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I would agree with Ken- I am still surprised that my OB's front office remembers my name-(maybe they go over the appointments for the morning to jog their memory). He barely spent 5-6 min with me per visit. On another note, my friend used to man the internal hotline for technical questions- and the modus operandi was that everybody left their questions on voice mail and she would get back to them in 24 hrs. She said that even though she knew most of answers, it would always throw her to get asked a question and an answer was expected off the bat. Medical science is even more complex- I really think that if you called ahead/sent them the specific questions you have, and the Doctor looked them over with your files a day or so ahead, then you would have a better shot at answers. I think email would be a wonderful medium for this. And I think the human brain is wonderful in the sense that once you are aware of a complex problem it is working at finding an answer subconciously all the time- and maybe a research article they read would trigger them to your problems? Our doctor in India is wonderful- he is the chief of the cardiac unit and in his late 40's and he works terrible hours. But he also says that he has to do that since the new doctors he gets don't give 100%. As I mentioned to Camilla- Richard Feynman talks about this beautifully in his book- when he went thru a rare ailment with his first wife. he realized that she mattered the most to him and he wanted to/ could afford to spend several hours and days researching her problem, whereas for the doctor she was one of many patients. And nobody understands your body as well as you do. abi > >Dawn, I understand how you feel, you are trying to make a true connection to a >professional, and finding it difficult, maybe impossible. I can tell you why, >but you probably already know. The most obvious reason is that even the most >dedicated doctors have to see a lot of patients to support their practice, and >lifestyle. that is not meant to be a put-down. Someone has to pay for the >office rent, the equipment, the staff, etc. If the doctor spends an hour with >each patient, he can see maybe 40 patients a week, if he does not have to >leave for hospital visits, etc. If he can see a patient for 20 minutes, he can >handle 120 patients and he makes three times the money. Most of my visits with >doctors last less than 20 minutes. Then, think about how discussions usually >go with doctors: Often they are just going down a laundry list, without >getting really involved, unless you tell them something totally alarming, or >out of the ordinary. It may be that they don't NEED to know all the details, >or it may be because they are not paying 100% attention. They are tuning out >what they think is unimportant. You spend months making the questions, they >spend minutes formulating the answers............When I was a young boy, we >would go to the doctor, who knew our names without the chart, his wife was his >nurse/secretary/office staff. HIs office was in his home. We rarely waited >more than a few minutes, before being led into the office. He made house >calls in emergencies. Everyone in the family went to Dr Citryn, everyone was >either cured or sent to a specialist. He handled almost all our medical >problems, short of surgery. We did not have medical insurance back then, but >his fees were affordable.He usually got paid at the time of the visit. Most >doctors today have several people just to do billing, paperwork, etc. Dr. C >had no computer.....no fax...........one phone with one line....But he always >made time to listen, and made sure we understood what he was doing, and what >we should do. I know three people including my father, who enjoyed at least >double the life span they would have had, due to the way Dr. C practiced >medicine. The technology available in the '50's was archaic compared to today, >but the human factor made a big difference. We can't turn back the clock, many >conditons can be cured now that were fatal back then, most doctors specialize, >so one doctor is never enough these days. SO, Dawn, you will be lucky to find >what you seek. I hope that others will have some happy stories to tell about >some doctors now, but, we'll have to wait and see. The doctors who are on >this list are more than generous with their time and advice, but I don''t >think most of them are actively practicing now. Too Bad. >[log in to unmask] >