Health issues, when to change Docs

I’ve considered myself lucky to have the family Doc I use. Great guy, smart, well respected. Busy, took awhile to get on his patient list. And friendly, chats when I run in to him out and about town, ask about my parents. He is their primary Doc too.

But I’ve had a serious issue going on for about a year and a half, and after two specialist referrals, just wasn’t getting ANYWHERE with it. Upon talks with my prosthetic Doc about my condition, he suggested a different Doc. They immediately ran a series of test, found out what was going on, and are vigorously treating it. I’m shocked that all the other guys didn’t do that, even with all my detailed info of what was happening. It was as simple as swabbing and sending to lab for culture. Anyway, I urge any of you who’ve hit a seeming stone wall, to get outside the system you’re with and get answers. And maybe not wait as long as I did.

I got my foot wet at the boat ramp one morning in April of 22, my shoe rubbed a raw spot, and I’ve had an open, oozing ulcer(s) on my ankle ever since. I’ve had several dvt’s (clots) in my leg, and am on blood thinners indefinitely. My symptoms DO present as venous stasis, blood is pooling in my lower leg due to damaged veins. Inflaming and irritating the skin. BUT. After telling them for over a year that something else was going on in addition - and my story of the boat ramp - current Doc determined on first visit that I had not one, but three different antibiotic resistant bacterias going on in my foot. Heavy doses of oral antibiotics knock it back briefly, but don’t kill it all. So I’m probably headed for the infectious disease specialist, maybe iv antibiotics and who knows what else. Hoping it can be cured, but who knows. I think part or all of the problem was the boat ramp where I got my foot wet was infested with Canada geese, the whole bay was goose poop soup.


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Hope they get you fixed up soon. Goose poop soup doesn't sound pleasant to step in. Glad you found someone understanding with knowledge. Prayers for health and healing

Wow Jeff, praying you get it straightened out.

Prayers going up for you! Iv antibiotics AIN'T fun! I had to do them for 6 weeks 3x's a day when they took my knee out and found a staph infection encapsulated in my lower leg.

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Originally Posted by BuckeyeCrappie

Wow Jeff, praying you get it straightened out.

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Thank y’all. You know, sitting here reflecting on this, it dawned on me that the very reason I’ve been with, and place so much faith in my earlier Doc, is that he did very much the same kind of thing I’m seeing now. I had been going to a doc in the box occasionally for bronchitis, minor things. Went for a tick bite that was looking bad, not healing. They gave me some cream to rub on it, and it got better. But over the next year or so, went back cause I was just always feeling tired, and running a low fever a lot. They tested poked prodded, said my liver enzymes were a little off, maybe I should cut back on my drinking. And you must be depressed, would you like some pills for that? Nope. I finally got in with recent guy, pretty soon he tested me and it showed I had Rocky Mountain tick fever, and seemed to have had it awhile [emoji848] So he’s been my hero.
I think what I’m learning here is that it’s not a case of good or bad care - just I seem to have bizarre things happen to me, and it takes a fresh set of eyes sometimes.


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:pray:pray:pray:pray That you will be cured .

Try rubbing some ivermectin on it. Its an antiparasite


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Originally Posted by Fisherman1987

Try rubbing some ivermectin on it. Its an antiparasite


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It couldn’t hurt? I used to get dosed about twice a year, putting pour-on on cattles backs. Never failed one would jump and hit the bottle, splash part of it up my arm [emoji23]
But haven’t worked any cattle in a few years now. We still worm horses with a apple flavored gel, but haven’t read what’s in it exactly


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For me it was my still unresolved ongoing issues. My mind had enough as did my wallet with paying for zero results.

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Originally Posted by BuckeyeCrappie

For me it was my still unresolved ongoing issues. My mind had enough as did my wallet with paying for zero results.

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Yessir. My last straw before making a change was my last two referrals.
Vein guy literally looks at it from across the room and says that’s a dermatologist issue. So after waiting a month to get into dermatologist, he looks from 6 feet away and says thats a vein issue. But both get $ for office visit.


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Wife had a phone consult follow up last week for an x-ray that wasn’t scheduled…$257.00. We looked today and since May together we have racked up over 80K in med bills.

Prayers sent. Hope they fix ya up soon

Went back again today. Scheduled yet another mri of my foot. Seems upon closer exam, they are seeing some inflammation of tendons. Swabbed for another lab culture, gonna see if I’m still a bug factory.
May be going back to vein center, still maybe infectious disease specialist.
Whooee I’m tired of doc visits [emoji23]


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Hopefully they figure everything out and get you better soon. Prayers sent

Last appt results. Went and had a very extensive ultrasound exam of the veins in my leg. Not encouraging.
I was actually surprised to hear a medical professional be critical of another. The truth is the truth, but I’ve seen sort of code, where they normally won’t speak ill of another doc or his work. What I’m seeing here is two distinct groups, an old boys network, and another group of younger females, mostly nurse practitioners. Seeing that they refer amongst their group.
Come down to the nut-cutting, I’m getting better - no, the ONLY - results from this younger group of gals.
What I found out, the vein ablation I had this January was only partially effective, but created so much scar tissue that they can’t navigate a catheter through it to try and finish the job. So my only course is to continue wearing heavy compression stockings and wound care for the ulcers. I’m really disappointed that in this computer age, information is not shared more between the different offices. I keep getting referred to folks who seem to have no idea the whole picture of what’s going on with me. I guarantee you if I were a petty criminal, and was bouncing around from county to county getting in trouble, LE would do a much better job sharing my record than these doctors are doing ?


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I certainly will agree with you.

I agree it’s ridiculous.

Sorry to hear of this Jeff. I am kinda fighting the same issue with my heart and lightheadedness. I try to doctor at the same medical center for everything but have recently switched all my care to the VA. Praying for you buddy.

It is certainly hard to be certain where you are getting the best care at.

Next stop, infectious disease specialist. In line to get an appt finally. Hopefully if I have to have a bunch more meds they can do with a wearable pump thingamajig. Otherwise going to be making a lot of trips to hospital.


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Glad you have a direction to go finally. Prayers they can fix you up.