Fed-up with surgeons office staff!!

OH MY GOODNESS!!! So after calling for TWO WEEKS and getting the old " your labs wont be here yet" - I get a call this morning from my surgeons office and they're worried about my iron levels.  However, no matter how many different ways I ask the nurse wont give me the exact number! The PA (surgeon doesn't see patients very often it's usually the PA) wants me to go back on ferrous fumarate.  

I keep telling these people that I was BORN anemic..it has been with me my whole life.. and the nursing staff has an attitude with me, telling me that I must not be taking my iron like I say I am because I wouldn't be THIS deficient if I were and that there's NO way my body could 'not absorb' all the different irons I say I've tried.

HELLO!? My surgeon personally told me that I'd have this issue and they would help me deal with it when it came about!! I just got off the phone with surgeons office..they've faxed over my lab reports(just now) to my primary - my primary is getting me in on Monday (tomorrow afternoon if needed) to discuss what we can do about this iron problem.  

I'm 14 months post op...I should be able to have my primary handle this right??  I'm just SO fed up with my surgeons office staff right now I don't know what else to do!!

Well good your PCP has your results and you can just deal with them from now on!

What kinds of Iron have you tried? Have you tried the Proferrin Forte?

I think you are making the right decision to have your pcp handle your iron problem. The staff at my bariatric center has not been pleasant to deal with either. Ugh!

Yeah, your PCP can take care of it for you.  When you go in Monday, get a copy of your labs for yourself.  Or, better yet, have them fax the report to you tomorrow or stop by the office to pick it up tomorrow.  That way you'll have time to review them before your appointment Monday so you'll be prepared with whatever you need to talk to your PCP about.

You can just start having your PCP order your labs from now on.  You'll probably need to give him a list of what to order, though.

I've only tried the OTC irons and even bariatric advantage ..feosol.. I've been on ferrous sulfate (stupid, I know but they Rx'd it) .Ferrous fumarate, carbonyl iron..bariatric formulated ones... I have not tried proferrin yet simply because it's expensive and I'm on the 'welfare' type medical insurance.  However, I'm wondering if I can get it approved because of the RNY or at least discounted.  What makes me upset is the fact that the office just assumes that my anemia is caused by the RNY when I've had anemia my whole life..shouldn't they be finding out what SPECIFIC type of anemia it is?  I'm going to continue my Feosol (carbonyl iron****il monday - not spending more $$ that I don't have on things to fill an already full medicine cabinet!

I HEAR YOU PAIN AND FRUSTRATION.  I TOO GOT FEED UP WITH MY DOCTORS OFFICE AS WELL AS WITH MY SURGEON OF THE LACK OF COMMUNICATION REGARDING MY THYROID MEDICATION. ALL WHEN I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL I KEPT ASKING THEM ABOUT MY MEDICATION. ALL THE NURSES WOULD SAY IT'S NOT IN YOUR RECORDS. HELLO YOU IDIOTS I HAE BEEN ON THIS MEDICCATION FOR A YEAR NOW.  THEN WHEN I GO FOR MY ONE WEEK CHECK UP, OH THEY ASK ME ' HAVE YOU BEEN TAKING YOU THYROID MEDICATION? I TOLD THEM WELL YOU DIDN'T HAVE IT IN YOUR RECORDS AND DIDN'T GIVE IT TO ME WHILE I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL LAST WEEK GO FIGURE! CAN I GET SOME HELP HERE?

Wow - you lasted for 14 months with those stupid people.  Great job!  I really get frustrated with the office staff as well.  The surgeon is good but the staff putting me off for appointments, scheduling, and everything else is just IRRITATING.  I'm only 2 1/2 months out and I'm making an appt with my primary.  I feel for you!