I had a doctor refuse me as a patient...I didn't even know they did that.  I cried all the way home, good thing my husband was driving!  
It all worked out okay.
I really think they don't want to take on anyone that would be extra work or make them look bad.
Pam

You know, I hate to say this, but I think this is really only just fare.   It may be shocking to hear that, but there are several reasons why.  

First, you've got to understand how this is for them... a doctor can't treat what he/she doesn't know.  There are some diseases which are very complex and if they don't know enough about it, they can do more harm than good and the oath that doctors take and are legally held to puts them into such a position that they must recognize their limitations.  I don't think it's an easy decision for them to make, but thankfully, Kim, that doctor was WISE and CONSIDERATE enough to recognize his limitations and didn't want to put your health in risk.   You are actually VERY fortunate that he is willing to take care of you in an acute situation!!    I had one allergist, the only one in my town who had even a real notion as to what I have, FLATLY REFUSE me as a patient and wouldn't even take me for just emergency help!!   He openly said that he didn't like my illness and didn't want to deal with me as a patient even after I told him that I couldn't find a single doctor who did know about it!!!    I still am not working with any doctor whose specialty covers this disease.   My hematologist is OPENLY LOST!!  I live in a small town of only 300,000 and I'm working with the best doctors we have!!  All of my doctor support is with my angiologist, nephrologist and endocrinologist and it's my angiologist and endocrinologist who run to my rescue when I'm in trouble!!!

So, I understand your doctor's decision and he's showing you a great deal of grace by accepting your care when you're in trouble!!  Very gracious of him!!!


Now, another major reason why he refused you is probably the most important one.  In a country where lawsuits against doctors has become common place, the patients who have been convinced that this is really in their best interest to take a doctor to court for being human, the end result is that doctors will do what they must to PROTECT themselves!  Unfortunately, Kim, this is one of the major reasons why doctors have become fearful of their patients!  They give their lives over to the study of medicine and the desire to help others and so often they find themselves being horrendously in debt and burdened with insurance bills only to protect themselves against the very people they've dedicated their lives to help and serve.  Doctors fear patients like us for our disease is difficult to treat and one wrong move could have them in court and threatened to lose everything!  Can you blame them, then for refusing to treat a patient whose disease they know nothing about and that they may never encounter again in their career?   It's a lot of work for very, very little recompense!  It's an even greater amount of responsibility and risk for very little return!

I can't help but feel that the government must begin to do something about law suits against doctors for it has whiplashed back upon the patients - doctors are refusing to treat them and when they do, often they don't do as thorough of a job as they used to do 30 - 40 years ago.  I have heard stories down here in Brazil of patients who said their doctors would not do a physical exam, or even touch them!  For a doctor to not touch a patient is a really bad sign of how much our doctors are constrained for it's like asking us to buy fruit without touching it!  A doctors touch can tell when the heartbeat is too strong or too weak in the wrist, or if an organ is enlarged, or whether the abdomen is tight or if there is swelling, etc.!!   Yet, it's an indicator as to how impeded our doctors are from doing their job and it's just so wrong that the lawsuit mafia has become so very strong!  It's killing out doctors and their desire to practice medicine!


So, I think, ladies, if you can see it from this angle, you can understand why Kim was fired.   I'm so very sorry it had to be this way Kim, for I know how hard of a time you've had it trying to find adequate doctor treatment!


Lisa

CROSSING MY FINGERS! I just sent a message to Dr Fahrenholz at Vanderbilt in Nashville asking if he would accept me as a regular patient. That would be great if hexaccepts. He already has experience and knowledge with MCAS.