Doctor #1 from years 2000-2005

Any Change, any loss, does not make us victims.  Others can shake you, surprise you, disappoint you, but they can't prevent you from acting, from taking the situation you're presented with and moving on.  No matter where you are in life, no matter what your situation, you can always do something.  You always have a choice.

One very valuable lesson I have learned over the years dealing with doctors is that they are human."  I grew up believing that they were God-like, never making mistakes. However, it's a lesson I learned the hard way, they are human and as such prone to make mistakes.

The best thing a person can do is research everything you can find on their disease. Read up on the new research and medications, bring up some of these ideas to your doctor letting him know what you'd be willing to try.

Another very important thing you can do is take care of yourself.  Eat right, get lots of rest and do as much exercise that you can do and work slowly on increasing this exercise. I believe the stronger you are the harder it will be for the disease to beat you!

Doctor # ! was the doctor who diagnosed me with having severe COPD, back in 2000. She possibly has the best bedside manner of any doctor I have met. She was very patient and helpful while I was quitting smoking.  She also prescribed Pulmicort for treating my COPD.

After a couple of years with things running along pretty smoothly, I began to get tired easily. Work was getting harder and harder to do. I called to set up an appointment with my doctor. I found out that she was off on maternity leave. So I immediately booked an appointment with the doctor who was covering for her. Once I finished explaining to this doctor how I was feeling she asked to see my puffers. When I pulled them out of my purse she exclaimed "But they're the same," I was like, "What do you mean the same?" they certainly didn't look the same.  She explained that they are different brand names but that they were both Corticosteroids which reduce inflammation on the lungs and help reduce swelling. She also stated that I needed bronchodilators   which would relax the muscles in the walls of the small air passages. She then preceded to prescribe a drug know as Advair.
Advair was like a miracle drug, so long as I took it everyday and didn't have any infections I felt fantastic, like a whole new woman.  The next appointment I had with my doctor after her maternity leave was over, I mentioned how great I was feeling on the Advair.  "Yes, maybe we should just add it to our drinking water" is what she said very sarcastically.

NOTE: Now after all these years Advair is still on my list of medications and I wouldn't want to face a day without it.  Which in hindsight lets me know there was nothing wrong with Advair,  so her attitude was totally uncalled for!

Another problem I have with this doctor is while she was treating me over the coarse of  four years she never once sent me for any breathing tests or for an arterial  blood gases test.

Then to top off all this, she just up and quits her practice.  Leaving one of the largest family practices on PEI without a doctor.  Placing all her patients on waiting lists for a new doctors. She never once referred me to see an specialist either.  As a result, I spent the next 31/2 years without any doctor and spending most of my time at the emergency room at the hospital when sick and when just needing prescriptions refilled with no one monitoring my COPD. This doctor did me absolutely no favors!!