I recently visited the doctor's office for a physical examination with the nurse practitioner…read more About a day later, I received a call from a nurse informing me that I needed to repeat my blood tests in two weeks due to a high white blood cell count. She inquired whether I had been feeling unwell recently. I shared that I had experienced some side effects like coughing, vomiting, and spitting. I initially attributed to my medication and mentioned that the nurse practitioner had adjusted my prescription that very day. I may have been unwell. The nurse kindly offered to arrange a callback from the nurse practitioner, and I happily accepted.
The nurse practitioner called me back, introducing herself with a "Hi, this is Nurse Practitioner Yvonne." I responded with a friendly greeting, asking how she was doing. "Fine," she replied, "but my nurse mentioned you were upset about your results. Let me explain she said."
She then delved into the reasons behind my two-week wait to redo my labs. After what felt like an eternity of about five minutes, I finally had the opportunity to speak. I clarified, "I was never upset about the results; my concern is the delay. I work closely with many people and want to take precautions to prevent anyone else from getting sick."
Her tone shifted, and she remarked sharply, "I checked your results, and you're fine. What kind of exams do you think should be done?" I suggested tests for common issues like flu or COVID, or even a virus panel--after all, I'm not a doctor. I then asked whether it would be possible to consult another physician. She firmly replied, "We don't do that here. Why do you need another doctor?"
I expressed my worries about the unusual side effects I was experiencing, which didn't seem normal to me. In that moment, she retorted, "You can do what you want; I'm not continuing this conversation," and abruptly hung up.
Moments later, she called back, asking if I wanted to review the rest of my physical results. At that point, my disappointment poured out. I conveyed how much I had admired her and believed I was getting genuine support for my treatment. "I've decided to seek another doctor," I told her, feeling the weight of my decision. With that, she hung up again.
I still think to myself why wasn't I asked how I was feeling, or to come back in to run tests. Its so weird no one called me back to see what happiened and I get a letter saying not to go back there. Stay away from the nurse practitioner; see a doctor if you go here! She was very weird talking about how she is making everyone do a tetanus shot hmmmmm.
