I'm writing to make people aware of a horrible experience I had with a pain-management doctor I…read moresaw last Friday. Dr. Hedayatnia, was not in that day and they explained, I'd need to see Dr. Marsha Fridman as she was the only pain specialist available. I was grateful to have found someone and agreed.
When Dr. Fridman ultimately came into the examining area, she asked me who referred me and I said, "my neurologist" whose name I'm deliberately leaving out. Her first words were: "oh, I love your neurologist!" and feeling like this was a friendly first moment, I agreed, "yes, me as well...he's terrific".
She then asked me why I had come in and I told her that I suffer from an extremely rare and acute illness called Burning Mouth Syndrome and that I feel like my mouth and tongue are continuously being lit on fire, 24/7 --- She very abruptly interrupted me, saying: "oh, I've never heard of this..." I attempted to explain a bit about what's thought to cause it, my frighteningly painful symptoms, and the various courses of treatment I'd sought out over the past 4 months. She looked it up on her phone and got her novice education in Burning Mouth Syndrome. Again, she so nastily said: "well I don't know what this is...I don't even know why you're here? Where's your neurologist, HE should be treating you..." I told her I'd just seen him two days earlier and that he referred me for pain management. I further explained that I have an appointment with an oral pathologist on August 31st who specializes in this disease but am in such dire pain that I'm afraid I'm not going to make it another month in this kind of shape and that I needed something for pain to get me to that point.
By this stage of our appointment, I had completely broke down and cried, feeling incredibly scared that yet ANOTHER doctor else wasn't going to be able to help me...she almost mocked my tears, saying again: "I don't know why you're here and how I'm supposed to treat something I've never heard of?" I felt like I was inconveniencing her. I reiterated, "doctor...I am just asking you, please...please, just prescribe something for me that can numb the pain until my appointment at the end of the month..." Her immediate segue was: "OH, I see...you want narcotics...you came here to get narcotics and I can't give them to you..." She said this in such an abrasive and judgmental way, immediately stereotyping me as some kind of addict...I told her, "I came here for pain management to try and stop the hellish burning as I don't know if I'm going to survive until the end of this month without something to help take the pain away!" I was absolutely crying out of control, in horrendous pain. I begged her: "please don't just abandon me in so much pain...I'm not going to make it". Her response: "Oh, well if you're going to threaten to harm yourself, I'm calling an ambulance and sending you to the hospital..." I said "yes, because of your complete lack of compassion and blatant cruelty, maybe I will go ahead and harm myself...yes, please call an ambulance..." Once that was established, I tried to ask her: "can you please make sure I'm taken to NYU Langone Hospital; as that's where most of my doctors are affiliated...?" She nastily said: "I have NO control over this...you'll get sent where you're sent..."
I waited about 10 minutes and Dr. Fridman made one final appearance: "anything else I can do for you Mr. _______?" I didn't even answer her. Moments later, the police came followed by the paramedics. I asked if I could be taken to NYU Langone and was very happily told: "oh course you can, sir..." While having my vitals done, I told the ENT about my horrible experience with this doctor, once again, Dr. Marsha Fridman. The ENT was absolutely horrified and said: "write a letter to your referring physician and...leave a review on Yelp..."
In the ambulance, I wrote to my primary care doctor who received my cry for help and had an extensive panel of bloodwork waiting for me when I arrived in the ER. Feeling desperate again for relief as the pain just continues to be at a level that no human being should suffer from, I called my oral surgeon who had prescribed a few Percocet a few weeks earlier. They barely do anything, but I needed something, so he wrote me a script for 8 additional tablets which were delivered that night. I was at NYU Langone for about 4 hours. They advised I see a rheumatologist to determine whether I have Sjogren's Syndrome. The pain was not and has still yet to be resolved and I continue to suffer.
I'm a very reasonable man. I allow people to be themselves and always look for silver-linings, but Dr. Fridman was just the single most horrible medical experience I've ever had. I will never forget her look of absolute apathy as I sat there writhing in agony. I am going to send this to the A.M.A. and a step further, the Department of Justice. This person should not be practicing medicine, period.
