The Betrayal

Today I went to my physical therapy appointment at the hospital feeling very positive.  The sun was finally out after weeks of rain and flooding and for the first time ever I was able to coordinate my medical appointments so that I was seeing my primary care doctor immediately after PT.  No long wait between appointments.  Amazing!  It must be a good sign, or so I thought.
I was of course forgetting about Mumpy's Law: anything that can go wrong will go wrong.  My physical therapy appointment seemed to go fine until the end when my therapist realized I was going to see my primary care doc today (he thought I was going Thursday) and seemed a little peeved since he said he had wanted to ring up my doctor before I went.  I didn't really think anything of this except feeling a bit put out that every time I tell him over and over again when I am seeing other docs he always forgets and acts like it was somehow my fault.  I went directly across the road to my doctor appointment where things became interesting.  I'm laughing with the nurse when the doc comes in to talk to me. She seemed very serious, but hey when was the last time you saw a doc smile?  "Your physical therapist just called me.  Did you know he was calling me?  He said that he had consulted with another doc over at the hospital and felt you needed counseling, but sounded as though he had never brought this up with you.  No, never did?  Just as I thought.  I know your feelings about counseling.  This is very irregular I recommend you confront him about this at your next appointment.  I will wait to hear from you as to how you wish to proceed."
Well, that's more or less what she said.  What I was hearing though was, "Your physical therapist is a no good dirty stinking liar and a fraud. He just went behind your back AND broke patient confidentiality.  Time to shop around for someone else I can trust who will just do the same thing or worse in a couple of weeks or months."  I am very, very angry about this and can't help but wonder if this is all because I asked him for an effing icepack last week.  Friday's appointment cannot come soon enough.

Comments

[Gimpy Mumpy]

Thank you all for your support this past week. At my Friday appointment I brought a witness and confronted my physical therapist. I am going to give him another chance, but made it VERY clear that if he betrayed my trust ever again that I would not continue to be his patient and would make official complaints.
The upside of the meeting was that with him cornered my mom and I had an opportunity to discuss the long history of my care with him and it was obvious from the start that he was completely clueless of my medical history.
I will be keeping my eyes open for any other spine pt folks around of course, but it my brief searches last week I could not find anyone close enough for me to travel to. *sigh*
Will keep fingers crossed for how things go this week!

[Colin]

To the unsinkable Ms. Mumpy,
I had a bear of a time w/ my pain management doc whose notes all seem to teflect back on my comment to him thay I wasn't going to whine and moan, except for those times when I couldn't help it. I've tried to always have a good attitude, you know, bright side of the road- not giving-up.
This has only slowed my treatment. I'm not honest, you see. To get what I need I have to make a BIG stink everytime I see him. If I say I'm feeling optomistic, he slaps a tag on me that says, LIAR.
This rotten thought goes through my head: spend one hour, of any day in my shoes, feeling what I feel. Then he will have earned the right to tell me that my self-diagnoses is dishonest. Then he can say to me, when you feel like that, you shouldn't tell me your feeling better.
For God's sake, writing my blog makes me feel better. Your friend, Colin

[Gimpy Mumpy]

*still laughing*
'note to self, mention penguins, bring egg beater, stock up on chocolates' :)

I still can't believe all of this. You know what the one counselor I did agree to go to said about me? She complained that I 'smiled and laughed too much for someone in my situation.'
Hmmmmm.....must make them uncomfortable. Crips aren't supposed to laugh you know. It threatens the sad little disabled girl stereotype. Wouldn't want to do that now would we? ;p

[Cancergiggles]

Make only one more visit to the PT. Talk non stop about penguins and their attacks on your home and how you feel counseling could solve your problems. Threaten him with an egg whisk. Cross the road to your doctor - be rational, deny everything you have just said and done with the PT.
Home for chocolates and giggles.

[Gimpy Mumpy]

Thank you both! I was feeling exactly the same way, but felt I needed to sleep on it. The trouble will be finding another physical therapist who specializes on the spine and who's medical practice accepts my insurance.
I am starting to feel like I am running out of options. There is another person on his spine team whom I like but I am not sure I want to go to someone in the same office and who he has had an opportunity to give false info to. *sigh*
I could really use a vacation! :P

[marmiteboy]

This is outrageous Mumpy. No medical practioner has the right to do what they did. I agree with Charles, maybe it is time to go get another PT. I know it may be an upheaval to change but this guy (I take it it's a guy) is obviously very unprofessional. He has no right to treat you like that. Is there anyone you can officially complain to? Good luck if you decide to move on. You deserve to be treated better than this.

[charlesdawson]

Yes, that is a gross piece of professional misbehaviour. Sounds to me like your PT has reached the stage where he feels he owns you - this can happen to any healthcare worker - and when it does it's time to bail out. If he can't let go or see you as an autonomous being then I suggest you do, with or without confrontation. (Is confrontation worth it? You'll only get your guts in a tangle.) You will not be able to trust him again and that will adversely influence your therapy. You are fortunate that your doctor seems to have a proper attitude. Better luck in future!