Dr. Nelson is an awful doctor. Then again, maybe it's only because I have experience with other…read moredoctors outside of Ocala. First time I went to see him, it was for a general check-up and to address some pains I had in my lower back. After overlooking me for about 5 minutes, he informed me that he thought I had Lupus. Now, for the uninformed, Lupus is as follows: "Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that can damage any part of the body (skin, joints, and/or organs). "Chronic" means that the signs and symptoms tend to last longer than six weeks and often for many years." He asked me, multiple times, if I knew what lupus was. I did. In fact, I know a lot about lupus, because my best friend has it and (at the time of seeing Dr. Nelson) was in the hospital because of it.
I was pretty scared, because he said lupus about 5 times during out 1st consultation. He wanted me to change my diet: no meat, no dairy, no eggs, which begged me to ask the question: what am I supposed to eat? Regardless, I adhered to the diet for weeks, going back in every week and giving copious amount of vials of my blood. After 2 months, and not 1 call from him to let me know the results of all of my extensive lab-work, I called. And called. And called. And called. For weeks, I wasn't able to get him on the phone. Hell, to THIS DAY, I have never been able to get him on the phone. The number for the office immediately goes into a queue, encouraging you to leave a voicemail. I'll give you a hint: don't do it, unless you want to be ignored. I would speak with receptionist after receptionist, each telling me that he'd call me back with the results. Eventually, I became frustrated and just had the one I got on the phone to read my chart: she couldn't read his hand writing. However, she somehow managed to make out that I, in fact, did NOT have lupus. Thanks, doc.
Needless to say, after that, I really didn't care for the guy. But, he gave me a prescription for anti-depressants and gout, as I sometimes have flare-ups.
Cut to a year later, I am out of my gout medicine and, for the uninformed, here is an explanation of what it is/does: "Gout is a form of inflammatory arthritis that develops in some people who have high levels of uric acid in the blood. The acid can form needle-like crystals in a joint and cause sudden, severe episodes of pain, tenderness, redness, warmth and swelling." Essentially, your joint swells to the point where any contact feels as though it's broken. So, I called my "doctor" seeking for him to refill my prescription. A few days pass and it is now the worst I have ever experienced; my foot was so bloated, that you could see veins throbbing up my leg past my shin. Very painful. I called 3-4 times a day for 2 days, missing work. Eventually, I went to urgent care, and within a half hour, I had a prescription for my meds as well as for pain (which I didn't even ask for). 1 week later, CVS calls me to tell me my prescription has been filed.
And now, a few months later, my anti-depressants have all but run out. He will not refill them without seeing me. That's fine, I call and leave a voicemail, stating I will set up an appointment, but refusing me my anti-depressants goes against the Hippocratic oath; that I will absolutely see him as soon as they can get me in, but I am afraid my pills will run out before then. That was last week. Not 1 call from his office.
"Doctor" Nelson is not only comes off as apathetic about his patients, but incompetent as well. I strongly urge ANYONE considering seeing him to seek help elsewhere.