What are the positives of being a male nurse?

Nurse is not acting appropriately...judgemental because I'm a pain patient?

• I was in a severe accident about four years ago, which left me with three bulging discs, two slipped discs, and severe nerve pain in my spine and back. I have been a chronic pain patient of my doctor's since then. My doctor is very good friends with my parents, and he has been my doctor since I was a toddler. I am now 34 years old. Before my accident, I very rarely visited the doctor or emergency rooms, and never required pain medication except when my two children were born (I had 2 c-sections). For the past four years, however, I have had to take Hydrocodone 10/325 (120 per month, or 4 per day), and Soma 325 (4 per day). My doctor has always faxed my prescription to the pharmacy every other month with one refill on it. I have never called and asked for my medication early, and have never abused my medication. In fact, I have discussed with my doctor numerous times how to avoid getting addicted to my medication and things that I can do at home like certain exercises so that I don't have to even take it all the time. I have NEVER in the past had an issue with my medication with my docor. Recently, just a few months ago, his nurse of 26 years retired, and he hired a new nurse. Ever since he has had this new nurse, every other month has become a nightmare getting my pain medication. A month or so ago, I had called and asked the nurse to check with him and see if I could raise my dose of Soma. Without even speaking to him, she told me, "He isn't going to do that. You are already taking more pain medication than you need," so I didn't pursue it. Then when I had my appointment with him, he said, "Sure, I can do that, no problem"...so I could have had it done weeks before, if she had just asked him. On several occasions, she has had my prescription refill request signed by him and sitting on her desk for days, and she just never faxed it to the pharmacy. A couple of times, I even got my medication a day or two late because of that. On one appointment, he had asked me to call the next day and have the nurse make me an appointment for a new MRI. I did that, and the nurse said she didn't see anywhere on my chart where he had ordered it. Then on my next appointment, he got upset with me for not making the appointment for the MRI. I told him what she had said, and he just pointed it out to me on my chart where it was written, as if I had just made it up. Once, my meds were stolen, along with my purse out of my cart in a store. I reported it and got a police report. I called the doctor's office to ask if I could see the doctor with my police report to replace my stolen medication. She told me that he wouldn't replace my medication, no matter what. Then, again, on my appointment, he told me that he would have! I wrote an anonymous letter to him about her, and my total dissatisfaction with her as my nurse. I don't know if he got it. Well, my medication is due this month on March 3. I requested the pharmacy to fax the request, as usual, on Monday, February 27th, giving him plenty of time to get it faxed back, and not planning to pick up my medication until the 3rd. He usually puts on the refill request, "Do not fill until..." Well, I called the pharmacy today, the 2nd, to make sure that the doctor's office had faxed it back (which has been an issue with this nurse), and the pharmacy had not received it. So I went by the doctor's office to check on the issue. The nurse took me back into a room, and told me that because I picked up the medication a day early last month (I got it on Saturday because the pharmacy would be closed on Sunday), that they would not fill it for me until Monday the 5th. Two days late. I couldn't understand why, and she said that technically, I should have enough pills to last until then, and that she counted on the calendar how many days I should have. I told her that the only reason that I picked them up a day early is because the pharmacy is closed on Sunday. She said that isn't her fault, and that I should switch to a pharmacy that is open on Sundays. I have always used the pharmacy near my house, and it says on my pain contract that I have to use the same pharmacy every time. I told her that, and she said he could change my contract. She had the prescription in her hand, signed by him, that said, do not fill until 3/2/12!! I told her he has always told me that I could fill it up to 3 days early, and she said that's just too many pills. She did not even talk to my doctor. So basically, I am going to have to take less pills for the next few days so that I don't run out, and suffer the pain. Every time she does or says things to me like this, she has not even talked to him, and he tells me something totally different. I just don't know what to do. Again, I have tried writing him a letter, I've tried telling him about it, and nothing has worked. She has no business being a nurse. She wants to play doctor, o

• Answer:

  Put this information as written above into a letter and personally hand it to the doctor. She is probably going over his mail as well as doing his thinking and prescribing for him. Also, since he is friends with your family, they may want to mention this to him. You may have some trouble with refills after this doctor retires, so when you get a chance you may want to ask him for a referral to another doctor when that day comes and see if he can make sure to that doctor what your needs are.