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Knowledgable but nasty doctor

I am in a bit of a pickle. My employer cancelled our insurance when Obamacare kicked in. As a result, I can no longer go to my head pain specialist in the next state. My new insurance only has one head pain specialist covered under the plan. I have a complicated set of 6 different headaches so specialist is kinda needed. I've had neurologists botch treatment too many times to count. The problem is that this one specialist is very knowledgable but awful to deal with. He is short, abrupt and argumentative. His office keeps me waiting for appointments up to two hours. I need the care but I am starting to count HIM as my 7th type of headache. I absolutely dread dealing with him and his office. Any suggestions?

  1. Hi mmjardel,

    This is always problematic when our doctors don't fit our personality. It probably happens more than we know.

    Now that you "know" what he's like, can you work with him? If you find he is helping you and really knows migraine/headache is it possible to put aside his not-so-great bedside manner? The other option, not optimal, may be to find yet another migraine/headache specialist who is out-of-network. I've worked with a few doctors who have the bedside manor of a tree trunk, but did give me good medical care.

    We do have articles on how to get the most out of a doctors appointment (you probably know this already!) that may help; https://migraine.com/getting-help/six-tips-for-migraine-patients-at-your-doctor-appointment/ and https://migraine.com/getting-help/prepare-docto-visit/.

    Hang in there and let us know what you decide.
    Nancy

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