To begin, I will state that Dr. Hines is FANTASTIC & obviously cares for her patients. The…read morereception staff is always very kind & respectful as well. This review is for Saree Allen, who I am apparently stuck until she leaves the practice, which thankfully is soon. I also want to make it clear that I am not a patient who uses any pain meds, so this review is not being written by someone who is angry that they can't get opioids. This review is written by someone who doesn't understand why the level of care is so different between the two providers.
Saree sloppily & ineffectively administered my second set of trigger point injections, the needle not even hitting the trigger points & causing additional, increasing pain that lasted for almost 2 weeks. Dr. Hines did my first set of injections. She took great care, the needle actually hit the trigger points, providing great & lasting relief. Saree rushed & just poked spots with the needle, not actually hitting any trigger points, taking about 5 minutes to administer them, when it took MUCH longer for Dr. Hines. Insurance only allows so many injections over a period of time unless I pay out of pocket, which I can't afford at this time. Not only did she carelessly & incorrectly administer the injections, she wasted the injections, as well as my time.
When I expressed disappointment over having to wait even longer to get treatment for something that I had discussed with Saree on a previous visit, due to having to wait until after my thyroid was removed (even though I understood why), Saree proceeded to give insensitive & unwelcome advice on how to get over my "depression" due to this, which included "going out & finding friends". I did not come here to get mental health treatment, especially from someone who is clearly NOT a licensed mental health professional. She spent a large amount of that appointment giving me depression tips that were obviously gleaned from the internet, as well as relaying her personal experience with depression & how her tips helped her, despite knowing nothing about my situation, as well as knowing that I receive care from actual mental health professionals. I left that appointment feeling aghast at her audacity to force that advice on me, while basically ignoring, minimizing and invalidating my physical concerns, which is why I was there. I am under the impression that she thinks my physical issues are all in my head, as if someone who struggles with their mental health could never have a legitimate physical concern, or the ability to know their own body.
The next appointment, which was 11/08/24, was the last straw. I waited for an extremely long time in the waiting room, then again in the exam room. I waited for at least 30 minutes in the exam room, which was stressful because it was hard to drown out the person in the next room, whose pain, sorrow & desperation in their voice was upsetting to listen to. Once she came in, it was all about Saree Allen & her agenda. She did not want to hear anything I had to say. She obviously wanted to get my appointment over with ASAP. I wanted to discuss some things that were written in the notes from the health portal. She was impatient & obviously irritated that I was asking these questions & very on the defense. She interrupted me with the assumption that I was complaining when I simply wanted to know why a few things were in there & how it related to the conditions I was seeking help for. She clearly had no interest in the fact that I was trying to better understand my conditions, yet after the discussion about the notes, she hypocritically tells me how you have to advocate for yourself when it comes to the medical system. She also told me that she refused to amend anything in the notes, before I had a chance to ask.
Her impatience throughout the entire appointment was palpable. She again tried to advise on mental health issues, when I am simply trying to find out why my ankle is burning & I have to limp while I walk. I made no mention of my mental health. I don't understand what her problem is. She tried to leave the room several times, clearly trying to cut my appointment short, even as I was mid-sentence. At the end, as she was AGAIN trying to leave the room, I asked if I could get help with making sure my carpal tunnel braces were being worn correctly. She said she didn't have time but would send someone else in, who proceeded to tighten my braces to the point that my wrists hurt & my hands started going numb, then shrugged their shoulders and told me I had to wear them that way despite the fact that they were obviously so tight they were compressing the nerve even further.
I am told that I have to have one more appointment with Saree and then I will see Dr Hines again, but I might just decide to wait until I get in with Dr. Hines again. I'd rather prolong my suffering than have to be treated this way again.