Jillie, I'm glad she called you. You know, she really does care. She wanted to call and talk with you. She was making an effort to bridge the gap. ![]() One of the doctors my private endoc had me consult with a few years ago handled patient knowledge this way: He sat down, crossed his legs, clasped his hand over his knee, looked me right into my eyes, and asked me... "What have you read about your disease?" From that point we started a conversation, so he knew how much I knew, and how much he needed to explain to me. ![]() My visits with my private endoc start off as a review over my labs from the last visit and what we discussed the last time I saw him. We talk about how I am doing now, and any issues that I need to discuss with him (I can even bring a list and he will go over that). He asks me how things are in my life in general (not pituitary related). He discusses/reviews his treatment plan with me. We go over the testing that he is going to order (and if I have any questions), and I know when the next follow up is before I leave the office. I get copies of my test results within 2 weeks (sometimes with a letter). In some cases, he has even called. I know where I am. I know where I am going. I know where I have been. ![]() It is important to not take for granted that we all know. We don't. Some of the terms and technical things with endocrinology and neuroimaging and neurosurgery are hard to understand, and we need someone to sit with us face to face and talk with us. ![]() We are scared. We need someone to treat us as individuals and not approach us as the consensus or the number in the patient population. There is alot of controversy in GH replacement with patients who have pituitary tumors whose tumors appear to be growing, but that is something that you, as a patient, are owed a discussion over. It is only fair to be told about your results, discussed with about your treatment / monitoring plan, and be knowledgeable about follow up. I've talked with patients who have not ever discussed their labs with their doctors and don't know 'where they are'. They just know they feel bad. I understand these same patients don't understand the treatment and follow up plan their doctors have recommended for them, so they don't know where they are going. Maybe I'm wrong, but recovery is effort-driven, and the more I know, as a patient, and the more I understand about the goals, then I can be a direct contributor in my outcome. So, I guess where I am going is this... maybe we have to teach our doctors to be better doctors and tell them what we want from them too. Maybe they don't teach that in medical school ![]() . I hope you feel a little better anyways. Minnie | 