The Worst Doctor's Appointment Ever

So after my little incident and being told to keep off my feet for a bit, to relax and not stress out, I made a follow-up appointment with my doctor. Only she was booked up and referred me instead to her colleague who works in the same office. This would have been OK if he hadnt been the biggest jerk to walk to planet.

When I was put into the examining room, his first question was "Well, what's the matter with you?" And when I explained what had happened, and that I had had 5 continuous days of headaches, his response was that I was being hysterical and that headaches were part of pregnancy so I would just have to learn to deal with them for the duration of my pregnancy. I stared at him in disbelief. He looked totally nonchalant, and proceeded to tell me that insurance companies didnt like for doctor's to approve people going on sick leave during maternity so I shouldnt ask.

I looked at him like he had grown three heads, I hadnt asked to be put on early leave, I asked whether I should be concerned with 5 days of headaches that Tylenol couldnt do anything for. When I explained that the headaches were combined with dizzy spells (spells severe enough that I would have to pull over while driving or else risk driving off the road) and that in my past pregnancy I was advised not to drive after the 5th month due to similar problems with dizziness and wanted to know if I should be concerned about the fact that they seemed to be getting worse not better.

He reiterated that I was concerned about nothing, that pregnanct women sometimes get dizzy and then got up to leave! I asked if there wasnt ANYTHING I could do--lie, down, elevate my feet, anything?!--and he replied, "Well, only you would know how to make it better for yourself. If sitting down doesnt work, try something else" I shook my head in disbelief at this guy. If I knew how to treat myself, why would I waste my time going to a doctor at all? So I called him on it, having sat there long enough feeling like a sheer idiot. "Well, since I came looking for a medical opinion about the headaches, can you please suggest something?" He scribbled out a requisition for some blood work and said, "There, you can have some blood taken."

So then, because I had just finished the round of antibiotics from the hospital for the UTI they had found during my visit to the ER, I asked if the lab results had been sent to the doctor's office because, silly me, I thought maybe all my prenatal records should be comprehensive. He heaved a sigh, because he had already gotten up to leave, huffed back to the desk and punched in some data. "Nope, nothing was sent" "Well, could you make a note of it in my record that I had a UTI diagnosed and treated this pregnancy, please? I understand hat having one makes me prone that having more?" "Well yeah but *you* know so isn't that enough?" And with that, he left the room.

I was so frustrated and angry I couldnt see straight for several moments. I had to brace myself to go out into public, to go back to school to teach my classes. I was so disgusted with the whole medical system in Fort Mac--crazy wait times, lack of second opinions, "One problem per appointment only", 6 minutes in and out policies, the list goes on. I know that there is a shortage of doctors and nurses, but this is a bit ridiculous.

As for the headaches, they continue to come and go. The dizziness is the same but school is out soon and hopefully a few weeks of vacation and downtime will help.