[Magali]

I recently moved across Canada to NB. I am due for a pap to a made an appointment with a local nurse practitioner for a pelvic exam and to discuss some infertility issues. She took an hour talking with me about my medical history and trying to persuade me to get a tetanus booster. Nothing really related to why I was there. I also mentioned some burning pain/cramping I was having in my lower back/pelvic region and that was all but ignored (told me to take advil and let her know if that helps

. So basically the appointment was a waste of my time. She said she would get my file from my previous doctor and then do a pap at our next visit. She needed to know if I was due for one and if I'm high risk. Well ummm...I just told you I'm due for one thanks. Anyways, I don't see hcp's often and was a little shocked that most of what I wanted out of the visit was ignored. But this might be typical and so I want to give her the benefit of the doubt. So is it normal when seeing a new hcp for the first time that they wouldn't give you a pap (even tho that's why I went) and would spend an hour discussing my lifestyle and vaccinations and ignore a burning pain I was having?

 

[eirual]

I think your little red flag is going up and I think you need to trust it.

I switched HCPs when I moved and it wasn't like that. Mind you I don't think I went in with any burning issues (pun not intended

). I think she also ordered my files BEFORE our first appointment so she had already had a look at my history.

If she wrote you off that easily at the first appointment and you walked out the door feeling any less than supproted and fine, I'd look for another option.

 

[Magali]

Thanks for your reply.

Yes, the more I think about it the more I realize that I won't be going back to her. She really should have got my history before and told me that there would be no pelvic exam until she had a chance to review my file.

Another issue I have with her is as she was trying to sell me on a tetanus booster she told me a something that I know to be blatantly untrue. I posted it in the vax forum here. But she told me that since I haven't had a tetanus vax in 10 years if I ever go to the clinic with a wound at risk for tetanus they will give me the vax. I said really, I thought the protocol was to give TIG in this case because my body would take to long to create antibodies to the vax. She looked me right in the eye and said that no TIG would be administered and the vax would protect me. So yeah, I will wait and see if she will refer my to a gyno, but I won't be going back to that particular clinic that is for sure.

 

[Ola_]

I believe with my current family doc I needed a "new patient" visit before they would schedule me for a physical appointment (which included a pap). I was told this when I made the appointment however. And that doesn't make it ok for her to ignore your concerns - almost sounds like she wasn't even listening to you. I vote to go with your gut.