The Doctor reads the findings... (funny)
By chiyochan
@chiyosan (30186)
Philippines
September 14, 2010 10:38pm CST
Okay, this is kind of funny... I accompanied my bf to ask for a doctor's advice on his back pains. she suggested that she have an xray bfore she could tell us what will the problem be.
She's an internal medicine doctor, by the way.
So we got the xray results and went again for another consultation(with a fee again!)
We have read the results, by the way and it said there are osteophytes in the lumbar area.
The doctor told us (my BF)...
doctor: okay... reading the results... so in your xray there are osteophyts in the lumbar area..
bf: yes.
doctor: i gave you a muscle relaxant so your muscles have relaxed a bit (bf and i looked at each other - ok that's obvious! hehe)
bf: (completely ignoring the doctor) where's the lumbar area?
doctor: its here in your back (what?! obviously my bf complained about the back right?! that's what we have in xray)
bf: ahhhh
doctor: so there's osteophytes... you need to go to a ortho - go to the reception and get an appointment.
bf and me: yeah, ok sure that would be a great idea
he he he sorry guys, i just found this really funny that the doctor did not even explain what osteophytes are! she could have at least given a back ground on this!!! and even the lumbar!
she only read what's written in the xray results and we can read too!!!
he he
Have you ever seen a doctor who does not know how to explain results that we (not doctors) could understand? its like going to a doctor, and still more clueless than ever?!
6 responses
@misalax (307)
• Ireland
15 Sep 10
Wow thats just so wrong. As much as possible the doctor needs to give their patients every information they need to know so they don't go off wondering what's happening to their body. They know these terms yes, but for other people it's not easy to understand you know.
@slothgurl (569)
• Enumclaw, Washington
15 Sep 10
If I don't understand something the doctor tells me, I ask questions until I do understand. I stand in front of the door, so they can't get away before I'm done asking. I only see 2 different doctors ( the MD and the OB/GYN)and I pretty much have them "trained". Now they just stay on their stool, and ask if I have any questions! I don't have insurance, so I can't afford repetitive visits.
@chitchat (179)
• United States
15 Sep 10
I guess they didn't really teach her about patient interaction at her med school. A similar situation happened to me on Saturday. I took my daughter to an Urgent care b/c she hurt her hand/wrist and the doctor got xrays and said she had a fracture but she didn't really explain where or how bad and she didn't bother showing me the xrays. Very frustrating and annoying. It was like she just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. Too bad they don't have a comments card.
@LaurenInLA (2270)
• United States
15 Sep 10
It seems to me that Doctors have their own language and don't take that step back when they deal with those of us who haven't gone to medical school. On the flip side, my husband had a stroke and sustained a traumatic brain injury in Jan of 2009. He was hospitalized for 5-1/2 months and I talked to more Doctors than I could ever possibly count. Of course, there were also physical therapists, occupational therapists and speech therapists involved as well. Now when we go to the Doctor, I am constantly asked what my background is. I am so familiar with the lingo that I spout it off with the best of them. LOL
@theplanner (298)
• Philippines
15 Sep 10
The doctor should have explained the results of the x-ray in layman's term since obviously you're not medical students or medical professionals like him. He could have said "lower back" instead of "lumbar", "bony spurs or bony projections along the joints" instead of "osteophytes". Maybe the Doctor doesn't know the easy terms to these because he's use to saying the medical terms. But he should know that his patients need to understand what's happening to them. So far I haven't encountered any Doctor like him because all Doctors I've been going for a check up explains everything within my understanding.
