Great Doctors

[Fox_nc]

I have great respect for my neph. He takes time and really listens and addresses my concerns. If he doesn't immediately have an answer for me, he will research and call me at home.  I started with a different doctor in the office, did not care for his attitude and was able to choose one who more suited me.  The staff is wonderful. Never have to wait for my appointment.  Also, my transplant team at UNC have been exceptional.  I am beginning to realize that my situation may be unusual. I credit all my medical team for keeping me going and for searching for solutions for me.

Maybe NC breads good doctors.  Mine is great as well.  He's called me at home several times when he's been concerned about me.  He has spent hours answering questions from both me and my husband as well as given me his cell and home phone numbers.  If you're in Eastern NC, call Dr. Maxwell Fisher.  He rocks!

[Fighter]

Until now two docs have had a major impact on my health and quality of life, for better or worse. The first one was my former GP, a money-grabbing doc who never had time for me, told me several times I had pneumonia when I had KIDNEY FAILURE for crying out loud! And then he actually told me I was cured of my pneumonia even though I felt like s**t. That was a few days before I was put on emergency dialysis (yes, with a catheter in my neck *sigh*). From then on I was under the supervision of current neph and his assistants, and the contrast is pretty amazing. Not only does he have a much more professional and thorough approach but he always takes the time to explain every facet of the disease and the treatments that I have to undergo. He is always warm and friendly and he inspires trust. He is also a university professor and he is responsible for the hospital's nephrology research program. All in all I don't think I could be in better hands. Even though I'm on dialysis I feel good and my blood work has been near perfect for the past couple of years. I owe this doc a great deal.

In the beginning I would curse my former GP all the time and myself for listening to him, but nowadays I guess what's done is done and it's better to focus on the future.

[KT0930]

It's been awhile since anyone posted here, but I wanted to put in my  . As was stated before, NC must breed good doctors, because that's where I had the best nephrologist I've ever had (and I've had a lot!!).

Dr. Graham Byrum in Greenville, NC always sat down and LISTENED to me, TALKED to me until he was sure I understood, and TRUSTED me to make decisions about MY health. One of the things I've read over and over in here is doctors and units calling patients non-compliant for not taking BP meds when they don't need it. Dr. Byrum told me after I called two or three separate times about low BP that if I felt my BP was low or normal, then he trusted me to make that judgment, and he simply gave me a range of dosages to keep it in. I never had to call him about that again...saved us both a lot of time, and freed up time for more important issues.

I have to say, though, there was one doctor in his practice I couldn't stand. I was actually seeing this other doctor until I met Dr. Byrum when I was admitted to the hospital with chicken pox at age 24. This other doc would never talk to you, always at you; when visiting in the hospital, sat where you could not see him from the hospital bed; and those weren't even his worst sins. I should have known the first time I met him...he was asking me about when I first got sick, and a lot of the questions, I was answering with "I don't know", because gee, I was 9 months old when I first got sick. He asked me another question and said, "oh wait, let me guess, I don't know." After that, I learned all I could about my illness and never let an opportunity to let docs know that I know all about it go by.

Anyway, I moved from NC because I left my husband, and Dr. Byrum is about the only thing I miss about that place!

[livecam]

It seems that doctor quality can vary from one extreme to the other in one organization.  One good example is my nephrologist who by good fortune turned out to be someone I could trust to do the right thing from day one through transplant and now years later as the guy who does all of my followups.

In the same organization are other really good people like my transplant coordinator who I've also known from the beginning.  Besides handling transplant stuff, she's been someone who has helped with a myriad of other details and issues over an 8 1/2 year relationship.  I couldn't have come to where I am now without her.

My primary care doc is a guy who leaves no stone unturned.  When problems develop he'll order any and all necessary tests and will provide all needed referrals to other providers as necessary.  That guy has been a gem.  I like him so much that he treats the whole family now.  We've all profited from his determination to do the job right, his excellent bedside manner, and his high level of availability when needed.

On the other hand in that organization have been a couple of endocrinologists that I'm basically able to live without.  They do what is minimally necessary and are not what I would call very accommodating.

So..you can get all ends of the spectrum under one roof.  Fortunately, in our case most of our providers have been good ones.