How are you doing now GG? I hope the abscess has disappeared for good.

Hi patience and healing can you send me a PM here please i have few questions

Abscess is still around but I have an appointment with my surgeon on Thursday!

Even still managed a 30 min walk, two sets of lunges, planks, and some bicep/tricep stuff so markedly better than pre op. Still getting pinches and some burning sometimes but not like before. Hopin that when the abscess is dealt with and the op site has a little more time to heal I won't have to worry at all about it.

Thanks for checking in patience and healing!

Oh and - after 4 messages and countless calls I finally got hold of my gastros receptionist. She did not return any of the messages from my surgeons office either.

I asked why my appointment was cancelled, and she kept repeating that my gastro says I should "follow up with my surgeon". I said that I needed to discuss medication he prescribed (which is why he set the appointment three months ago) and my continuing symptoms that were interfering with my life, and which a surgeon could not help.

So I then asked flat out if he was refusing to see me, and she just repeated the same thing. I asked her several times if he is expecting me to get a new gastro, and same thing. So she's clearly trying to avoid saying he is refusing treatment, since that is serious grounds for complaint and even lawsuit.

I tried to make it clear how unprofessional and inappropriate this situation was (especially the failure to return my messages or answer my call, since I assume that is the receptionists own doing). I think I managed to get this across without being rude, so I'm proud of how I handled it, but it was very upsetting.

I'm really looking forward to my appointment on Thursday with the surgeon to discuss this but also still very upset and hurt by this.

Will be taking notes in case I do make a complaint.

I would definitely be making a complaint, and I hope that you can remember all that transpired before this too, and include it all in your report.

And great news that things seem to be improving for you.

Thanks chachacha. You've been very helpful through this all! I am writing stuff down today and luckily one or both of my parents have attended the appointments throughout so I also have their confirmation of what has transpired.

Having had your parents with you during appointments is HUGE. Two (or more) sets of ears, and what they remember will be very helpful if you make a complaint (and I still really think that you should, because nobody should have been treated as you were, and by complaining, hopefully his future patients won't be).

I am so grateful for my parents support through this and you're right, thank goodness they were at those appointments. I brought them initially because I knew he could sometimes be difficult to deal with (which I tolerated as long as he did his job, which he did well in the past). I think I really would have been bullied without them there...even still he told me my pain was psychological and that no doctor would want to treat me.

I desperately want to make a complaint but I'm worried it will affect my chances of getting another gastro? Eek..but I know it is the right thing to do

Hmmmm. Good point about another gastro being reluctant to take you if he finds out about the complaint. Do you know if that is actually possible? I would hope that complaints would be confidential, at least the name of the complainant.

I am planning on calling patient advocacy so I will find out!!