Arrogance in a Lab Coat

I went to my local doctor a couple of weeks ago to catch him up on my findings from Dr. Ranheim, and because I was hurting really bad perhaps talk to him about pain management. I have had carpal tunnel issues ever since my teen years. By the time I would get done with a 13 hour day at the cherry shed I wouldn't be able to move my hands or hold a spoon, but neither could anyone else, I thought. Over the years I got 'used to' having repetitive stress injuries. I was absolutely enthralled with my medical transcription course, but by the end of my 2 year course I had to use my left hand for the mouse, and knew that I could never do it for a living. I still suffer intense pain in my neck, shoulder, elbow, and right hand when I type too much, and immediately if I have to use a mouse with my right hand. There's a point to this whining! Don't lose patience...

So here I am in the doctor's office, having paid him $100 (oops, got the bill later, the insurance will pay the majority of over $300!) to catch up on the other doctors I'm spending money on. He had an intern in to train, so the baby doctor got to watch the show too... which consisted of 'my' doctor's complete humiliation of me. I went in and told him that in going to a different allergist and having complete blood tests I'd found that I need more doctors than an environmental allergist. I need a recommendation for a rheumatologist from him, and right now more immediately I really needed some muscle relaxants for the spasms in my neck and shoulder, I had overdone and hurt myself and couldn't sleep at night.

He looked at me like I was a drug-seeking addict, and immediately objected that he didn't think I have RA.

When I described my pain to him he proceeded to tell me that if I had RA, which he didn't think I did, I wouldn't have muscle pain, just pain in my joints, because pain in my muscles would mean that I have fibromyalgia. (which is not what my research told me) I looked him right in the eye at this point, since he was standing so close that we were face to face (For once I was liking sitting up on that table, it put me at eye level!), and told him 'You diagnosed me with fibro 5 years ago, remember?' He harrumphed and told me he wanted an xray. I said fine.

Twenty minutes or more later he came back in the room telling me that I have severe, um, moderately severe arthritic changes to my neck, but he wanted to see lab work. I signed papers to get them sent over, and thankfully he went ahead and prescribed the muscle relaxants. I slept that night.

Two weeks later I got a call from the office telling me that 'Doctor looked at my paperwork and said I can see a rheumatologist now'.  Oh thank you, Doctor... And can someone tell me why people who work in doctor's offices habitually drop 'The' when speaking of 'the doctor'. It's like their doctor is the only one. Like God. Hmmmm.... maybe I'm onto something here....

What I don't understand is why a problem has to be either/or with doctors, as if you can't have carpal tunnel and an elbow problem or pinched nerve from the neck at the same time. It's like they try to catch you in a wrong answer, rather than figure out why your wrist hurts but the wrong fingers are numb... to be honest, the intern explained to me the anatomy of the problem with my elbow better than my GP, who I swear won't be my GP anymore. Someone tell me how you find a doctor that listens and is competent?