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Thread: Looking for new General Physician in the Twin Cities

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    Default Looking for new General Physician in the Twin Cities

    Does anyone know of a good General Physician in the Twin Cities Metro area? I fired the last one after they asked me what is Wegeners Granulomatosis during my first appointment. I don't know if they didn't know about the condition or testing me to see if I was a Hypochondriac. They looked at my medical records and still didn't know what to do. I was going to tell them but decided to end the appointment.
    Greg
    Diagnosed July 23, 1999

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    Obviously, I don't know any doc's in the Twin Cities. What are your expectations of a PCP? I expect mine to treat me for everything except wegs to the extent of his abilities, then he'll refer me to a specialist. He communicates with my wegs specialist in Cleveland and arranges for the labs she orders. I don't know how much he knows about wegs, but I suspect he's learned a little about it as he's dealt with me.

    I see my PCP twice a year. My appointments with him are scheduled so that I'm seeing either him or my wegs doc (also see her twice a year) every three months or so. I think I get great care from both docs. Hope you can get to a similar level of care and trust.
    Pete
    dx 1/11

    "Every day is a good day. Some are better than others." - unknown

    "Take your meds as directed and live your life as fully as you can." - Michael Chacey, MD

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    I am only expecting the PCP to treat me for everything except for wegs and communicate with my Doctors at the Mayo Clinic. The regular PCP I had in was great and communicated with my rheumatologist rather well, but they are no longer practicing in the Twin Cities.

    I have no problem educating people about Wegeners. However, when the new PCP decided to treat me horribly during an appointment. I decided to fire them as my Doctor.
    Greg
    Diagnosed July 23, 1999

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    I prefer to have a local physician close to home that i can see and get most of my meds prescribed. i go to the Metro area or to other towns for specialists as i need and have them send copies of all info back to my local physician. Primary care physicians are very over booked in my area so it is hard to find one that will take the time to help me coordinate my care from various clinics and doctors. It can take a lot of shopping around to find doctors you trust and some times you find out you are wrong or made a mistake. Often the very best best ones often seem to move on and then you have to work to find an acceptable replacement. Maintaining a good care team is an on going process that takes a lot of work if you have Wegs and other health issues. I go interview new prospects and tell them upfront i am looking for a new blank for my health care team. I tell them why i have an opening and a bit about myself plus they usually have my records and then I find out if they are interested. Some are upfront and say they are too busy or feel inadequate to meet my needs. The good ones appreciate the challenge of having a patient with my various issues and having some one who is invested and also knowledgeable about their health care.

    My treating doctor for Wegs is from Fairview (now called U of MN Physcians) and they have all the specialists of any large clinic. I see my treating doctor at a branch clinic in Maple Grove to save on travel time. He consults with my consultant for Wegs at Mayo and other experts when needed.

    All my regular specialists send info back to my local internist in home town where i could get emergency care if needed.

    References are helpful and so are recommendations, especially from other physicians since they know their peers and who does good work and their areas of interest. But ultimately it comes down to your relationship with the health care provider and how comfortable you are with them.

    Sometimes necessity requires you take on one that is less less ideal but then be aware of their limitations and double check things with another health care professional. i forgot to do this early this year and suffered extra weeks and months before I correctly diagnosed my problems of hernia (one month) and broken ankle (two months) after several doctors had failed to do so for both issues. The third doctor confirmed my hernia problem after I figured out what it was and she referred me to the surgeon to get it fixed. I walked on broken ankle for two months before I asked the second doctor to do an MRI which confirmed it was badly broken. I should have got a second opinion from some one more skilled or more motivated to diagnose the problem right away. In hind sight I knew better but failed to follow through with what my "guts" told me. So i end up spending an extra two or three months with a cast and using a knee scooter for this mistake.

    We shouldn't have to diagnose our own medical problems for the experts but in today's health care business with the emphasis on speed and efficiency in caring for a large number of patients quickly, we often have to be our own best advocates and managers. We know our body the best and often know intuitively when some thing is really wrong. If we are not in denial and are willing to admit it, we then need to work to get it confirmed and correctly diagnosed so it can be properly treated. It isn't just Wegs that gets missed or misdiagnosed.
    Last edited by drz; 07-29-2016 at 05:51 AM.
    Knowledge is power! Wisdom is using it to make good decisions!

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    I was able to schedule an appointment with a doctor at the Fairview branch clinic in Farmington. After reading his profile, he looks like a good candidate for my new PCP and is associated with a local hospital. Will find out if he is a fit soon enough. Hopefully, my first appointment goes well. If not, I will keep on searching for a new PCP.
    Greg
    Diagnosed July 23, 1999

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    Twin Cities, eh? Leeds-Bradford? Buda-Pest? Detroit-Windsor? Mainz-Weisbaden? Lewiston-Clarkston? Aalborg-Nørresundby? Albury-Wodonga? Which twin cities did you have in mind? :-)

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    Quote Originally Posted by vdub View Post
    Twin Cities, eh? Leeds-Bradford? Buda-Pest? Detroit-Windsor? Mainz-Weisbaden? Lewiston-Clarkston? Aalborg-Nørresundby? Albury-Wodonga? Which twin cities did you have in mind? :-)
    You mean there is more than one

    Minneapolis–Saint Paul is a major metropolitan area built around the Mississippi, Minnesota and St. Croix rivers. The area is commonly known as the Twin Cities for its two largest cities, Minneapolis, the city with the largest population in Minnesota, and Saint Paul, the state capital.

    This is only one that comes up on my google search for the Twin Cities.
    Last edited by drz; 08-01-2016 at 03:21 AM.
    Knowledge is power! Wisdom is using it to make good decisions!

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    Quote Originally Posted by vdub View Post
    Twin Cities, eh? Leeds-Bradford? Buda-Pest? Detroit-Windsor? Mainz-Weisbaden? Lewiston-Clarkston? Aalborg-Nørresundby? Albury-Wodonga? Which twin cities did you have in mind? :-)
    Sorry vdub I should have specified Twin Cities Minnesota. I wasn't aware there were multiple twin cities through out the world.
    Greg
    Diagnosed July 23, 1999

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    Quote Originally Posted by Gragnoc View Post
    Sorry vdub I should have specified Twin Cities Minnesota. I wasn't aware there were multiple twin cities through out the world.
    Neither is my google when I search for The Twin Cities. Interesting they got the name back in 1840's for St. Anthony and Minneapolis. across the river from each other.
    Knowledge is power! Wisdom is using it to make good decisions!

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    I love that you have an Aussie "twin cities" in their, being Albury-Wodonga
    Keep Smiling
    Michelle


    Live your life in a way that you wouldn't be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town gossip - WILL ROGERS

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