I originally wanted to give 5 starts and shout from the roof tops how grateful I was to have been…read morerefereed to this doctor.
That was after my first visit, in Feb. At that visit my only misgiving was that she prescribed me meds without looking over my chart to see that I was already taking those meds. I put that aside because the rest of the visit was great. I was sent for my ankle issues, but when she saw my toe that I couldn't get anyone to help me with since Nov. and immediately helped. She listened, called my primary for xrays and information, she sent me to get blood work, xrays, mri & made referrals to doctors that would help before scheduling my next appointment. Found out I have an infection in the bone of toe that's EATING the bone!
Second appointment, in April, she's upset the toe isn't better and my surgery was cancelled (because of covid 19) she stated that I should be on better antibiotics & she resent me back to the previous referrals. Allowed blood work done at my regular clinic and not hers. It was a very quick visit, with her nurse being with me more than her. Ankle was again not looked at, but x-rayed when I asked the nurse to request something be done. I thought she'd come back in and look at it but she didn't.
Third visit, July, I was sent to the Nurse Practitioner who did nothing, but read my chart off to me and ask a few questions before trying to leave the room. I mean, she was half out the door when my shock wore off and I asked if she was even going to look at me. She said, for what? I'm not kidding! I told her I could barely move my ankle and was swollen from knee to my toes. She sat down and looked from across the room at me, never attempting to come close or touch the swollen parts. She asked what I wanted her to do and said she'd order an MRI of ankle, but instead she pawned it off on the doctor that had ordered my toe MRI. "To save me time." (that's what I was told when I called to ask why it had been pawned off.) It wasn't approved by insurance because that doctor wasn't treating me for my ankle and hadn't ordered to x-rays that had to precede the MRI request, Dr. Cooper had.
Before fourth visit, receptionist was very polite and understood my concerns since both doctors Dr. Cooper referred me to are now saying they can't do anything more until Dr. Cooper signs off on it. Receptionist moved Sept. appointment to Aug. Just one week after MRI results so a plan can be made. Dr. Cooper told her to work me in.
Fourth visit, I again drive an hour, take off 3 more hours of work to be there and guess what? Dr. Cooper isn't there!! They tell me I have to see nurse practitioner, who can't make a decision on surgery or not so I refused. I was livid!! I asked why wasn't my appointment cancelled? (R) Dr. Cooper didn't want anyone to miss their appointments. My chart states I'm not going to see NP again, you should have called and given me the choice. why didn't you? (R) We didn't think about it, we are so sorry for the inconvenience, but if you don't see NP today the next appointment we can give you is in Dec. I demanded my $40.00 co-pay back since I hadn't left the reception room, told them to get Dr. Cooper butt up there or someone that can tell me if the bone eating infection was gone or not so I could get save my foot. They asked me to sit and 5 minutes later a nice Nurse asked to speak to me in NP room. She took down note and said she would give them to Dr. Cooper to call and talk to me next week. She had called the other doctors to find out why they weren't continuing treatment and because a receptionist at the infection control said "The infection must be gone or doctor would still be treating her." the nurse decided it must be gone. Neither one took into account that the infection doctor & her nurse both told me they didn't know. The MRI was inconclusive since it wasn't compared to the previous one. She couldn't tell if it was infection or arthritis but she couldn't continue the antibiotics because of the reaction I was having to them. She advised me to see the surgeon and Dr. Cooper, but nope this sweet nurse and receptionist decided I was all cured, nothing to worry about. No surgery needed, just call if anything happens and they will work me in. She then refunded the co-pay & scheduled an appointment for Aug. 31.