Yesterday morning I went to see my gastroenterologist. We talked a bit and he told me to begin a combination of 3 medications I have been on. None worked on their own and I basically tried every medicine there is for my GI problems. The next step is to try every permutation of said medications.
If I try every combination and they all fail, there is an option of surgery. This is a last resort. It would be a major surgery and normally I would just want it. I want my life back. Let’s go for it. But there’s one catch — the surgey might not cure ALL my symptoms.
As my doctor said, it is a very big surgery to go through if I’m still going to suffer from some of the symptoms anyway.
So there’s a lot on the table here. But anyway, back to yesterday. There is one more test the doctor wants me to do. This test won’t really tell us anything new, as I already have a diagnosis, but it will give my doctor a better idea as to the exact pinpointed location of the problem, just for his reference. The test requires me to take a pill and then get x-rays 5 days later. My doctor gave me a prescription and printed out some papers with the info and told me to take the papers to the front desk of his office.
I go to the front desk and give them the papers and the receptionist said, “You need to bring this to radiology. This isn’t for us.” I told her my doctor told me to give them to the front desk and she said, “No. This is for radiology. You can either go down there now and make an appointment or call and make an appointment.” I had to get to work, so I decided to call when I got there.
When I called to make an appointment, the person in the radiology department told me they don’t accept appointments for this test — “Just walk in and be sure to bring your prescription,” she said. I asked her what time they open and she said 8:30. This morning, I arrive at 8:30, prescription in hand. I give it to the receptionist and she says, “I don’t know if any doctor can do this today. I’ll check.”
Um, what?! They told me they wouldn’t make me an appointment, they told me to just walk in, and then they might not be able to see me? I might have to come BACK? I paid for a cab there, I asked my boss if I could come to work late, I emailed everyone on my 10:00 AM call to tell them I might be late. Then she comes back to me and asks me if I took the pill. I said, “No, that is why I’m here.” She looked at me like I am a moron and said, “Well you need to take the pill before we can do the x-ray.” I told her that I was aware of that, and I was told on the phone to bring my prescription for the pill. She said they don’t give it out there. I asked her where I would go to get it and she said, “I don’t know where you would get it. Not here.”
So I thought maybe I WAS being a moron. Maybe it was common sense it know to bring the prescription to the pharmacy? I went to the pharmacy. The pharmacist, a very nice guy who I have dealt with extensively over the last year and a half, looked at the prescription for this TEST and said, “We never get this. No pharmacy does.” I asked him if he could order it and he told me they don’t give this to pharmacies. He said I would have to get it at the hospital.
I JUST CAME FROM THE HOSPITAL. They sent me AWAY!
Where the hell do I get the pill to do this test?!
I got to work and had an email from my doctor telling me my bloodwork from the day before was normal. I used this opportunity to reply to him asking where to get the pill for the test. I didn’t want him to think I was stupid, too, but I figured it would be easy to reply to his email.
Then I called his office.
I explained the situation to someone over the phone at my doctor’s office. She told me that THEY have the pills there and I was supposed to get it from them when I was there yesterday. Which makes sense since my doctor instructed me to bring the test info to the front desk. I told the person on the phone that when I gave the test info to the girl at the front desk yesterday, instead of getting me the pill, she told me they don’t do this and I needed to contact radiology.
The person on the phone said the receptionist was wrong, but that she wouldn’t have known they had it there. But that is who my doctor told me to go to! How could I have known to bring the papers to the front desk but not the girl at the front desk and instead someone else? Why would I think to question the girl who told me it is a matter for radiology?
The person on the phone told me I needed to come back today and get the pill for the test. I told her I can’t — I already missed work yesterday morning and this morning because of this. I am working at a company that is currently notorious for mass layoffs and I can’t keep leaving work during the day. I told her I will try to come by next week. Either way, I am now delayed an entire week because I need to start the test on a Thursday for specific reasons. Also, I didn’t bring my meds to work today because I can’t take them during the test — but now there is no test. So I am not taking my meds for no reason.
I wanted to just get it over with. I am so annoyed and angry with the medical system. How does no one know how to do their job? Why should I have to run all over Manhattan — and I mean ALL over, I started on the West Side by the Hudson River in the 60s and went to the East Side in the high 90s and then to the pharmacy and work in Battery Park City — just this morning. All to find out the pill was in the SAME OFFICE I WAS IN YESTERDAY.
And when I do take this test, I will insist on getting radiology to make an appointment for the x-rays. Even though it is a “walk-in test” and they “don’t make appointments” for it, I saw what happened this morning when I tried to get the test done. They told me they first had to see (after I traveled all the way there and missed some work) if the doctor could even do it that day! I will be 1000000% sure that the doctor CAN in fact do it on the day I need to go there for the x-ray BEFORE I take the pill.
I am fuming.
21 comments on Anger. Medical System.
3Pingbacks & Trackbacks on Anger. Medical System.
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[…] in after the evacuation and it was totally empty??) was because I finally got that x-ray done I had written about last week. I was able to get the pill from my doctor’s office on Tuesday morning. I had to get it from […]
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[…] I have had some frustrating experiences with the medical system. Read some of my experiences here and more here. And please read my good friend Phoebe’s eloquent post about her recent […]
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[…] a stack of medical records to every new doctor I see for my GI problems, I am well versed in the experience of obtaining medical records. As a result, I am very well aware of my HIPAA […]
Heather K
April 16, 2009 at 11:36 am (16 years ago)Hey. My sister had this test done. And it wasn’t this complicated! Maybe you should come to Staten Island.
Jen, a priorfatgirl
April 16, 2009 at 1:01 pm (16 years ago)uuugggg….I’d be fuming too if I were you!
Danielle
April 16, 2009 at 1:24 pm (16 years ago)Oh my gosh, how did you not start screaming like a maniac at everyone? I have no patience for things like that!
elise
April 16, 2009 at 1:34 pm (16 years ago)im SO sorry…i have the same anger all the time and im IN the medical system. dont even get me started….
can you even imagine the frustration of drawing blood from a patient who is a nearly IMPOSSIBLE stick to have the lab call you later and say you need more blood and they threw away your sample because it wasnt enough for all the tests ordered. AHHHHHHH…i want to scream at them and tell them they will now have to come do it themselves or else explain to the patient why i now have to RESTICK them again and HOPEfully get more blood…grrrrrrr
Missy
April 16, 2009 at 2:27 pm (16 years ago)Omg you weren’t kidding this morning! How awful!! If that was me, I’d be throwing things and screaming and crying. Blahhh!
Mariposa
April 16, 2009 at 3:23 pm (16 years ago)i have no patience for that stuff!!!! i would be FUMING… i would be sure to let everyone know that they did not know how to do their job too!
i had a similar situation when i had a mamogram done. the lady was crazy and i was getting upset and i couldnt figure out why i felt so stupid!!!! and she was supposed to be the one doing the test! i was horrified such a mean spirted person would soon be squashing my boob like a pancake. UGH.. it was terrible!
Gena
April 16, 2009 at 3:55 pm (16 years ago)Hang in there, dear Dori!
matthew
April 16, 2009 at 8:24 pm (16 years ago)That is crazy. Simply Crazy.
Mallory
April 16, 2009 at 8:34 pm (16 years ago)I absolutely can’t believe this! I think that whatever your job is, if you deal with people in any capacity at all, customer service should be super high on your list of priorities!! How frustrating…try to take deep breaths and relax before you have to deal with them the next time! Uuughhh!
Maggie
April 16, 2009 at 9:56 pm (16 years ago)Ugh! That is terrible. Insurance/doctors/healthcare is possibly the worst system to deal with, ever!!! I hate going to the doctor only because it’s always such a hassle. I don’t even mind the actual visit! (Dentists are another story. I hate them.) I hope things work out.
Melissa (fitnessnyc)
April 17, 2009 at 8:49 am (16 years ago)good lord. I hate dealing with doctors offices in new york more than I can express, I don’t know how you do it regularly! Everything will work out for the best one way or another!
sara
April 17, 2009 at 10:45 am (16 years ago)How ridiculous! UGHHH! At least you have insurance? (trying to look on a brightside) haha
xoxoxoxo have a GREAT weekend!
Dori
April 17, 2009 at 11:33 am (16 years ago)Sara — I do have insurance, but I pay $500/mo for it (and that’s JUST medical)!
CocoMatsNMoredotcom
April 17, 2009 at 4:33 pm (16 years ago)theft, vandalism, misguiding receptionists, clueless radiologists… wow that’s a lot to take in a couple of days. hope your luck improves Dori!
Heather McD (Heather Eats Almond Butter)
April 19, 2009 at 10:06 am (16 years ago)Dori,
I am full of frustration just reading this post and so sorry for all the trouble you went through just by following directions you were given. Talk about some miscommunication in the medical community! Hopefully, you have made your doctor’s office more aware and this won’t happen to future patients. Did your doctor ever email you back, and why didn’t the receptionist know that they keep the pill you needed at the office? Ugh!
Hope you had a good weekend despite all this drama!
kristisummer
April 19, 2009 at 7:53 pm (16 years ago)oh no, hope you feel better. These doctors..so frustrating.
Diana (Soap & Chocolate)
April 20, 2009 at 10:05 am (16 years ago)That is nuckin’ futs and you have every right to be fuming. I hope it works out – maybe your boy could help…?
Sarah (Tales of Expansion)
April 20, 2009 at 3:47 pm (16 years ago)OMG, i am beyond angry and frustrated and incredulous at this situation … and i’m not even the one who has to do all of this!!!! ughhh, some people are totally unable to communicate, and you end up being the one to pay the price. you’re doing everything right, yet you’re the one who ends up screwed. it’s SO not fair. i am sending mental strength your way — hang on!! i know you’ll figure out how to get what you need, even if you have to take the super super long “scenic” route. good luck, dori!