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Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Dr. Rachel Notte

This is for Dr. Rachel Notte -
She is awesome. She LISTENS. Her office is clean and exam rooms are clean and cozy. Her staff is AWESOME. It's rare to find a front office staff and a nursing staff, and a doctor, who are all caring and sweet and patient. Dr. Notte is thorough. One doctor once mentioned that her husband (Dr. Chris Notte) had fairy dust in his hair, and I think it's possible that Dr. Rachel Notte also has been sprinkled by fairy dust! I'm grateful there are doctors like Dr. Notte and wish there were more of them!

Bi County Medical Associates: Notte Rachel K DO
225 Newtown Rd Warminster, PA 18974
(215) 441-6650

Dr. Dinesen - Ob/Gyn

Dr. Jennifer White from the Doylestown ER advised me to see Dr. Dinesen (she highly recommended and trusted him) about a cyst I had on my ovary that had set up camp and was refusing to leave.
Great things: He got me in immediately (I had to wait over a month for Ianieri). The waiting room was nice. What I LOVED: the exam room was clean and nice. Dr. Dinesen came in and talked to me while I was still dressed. I told him that I felt I really did have a cyst on my left ovary but it didn't show up on an ultrasound (but it did show up on CAT scan) and he said "Ultrasounds do lie. They lie often." He answered all my questions and when I brought up I might just as well get all my lady parts out since that ovary gave me nothing but trouble and those parts weren't functioning anyway, and my mom had uterine/ovarian cancer,  he agreed and asked that I get cardiac clearance first since I'd had a problem under surgery before. He gave me a NICE pink cloth gown to put on after I got undressed so he could examine me. I was impressed, most ob/gyn give you these horrible paper gowns and are about as comfortable as wearing sand paper.
I liked him a-lot, he was no nonsense yet friendly, and took time to make his patients feel comfortable. Now, the only thing that made me hesitant, was the fact that he was sort of bragging how busy his practice is and how he pays his front office more than what other doctors usually pay - how he spends more (on the gowns/sheets) to make patients feel comfortable. I've been in sales, I've studied marketing and business - so those were things I'd noticed immediately. I felt like he was trying to  sell me on his practice - which made me start to question why he felt he had to sell me on it. I believe people should be proud of their accomplishments, and perhaps that was all Dinesen was doing - but it came off just a wee bit like bragging.
I had been told by one ob/gyn to keep my lady parts in, Dr. D said "take 'em out" and so I decided to see a third doctor, who I went with simply because I was a bit exhausted by making the rounds of doctors by that time (and my sister in law used her and loved her) HOWEVER,  looking back now, even though I'd ultimately choose Dr. Ianieri, I would have chosen Dr. Dinesen. Looking back, I think what I perceived as "boasting" was simply pride. And if Dr. D cares enough to provide nice gowns, a beautiful office, and nice staff - I'm sure he very much cares about the experience and care of his patients.

Thursday, August 7, 2014

Sundae World - Lansdale

Sundae World is a sister store to the Sundae School in Hilltown.  I always seem to get lost trying to find my way to Sundae School (women drivers!) so this new location is AWESOME for me (not for my hips though!) because it's closer and super easy to find.
They have CMP's here (as far as I can tell, it's same menu as Sundae School) which is old school up North (think Jim Thorpe area) favorite sundae (chocolate ice cream, marshmallow, peanuts). They have such a super large selection (over 60 flavors I think - it seems to change but it's always amazing). My favorite so far is the Key Lime Pie and Southern Pecan pie. My daughter loves the Dirt Sundae. One suggestion...only some sundaes come in "small" sizes. Perhaps they all do, and you simply have to ask (I will on future visit!) - but it would be great for people like me who love ice cream but try to eat healthy to have small size choices.
Parking is great - of course it doesn't have the unique character that the Sundae School has - but the employees are super friendly and it's super clean and it's just as fantastically delicious! And on Sundays - dogs get free ice cream!

Sundae World -1801 N Broad St
Lansdale, PA 19446
215) 872-8047

website: http://sundaeworld.com/

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Doylestown Gynecology (Ultrasounds Lie!!)

Having been plagued by a cyst on my left ovary (even though I only get my period twice a year) - on the advice of my GI guy, went to this group. The office staff was great. Waiting room was clean and cozy.  Great parking. the first practitioner I saw was Shannon Frederick (PAC). Horrible bedside manner. Totally talked down to me. I'd had an ultrasound that said my ovaries were clear but the pain I was having totally felt like prior times I'd had ovarian cysts. And now my mom had uterine/ovarian cancer so I wasn't going to take any cysts lightly. Though I was having considerable pain, bloating, etc, Frederick snapped, "Ultrasounds DON'T LIE!" Okay. I ended up in the ER 8 days later with sever pain in my lower left side and Dr. Jennifer White did a CAT scan and guess what showed up? The cyst that I'd had back in September. Same size, same shape, same place. Could it have grown that fast since the ultrasound "missed" it 8 days before? Dr. White recommended I try her OB/GYN and he assured me "ultrasounds DO lie and they can lie quite often." I was so relieved (to know I wasn't crazy as Frederick had made me feel). I got a call from Doylestown Gynecology asking me why I was having my records transferred to the new OB/GYN and I explained how curt and cold Fredreick had been and they said, "Give us another chance."
So, I was quite touched that they actually wanted to win my business back and so I went to see Dr. Gerstein. She was extremely nice. Really took time to talk to me...but, honestly, she didn't seem to take my symptoms seriously and tried to talk me out of hysterectomy (which I was considering and which Dr. Dinesen had agreed given my family history and my current problems and ongoing cyst, it might be a good thing). So I decided to get a third opinion and in between that time of waiting to see the new doctor - the cyst is now complex and hemorrhagic. So, I can't recommend this practice who kept assuring me there was nothing to worry about and didn't take my concerns at all seriously (and also tried to point out Dr. Dinesen delivers babies and they do NOT, implying that my best bet is their practice because he is so busy). Also, people, remember you are your own best advocate and know your body best!