Changing your Primary Care Doctor

Some people change their primary care doctor like they change their underwear. I swear that I've seen patients come into the ED once a week for 3 weeks and have 3 new doctors. Mostly, the stories about leaving the old doctor are pretty much the same: He doesn't understand me, he doesn't believe I have pain, my insurance changed and I had to change doctors, and my personal favorite, 'the doctor terminated me from his practice because he said I never showed up for appointments". Whatever the reason for the change, the patients felt an indifference about the change that didn't seem to have much of an impact on how they felt either way. Once doctor is a good as the next as long as they give me what I need (want).

For the past 27 years I have had the same primary care doctor. This man has been through the gamut of things with me. My medical history, for someone "so young" is not the norm, so he has tried every thing in his power to prevent future complications for me. He has kept a close watch on my conditions and I've followed up with him on a regular and consistent basis. Why anyone would want to change phyisicans so frequently is a mystery. I would much rather have a doctor follow me that knows about my medical history, knows a little about my family, what I do for a living, what ages my children are, and what my family dynamics are. It's reassuring to know that your doctor cares about you, (or at least he makes you feel as if he does).

Recently, my primary care physician has been going through changes. For the past 5 years or so he has become distracted. He and I have always had a good relationship so I asked him what has been going on in his life that has caused him to become so distant. His answer was what could have been the answer to any person off the street, but he was a doctor which complicated his answers. This man who has been with me through some of my major illnesses now had problems that was affecting his ability to do his job. The doctor is divorced and his ex-wife lives about a 90 minute drive from him. In the last 2 years, his younger brother (45) died of a massive heart attack. His son, has become a drug addict and is addicted to Oxycontin along with a few other drugs and alcohol. He confided in me that his whole family has "addictive personalities" and even he [the doctor] had to go to rehab for a Vicodin addiction he developed which he kicked by the Grace of God.

In recent weeks, he has had to leave an waiting room full of patients to attempt to locate his son or to go to the hospital where his son had been admitted due to a drug overdose. He cancels appointments at the last minute after patients have taken a half day off from work to get in to see him. After a serious of incidents when he admitted patients to the hospital and never came to see them, his hospital privileges were suspended. He still seeds patients in the office (when he shows up) but if they need admitted, he has to have the hospitalist see them and write orders for them in the hospital.

Over the past 2 years I have watched him go from a highly educated, compassionate doctor, to one who is now out of control with personal obligations. He tells me it's like being a warden in a prison except the gate seems to be always open and he can't seem to control what's going on. To add insult to injury, his current wife wants him to move about 3,000 miles away because he needs to get away from his children. He says she pesters him about it almost daily but he's a "dad" and it's just not that easy.

Recently, I had an admission to the hospital. I was there 3 days and didn't see anyone. I was essentially managed over the phone buy nurses who talked to him on his way to here and there. I was ultimately released with instructions to follow up with him in 2 days; which I did and much to my surprise, he was there. After addressing my problem, I asked him how HE was. I told him he looked tired, worn out and depressed. He did not deny my assessment.

I have tried to tough it out with him for 5 years. I have given him every benefit of the doubt that I could, but this last admission was an eye opener for me. I realized that if something was seriously wrong with me, and considering my past heart history, I needed some stability in my medical treatment. I needed a doctor who was going to be there for me. Right now, the doctor I have could not be. With his admission privileges suspended, all I would get is either the house doctor or the hospitalist (which is a new position in our hospital).

With a great deal of regret and sorrow, I left my doctor of 27 years and found a new primary care doctor. One of the first questions my new doctor asked me was "why did you leave your old doctor?" I answered him truthfully and openly and I think he could tell I was having a great deal of apprehension. I told him that I needed a primary care doctor who could take care of me 24/7 if need be. I told him I did not leave my previous doctor because I didn't like him, but I thought it was in my best interest.

I don't see how people can get new doctors every week, I had a hard time changing from one PCP to the another. I don't like the fact that this doctor doesn't have 27 years of knowing me and I don't like the he doesn't know me. I have to give this a chance. I have to give this doctor the chance to Wish me luck.