Posted by Nancy on November 30, 1998, at 20:35:10
In reply to Phoning doctor, posted by alan on November 30, 1998, at 12:19:10
...Do you have any understanding with your doctor about calling between appointments. My doctor seldom responds to my calls, which are not all that frequent, I think. I do not tthink any of my calls were over trivial matters...
Alan, I think you raised good points on the matter of phoning doctors. One should come to an understanding with the doc regarding phones calls and messages. Perhaps, one could agree that when leaving a message that it include a rank of severity (ie. a "10" means one is in a very serious or life threatening crisis...a "1" may mean, "...do I take one or two of those little pink pills..."). A message indicated with a "10" would alert your doctor to call you immediately. I think including a "10" is important, because during a life threatening crisis, in terms of psychiatric illness unlike cardiac patients, some of us can be so psychotic that the doctor is the only person we are capable of phoning. He may direct us to the hospital, anyway. But, some of us are too "far out in space" to have awareness other than to babble, "call my doctor".
As psychiatric patients, we are in a position of being chronically and, at times, acutely ill. We are often prescribed powerful neuroleptics that have the potential for very serious side effects.
One should work this matter out individually with one's doctor.Hang in there, Alan.
Nancy
poster:Nancy
thread:1398
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19981101/msgs/1403.html