Michele Lein
5/5
Dr. Paesch is the best and most compassionate pcp I've ever had. I came from doctors in the Franciscan Healthcare system when I became her patient. The doctors there are very very reluctant to prescribe pain medication. I'd never had a doctor who didn't give me a problem with pain meds. It was always, "Well, I'll give you a limited amount because these pain meds used to only be given to terminal patients, most of whom had cancer." I had terrible pain in my legs, back, and hips due to arthritis, sciatica, and bulging/herniated discs, as well as dealing with severe Restless Leg Syndrome The Franciscan system has a policy that when you are a new patient, you won't get any pain meds on the first visit. I couldn't believe it when, at my first visit to her, Dr. Paesch gave me not only a generous supply of Tramadol for my Restless Legs, (my old doctor at Franciscan only gave me a puny 60 count a month) and also a prescription for Tylenol 4, which is Tylenol with 60 mg of codeine, for my severe arthritis, sciatica, and back pain. Dr. Paesch really listens to me and respects my opinions about my pain. The doctor in the Franciscan system would always talk over me, not letting me be heard, and rushed through the appointment like he couldn't wait to get rid of me. His nurse/medical assistant was terrible, too. Once the doctor forgot to send the prescription to their in-house pharmacy, and I raced back just before they closed to tell them because they weren't answering their phone. I got there at like one minute to 5 pm and had to knock loudly on his office door (their offices are set up like mini offices in the main facility, so they keep their doors locked at all times) to get someone to open it. When it was finally answered by his nurse, she basically accused me of lying in order to get more "narcotics." Tramadol is a mild synthetic opiate. I ran to their pharmacy and asked the pharmacist to please call their office to verify my claim, which she did, and finally, ten minutes later, the nurse grudgingly brought the prescription to the pharmacist with neither an apology nor an explanation. I have other health problems too, and Dr. Paesch listens to every synptom I complain about, and then we come to a consensus together on what type of treatment will be prescribed to me going forward. There is no provider with more compassion and warmth than Dr. Paesch.
