Great Doctors

[wreepete]

I have to brag about my Nephrologist and the doctors she has referred me to!

I was always sick to my stomach, throwing up, etc.... but my numbers did not reflect that my CKD was bad enough to be causing these problems.  I had another Nephrologist that informed me that when the time comes, his office does not offer home hemo dialysis and probably won't.  So I went looking for another doctor who offers home hemo as well as a great reputation as a kidney doctor.

Long story short, I found that doctor and dialysis clinic.  She sent me to a Gastrologist to check on other possible causes for my stomach problems.  We found my gallbladder was full of stones, it was removed 2 weeks ago tomorrow, I had two palups in my colon,and ulcers all over my stomach.  After having my gallbladder & palups removed and meds for the ulcers, I feel like great!

When I first met Dr. Shakamuri, I told her I needed her to hook me up w/a new team of "my" doctors to take care of me and my medical issues.   I told her I am particular about my doctors and how they treat me and I wanted her to chose doctors that she has history w/that she knows will communicate well w/her.  She has done so very well, I wanted to brag about her and the doctors she has sent me to!  Dr. Morgan, Dr. Buckalew, Dr. Archer, Dr. Holcomb and I hope I didn't miss anyone.

So if you live near Tyler, Longview, Texas, these are doctors to have, they have been great!

I hope others have or will have as great of a team of doctors as I have!

[Bajanne]

I am very happy for you.   But one of your doctors' names sounds something like Epoman.  Hope he is not in your doctor team!

[angieskidney]

I would love to see more people post about good doctors and good dialysis units especially in the States as I am considering moving to the States (in PA, the Philadelphia area) and have no way to find out from Canada about which units and doctors are best.

I hope more people post

Thx wreepete for posting this! I really appreciate it and enjoyed the read!

[Epoman]

I am very happy for you.   But one of your doctors' names sounds something like Epoman.  Hope he is not in your doctor team!

  why?

[Bajanne]

Just kidding!  Didn't think you had a licence to practice medicine.  [but I could be wrong]

[Epoman]

Just kidding!  Didn't think you had a licence to practice medicine.  [but I could be wrong]

Well MY doctor tells me I have an Honorary Doctorate in Nephrology. 

[Bajanne]

Okay, Dr. Epoman.
*speaking out of the side of my mouth*  I got this foot here hurting me.  Think you can do something for me, doc?  I ain't got no money to give you, but I would appreciate some help.  And let us keep it on the qt.

[Epoman]

Okay, Dr. Epoman.
*speaking out of the side of my mouth*  I got this foot here hurting me.  Think you can do something for me, doc?  I ain't got no money to give you, but I would appreciate some help.  And let us keep it on the qt.

If you don't have money or insurance, then I will be on the golf course. 

[Bajanne]

Yea, you are a doctor for real!

[kitkatz]

Can I be you "on the take" accountant for your Dr's office Epoman?  I will charge outrageous fees and we can split the profits! 

[kevno]

Never found a Great Doctor Found: not bad Doctors, so so Doctors, Doctors, Bad Doctors then the DANGEROUS Doctors

Now I tell the Doctor what I want him to do for me. Found that the best way, it's much safer as long as you know what to ask for Plus what your lab results mean!

[wreepete]

Kevno wrote "Now I tell the Doctor what I want him to do for me. Found that the best way, it's much safer  as long as you know what to ask for  Plus what your lab results mean!"

That's it all in a nut shell!  Alway; keep learning, researching, asking questions etc... that's the way to survive and thrive when you have any chronic condition!  I research anything and everything.

My doctor's appreciate my efforts and honesty and forwardness when it concerns my health and medical condition.  I have just been very fortunate!

I'd love to read more about other's doctors' experiences too! 

[livecam]

Great doctors? From southern California here are the names of some nephrologists for you.  Pitts, Gandhi, Assomull, and Desai.  If you are lucky enough to have any of these guys on your side you are doing very well indeed!

[kevno]

Still could not fully trust them. I still would be double checking everything they did for me. Had too many SO CALLED GREAT DOCTORS mess up. One Doctor who patients think is the Greatest, once nearly killed me with a tablet he stopped. Now that Doctor is in charge of four renal units. All four are a lot closer to the one I am going to. I will never go to a unit that he is the Doctor in charge. It is my fault I have never complained about any medical staff that have made an mistake, and over the years there has been quite a few serious ones made.

[angieskidney]

Still could not fully trust them. I still would be double checking everything they did for me. Had too many SO CALLED GREAT DOCTORS mess up. One Doctor who patients think is the Greatest, once nearly killed me with a tablet he stopped. Now that Doctor is in charge of four renal units. All four are a lot closer to the one I am going to. I will never go to a unit that he is the Doctor in charge. It is my fault I have never complained about any medical staff that have made an mistake, and over the years there has been quite a few serious ones made.

wow

[kevno]

That is the reponce I get from a few patients WOW!  To me no such thing as a Great Doctor, Only a Doctor or below in some cases.  Even then I am very wary. I know a Doctor is only human. I have met some who think they were above human, soon shot them down. Aways double checking what he/she prescribes/does for me.

I know this might not sound right because on one hand they are keeping me alive. But I could never fully trust a Doctor/Surgeon again. Always I need to be checking. The way I did with my leg. If up to Surgeon my leg would have been amputated on the 10th April 2006. But I said No. Now it is getting a lot better. Now I am walking without a stick.

[angieskidney]

If up to Surgeon my leg would have been amputated on the 10th April 2006. But I said No. Now it is getting a lot better. Now I am walking without a stick.

Wow that is good! Congrats to sticking up for yourself and now being able to walk just fine

[meadowlandsnj]

I would love to see more people post about good doctors and good dialysis units especially in the States as I am considering moving to the States (in PA, the Philadelphia area) and have no way to find out from Canada about which units and doctors are best.

I hope more people post

Thx wreepete for posting this! I really appreciate it and enjoyed the read!

I have an excellent nephrology team.  I really like them and they have a lot of experience plus they actually listen to me when I have concerns and questions. 
Ackad, Alexander S, MD - Bergen Hypertension & Renal (he's the leader of the team)
20 Prospect Ave Ste 709
Hackensack, NJ 07601View Map
201 678 0300

[Rerun]

That is the reponce I get from a few patients WOW!  To me no such thing as a Great Doctor, Only a Doctor or below in some cases.  Even then I am very wary. I know a Doctor is only human. I have met some who think they were above human, soon shot them down. Aways double checking what he/she prescribes/does for me.

I know this might not sound right because on one hand they are keeping me alive. But I could never fully trust a Doctor/Surgeon again. Always I need to be checking. The way I did with my leg. If up to Surgeon my leg would have been amputated on the 10th April 2006. But I said No. Now it is getting a lot better. Now I am walking without a stick.

I'm the same way Keveno.  I don't trust any of them.  They may keep me alive, but plenty of them have also tried to kill me.

[paris]

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 seaching for solutions for me.

[Judy]

There are 5 nephrologist in my unit and they are all super! When I first took sick 17 years ago there was only 1 neph, whom I lost a lot of respect for back then.  It was a friday not long after starting dialysis, i was in hospital,  and he was wanting to send me home.  I kept telling him i was not feeling well, lots of abdominal pain whenever i ate or sat up and frequent vomiting.  He told me it was from drinking too much tea and to limit my intake, I did not buy this.  Due to me feeling so unwell, he told me I could put the weekend in at the hospital then go home on monday.  Well, needless to say I did not make it home on the monday, matter a fact I did not make it home until 2 months later.  On the friday I was to go home was when i started vomiting coffee grounds, not long after starting dialysis that morning.  So we soon found out it was not "tea" causing my problems, it was a servere bleeding ulcer.  That nephrologist later came to me an aoplogized many times and said they almost lost me.  I also had many nurses come to me too and tell me they really didn't think I was going to make it. I'm so happy to still be here

[angieskidney]

I have had my share of doctors who later were proven wrong. Sure they are only human but if they would only listen. A lot of them feel that they went through school and we didn't. But we DO know our bodies!

Infact, if it wasn't for the doctor I had when I was a baby .. the Nephrologist when I was 16 told me that I would have still have my original kidneys today and they would be still 100% fine. The doc I had as a baby had yelled at my mom over the phone saying she was an over-worrying first time mother. My mom's mom died before I was born so she had no one to turn to. My reflux could have been reversed.

Oh well. What can you do after the fact? My Nephrologist I had when I was 16 was amazing! If memory serves me right, he was so good because his son had renal disease as well.

[Judy]

Sad isn't it Angie, to think an error put us in this condition.  I was given a medication I was allergic to that I truly believe was the cause of my kidney failure, Glomerialnephritis.  My family doctor at the time even agreed this would have been the cause, along with my pharmacist.  But the damage has been done, so all we can do now is move on and be thankful for what we "do" have, our cherished families and friends.

[Ohio Buckeye]

Where I'm at there are 5 doctors and they rotate on a 3 month basis.
Which I guess is a good thing if you don't like the doctor but
a bad thing if you do.  I'd rather have my choice of which one I'd
prefer to see.  One always talks to the nurse as if I'm not there.
I haven't seen my original neph since January. Probably won't see him til April.
I don't know if that's how all clinics are.

[angieskidney]

Where I'm at there are 5 doctors and they rotate on a 3 month basis.
Which I guess is a good thing if you don't like the doctor but
a bad thing if you do.  I'd rather have my choice of which one I'd
prefer to see.  One always talks to the nurse as if I'm not there.
I haven't seen my original neph since January. Probably won't see him til April.
I don't know if that's how all clinics are.

There are 3 Nephrologists for my unit and they rotate as well. But I only see each one once a month.