Piedmont Internal Medicine

This review is a complaint against Piedmont Internal Medicine, specifically Dr. Christopher Nagle. I visited Dr. Nagle seeking care for severe pelvic pain located in the lower left quadrant of the abdomen. I was struggling to eat and losing weight rapidly. I was prescribed antibiotics and told to wait for the results of a CT scan ordered by another attending doctor. The antibiotics caused notable side effects, and when I called Dr. Nagle to discuss alternatives, I was told to cease taking them (but given no alternatives). Concerned that no treatment would lead to increasing damage, I continued with one of the antibiotics. It remains unclear as to their effectiveness. While waiting for the results of the CT scan, I continued to struggle with severe pain and nausea, losing 15 pounds in under 3 weeks. Once the CT scan results were obtained, I contacted Dr. Nagle (who had not reached out to me voluntarily to discuss the results). Nothing abnormal was revealed by the CT scan, and I… was told by Dr. Nagle to continue with "bowel rest", limiting solid food and attempting a predominantly liquid diet. I expressed concern, citing the rapid weight loss and subsequent inability to perform at work, but the concern was dismissed. I was offered a referral for a gastroenterologist, the first available appointment being over a month and a half away. I was told to alert Dr. Nagle if I did not improve. I waited some time to see if I would improve, but I did not. I called Dr. Nagle's office to alert him to my lack of progress and that the referral was too far away given the acute nature of my situation. I received no call back. I waited for a response, but days passed and I never received one. I called every gastroenterologist within a 50 mile radius, eventually finding a doctor who could assess my situation sooner. I am awaiting blood and stool tests and the scheduling of a colonoscopy. I was at the mercy of my isolated capacity to reach available professionals who would take my situation seriously. Dr. Nagle was of no assistance in establishing continued resolution of the severity of my situation. I was failed by Piedmont Internal Medicine. At the time of this writing, I have lost close to 17 pounds and continue to struggle with pain, nausea, and feverish malaise. I was literally left to wither away under the disinterested watch of my assigned PCP. It is an ethically abhorrent situation that should never occur in a modern healthcare practice.