And the Verdict Is.....

Well after 5 days of "you need to get that checked" by doctors, I finally found out that the pulmonary nodule in my right lung is not cancerous. Some sort of benign mass as the doctor called it. It was probably scarring that was discovered by my ER doctor after the accident.

Now for the rant.... My primary care doctor is affiliated with Jackson Hospital here in town. My hospital of choice is Baptist East which is where I went for treatment after the accident. There lies my dilemma. The ER referred me to get my PET Scan at a Baptist-affiliated imaging center in which my doctor's office had no clue even existed.

I got my PET scan last Thursday and was told by my doctor's office to come in on Friday (after they called the imaging center to confirm when the results would be ready) to get the results. First of all, I had to wait for an hour in the lobby waiting room. Then I was moved to the "secondary" waiting room where I had to wait for another 30 minutes. (For those who know me, I did manage a nap in the secondary room before work.) I get into the exam room to be greeted by a nurse practitioner (NP). There is nothing wrong with an NP but with the potential for a cancer diagnosis, I would have thought that I would see my doctor.

To top it all off, the staff had no clue why I was at the doctor's office at all. I was asked by the intake clerk, the accounting clerk, the triage nurse, and the nurse practitioner on why I was there. It wasn't them asking me to make sure they had the right patient - they truly did not know why I was there. The NP who say me on Friday was the same one that gave me the referral on Monday and had no idea who I was. I had to remind her that she was the one that gave me the referral form in the first place.

To top it all off, my results were not even there. Nobody called to have them faxed over. That was the last straw to me. Yeah, the doctor and the imaging center do not have a "relationship" but goodness, does anyone take notes around there at all?

This doctor has been my primary care physician since 2005 but only since him once at my initial appointment and fast lab follow-up. Every time I tried to make an appointment in the past when I needed to see the doctor, I couldn't get scheduled within 3 days so I would go to Pri-Med (an urgent care medical center).

After this experience with my "cancer scare" and the lack of communication and professionalism with this doctor, I am seeking a new one. I was under so much stress from the wait that I had a migraine for the rest of the day. It was almost like I actually did have cancer and nobody wanted to tell me. I understand that medical care is a volume business but this is my only bad experience with any doctor and it has soured me on the profession. If I didn't need it, I would kick them all to the curb.