Dr. Allen Dale Sawitzke, MD

Great Doctor, he even personally called me a week after my appointment to see how I was doing. I have never had another Doctor do that.

I was about 17 months into the course of my disease when I saw Dr Sawitzke. He works at a teaching hospital, of course, so that means they send a student in to listen to your spiel first, then the student gives them a rapid-fire one minute summary, and THEN the doctor deigns to speak to you directly. I made the apparently horrible mistake of objecting to this procedure. I understand they are training doctors on the spot; but I am there to seek answers and a solution to this problem that is ruining my life. This, of course, doesn't seem to occur to them. So I said no, I won't speak to you, I came to speak to a doctor with experience. The PA took great offense and I relented to save time. I'll give Sawitzke points for actually spending time with me, listening and answering questions. He was basically high-handed, as though he doesn't trust signs of intelligence from patients; this seems to be typical of doctors. In the end, he hit me with a "possible diagnosis" - not a… real one? - of EDS Type III, with more "possibilities" of infectious arthritis, as I had guessed from day one, or psoriatic arthritis without the skin problem. Then it was ok, have a nice life, PA will see you out. Just like that. I received my first automated message with b.s. about physical therapy, etc. I couldn't believe any of this; it seemed too Kafkaesque that a doctor could essentially declare that my life was over, then totally withdraw without even a robotic "I'm sorry". Oh, I forgot: the day after my visit, he goes on vacation to a conference with other rheumatologists, promising to review my case therewith. It was two weeks before I heard back from him. To his credit, he actually called me, and confirmed his suspicion of EDS Type III. Fine, whatever. Again, not a single word of sympathy. I'm a man and don't need people to weep for me: but these people have really lost their humanity. Note: I saw two rheumatologists after him, in Vermont and New Hampshire, and both disagreed with his "possible diagnosis". Of course, they offered none of their own.

poor follow up with this doctor, poor communications