Blog Post 11: An Email I’ll Never Send
To Whom It May Concern,
My name is Abby Manning and I am a patient of Dr. X. After a serious COVID infection in December of 2020, I have become chronically ill- a “long hauler.” One of my first noted side effects from my run-in with COVID was anemia. I first received that diagnosis in April of 2021 after dealing with severe fatigue for months. We tried over the counter iron supplements, prescription grade iron, and switching from the pill to an IUD with little to no improvement. Dr. X became my primary in February of 2022 and in March, she recommended a Venofer infusion. In the almost 2 months that followed, I felt significantly better. The fatigue had improved, I wasn’t napping everyday, and I was no longer covered in bruises. When these symptoms returned at the end of May, I asked her to recheck my iron, which she did.
I wanted to meet with her about my results prior to leaving for a trip home to see my parents, but she was out of town. It was recommended that I see Dr. Y, as he had availability in that time frame. As I mentioned before, I have been sick for almost 2 years now. I see a lot of doctors, every week. My time with Dr. Y would easily make the top 3 worst experiences I have ever had with a provider. Here’s why…
He explained my lab results to me and voiced that he wasn’t concerned by them. I went to say what concerned me about them and he rolled his eyes and said, “well as I JUST explained to you…”
I told him that I understood the labs, that I have a degree in biology and am employed by Seattle Children’s. He responded with, “well if you’re a scientist yourself, then I just don’t get what you’re not understanding about this.” This is a wildly unprofessional and rude comment to make.
I suggested that if all of my other markers were constant or improving, but my ferritin had dropped 100 ng/mL in 6 weeks and my symptoms returned, would it not point to ferritin being an issue? He assured me that ferritin can fluctuate significantly- that he has seen patients with 50 one day and 220 the next. I can acknowledge that ferritin can fluctuate due to a variety of variables. However, one quick google search will tell you that low ferritin and normal iron is the early stages of iron-deficiency anemia. Another will show a variety of studies on how Venofer infusions have proven successful in improving fatigue in premenopausal women with low ferritin. My concerns were not unfounded, despite his efforts to make me feel as if I were being unreasonable.
He told me that he would order the infusion, but that he didn’t believe it was warranted or indicated. (And that he didn’t know how to do it- he’d have to ask Dr. X) He said “I don’t think this will help your symptoms, but it’ll probably help you psychologically.” Again, rude and unprofessional. He continued by saying, “Maybe you’re barking up the wrong tree. You could be fatigued from a change in your relationship status or job.” I find it difficult to believe that same remark would’ve been told to a male patient.
I asked about risk. What is the worst case scenario if I get this treatment even if I don’t need it? He said anaphylaxis- which is not a concern for me, as it is a treatment I have had before. So if I am symptomatic of an issue I’ve been dealing with for over a year, willing to take time off of work, willing to pay for it, and there’s virtually no risk, why was this appointment such a big confrontation?
Ultimately, he decided he would redo my ferritin labs and “if they were actually low, in the double digits again,” he would order the infusion. My level? 53.
I am not a confrontational person. My boyfriend and parents were shocked to hear that I didn’t cry throughout this interaction and that I didn’t back down. The priority of a physician- a caregiver- should be the well-being of their patient. I got the outcome that I wanted, but not because of this man, in spite of him. I had to advocate for myself because he was unwilling to listen and was all too quick to dismiss my concerns. Doctors like him are what is wrong with our healthcare system.
Sincerely,
Abby Manning