "doctor". She lied to me about having reviewed my x-rays. I'm not even convinced she reviewed my bloodwork -- if she did, she certainly didn't appropriately address the abnormal results.
About an hour after I left, her nurse called and said they received the x-rays. She said the reason they didn't have them earlier was because they were taken Monday and they don't receive results for one week -- this was Thursday afternoon. She was talking to me in what I perceived as a demeaning tone of voice as if I had incorrectly scheduled my follow-up appt. Then she offered that they would give me a "free" CD with the x-rays and notes if I wanted to come back to the office and pick it up. I told her I already had a CD with the x-rays and notes that I had picked up at Palm Harbor MRI immediately after leaving Dr. Thomas' office.
As a note on the scheduling, when I called to schedule the follow-up appointment and was offered Thurs. as an option, I asked the person scheduling if they would have the test results by then. She said "Yes, I think so; and if we don't we'll reschedule." I called Dr. Thomas' office the day prior to my follow-up appointment to confirm and was told everything was there and the appointment was all set.
The day after the Dr. Thomas debacle, I called my PCP to schedule an appointment. The person scheduling asked me the reason for the visit. I told her that I had seen a rheumatologist and there were some abnormal test results that I was told I need to follow up with my PCP about. The person scheduling said she saw a note that the rheumatologist had called my doctor, but there was no mention of any follow up required. read more
