I'll start off by saying I have Kaiser Insurance which I knew they wouldn't take, and heck, if I hadn't known it before going I sure would have as soon as I entered. I came into the office to overhear the reception going off about "Why was a Kaiser Permanente patient coming here?"
My throat has been on fire and I wanted to see a doctor that day and see if anything could be done, as I had a performance to do in hours. Calling Kaiser for advice would mean to wait for treatment, going to their Emergency Room would mean to wait for treatment. I wasn't looking for cost effective, I was looking for professional and fast, so that perhaps I could have something that could help me get through back-to-back performances that afternoon. I am not poor. I did not care the cost.... What I DID care about was not to be condescended to about how much money I was wasting coming there and how to properly use my insurance--I KNOW HOW TO USE IT I JUST KNOW IT'S SLOW AND I NEEDED SOMETHING THEN. But did they ask? No. They proceeded to talk to me like I was stupid.
So, I waved off the cost, whatever. I don't care. I just want to be seen. The receptionist, seeing that I am struggling to talk through my sore throat starts asking me registration questions, though I'd filled out the form online. I informed her of this, and she said that I hadn't, because she didn't see any forms. And then...she looked. There they were. Oh.
Saw the doctor, first thing he did was make a comment about my weight. Oh, you have Kaiser. Did they make you do a sleep study. They made me do one because I'm overweight, too. No, they didn't make me do a sleep study, and yes, yes, I know I'm fat. I hate doctors who don't know you and fat shame, because do they bother to find out that you've actually lost a lot of weight and still are, that you're working out and eating better? No. Just, you're fat. Have you had your eyes checked this year? Have you had your physical? Because you're fat, and not to mention Black, and diabetes... Ugh.
So, yeah, I did forget to mention that one of my medications is Flonase for allergies. I wasn't firing on all cylinders. Doctor proceeds to say yeah, it looks like strep--I see a lot of white patches, but the tests are coming back negative (strep tests rarely come back positive unless your strep is bad). It looks like you have something called a rhinovirus... Me: A cold? Yes. You can speak to me as if I'm someone who knows something. I won't get into my background, but it is not one of a dummy. So, then he says take Claritin or Zyrtec. These are meds I cannot take--gives me heart palpitations. No, I didn't list them as meds I might be allergic to, I will start if it stops doctors from talking to me like an idiot. I tell him I take Flonase and he lectures about how Flonase won't help with sinuses and takes 10 days to work. Hmm... my GP prescribed Flonase because I can't take the other stuff and she says it's the only thing that'll help with sinuses, clogged ears and allergies, and it does. And 10 days, fine, I take it daily anyway.
So, he writes a prescription for antibiotics just in case and tells me to take them later if I'm not feeling better. I really have to pin him down on when "later" is. I'm actually a very good patient and follow instructions to the letter. Then, he also lectures me about just going to Kaiser.
You know what? I will. The only useful thing I got from them was antibiotics I didn't have to jump through hoops to get (meaning I'd have to call Kaiser, get someone on the phone, have them send me somewhere, and then have to wait and walk around to their pharmacy when I had literally 3 hours to show time.).
Please ask people about their choices instead of judging and talking down to them, and don't assume a fat person is sick because they are fat. Just say, hello, ask questions, probe a little more if you need better answers--because remember, you are talking to someone who doesn't feel well or is in pain--and give a diagnosis. I say this, because I felt that the doctor was more concerned about my being diagnosed with diabetes because I'm fat and Black than looking at my poor throat.
I was insulted and left the office with nothing to help me. Just knew that I might have strep throat and I'd pick up the antibiotics the next day.
Follow up--Throat still felt like sandpaper and glass the next day. Looked at my own throat and saw the thick white patches. Got the antibiotics along with other over the counter and home remedies I researched. Turns out, I also have a sinus infection that was compounding things. Doctor never asked about phlegm or fevers. Just if I'd had my physical and eye exam that year--to make sure I didn't have diabetes.
I will never go to this place again. There was nothing like going on stage to be in front of an audience with a horrible sore throat, a croaky voice and feeling fat and belittled because of a horrible experience at this office. I really needed to get that off my chest. read more