You haven't seen the last of me...

So I call the clinic of the physician I see since I moved to Kansas to discuss treatment options for my condition. I hardly ever go to the doctor. Firstly I'm incredibly healthy in spite of my former drinking habits, my former obesity, and my continuing addiction to nicotine. Second, my lack of health insurance has made it so that visits to the doctor are a necessary, not just an I don't feel so hot proposition. I haven't had a drink in almost 10 years, I'm not as slender as I could be, but still 65 pounds below my all-time high, and I'm not going to beat myself up about the fact that I can't quit smoking. Sure, I'd live longer if I did, but what they don't tell you is those extra years are the bedpan years. I'll pass thank you. Besides, there's no way for me to quit smoking without going postal on everyone in a two hundred mile radius so you can all thank me now for not quitting.

I speak with Dr. X's nurse who listens to my brief description of why I'd like to see the doctor and after a few minutes comes back on the line to inform me that Dr. X doesn't do second opinions (which is not at all what I've asked for) and that since they have a doctor that just quit the practice leaving them short handed and I've only ever been to see them once, Dr. X declines to set an appointment with me. I am dumbstruck. First, I know I've been there more than once. Three occasions come to mind immediately (I'm sure I can think of more given time), plus he is the primary care physician of my nephew, who lived with us for years and he's the primary for my life partner. WTF? I thank her and hang up. After a night sleeping on this development, I decide to write Dr. X a letter asking him to reconsider his decision:

Dear Dr. X,
I am writing to protest your refusal to set an appointment for me to discuss with you a diagnosis I recently received after a trip to the emergency room at Unnamed Hospital.

Your staff could only find one record of my visiting you, which is incorrect. I personally have seen you or another physician at your clinic on at least three occasions over the past 5+ years. My very first visit to you was when my life partner and I were adopting our nephew and the process required that each member of our household undergo a physical examination. We were very new to the area and chose to keep our healthcare local rather than go to Manhattan or Topeka. I am ridiculously healthy and am not one of those people who calls the doctor every time they get a hangnail so my visit count with you is low. Sorry, I'm not going to be the patient that funds a new wing at the hospital. The low visit count is also due to the fact that until recently I had no health insurance so a trip to the doctor for me was something that was done only, only, only when absolutely necessary.

My life partner is a patient of yours and you are the primary care physician for our nephew. They have received frequent treatment from you and other physicians at your clinic. I feel I may have been penalized in this instance because there is not a familial relationship of blood or marriage noted in your clinical records reflecting the fact that we are indeed a family that is treated by you and Clinic X.

My recent visit to the emergency room has resulted in a diagnosis of stones in the gall bladder. I do not disagree with this diagnosis and am not looking for a second opinion or someone to either confirm or refute the diagnosis. The emergency room doctor, Dr. Z, is not my primary care physician (due to my good health I don't declare a primary care physician, I've had no need to) and since he is affiliated with the healthcare clinic at Unnamed Hospital, I elected to continue seeing him on this issue for the purposes of medical care continuity, not out of any physician preference or loyalty. What I do disagree with is his recommended course of action. He will not detail any options but one for this condition and I wanted to speak with someone else regarding all the options, however remote they may be, for this condition's successful outcome.

Therefore, I humbly request that you reconsider your decision and grant me a few moments of your time to discuss what my healthcare options are for this condition.

Sincerely,
Your Patient (who is in great deal of pain)

Now, I truly hope he will reconsider. If not, I fear his name will arise in a negative connotation in every blog I can possibly post to every time someone Google's his name.