Was That So Hard?

I had to go to the ER last weekend and when they sent me home, they instructed me to make a follow up appointment with my primary care provider.

I’m not sure which is suckier, the emergency room or my primary care provider. Probably the latter.

First no one would pick up the phone, then when I tried the other, “secret number “, I was put on hold for 15 minutes before I hung up. On my third try, my call was picked up but the gal was too busy talking to the employee next to her to actually answer my call (but now I know all about how her date went…).

When I finally got through, this is how the conversation went:

“How can I help you?”

(Wanted to say “duh….This is the “Make An Appointment” line, right?” but what I actually said was…)
“I need to make an appointment with Dr. So-and-So for tomorrow please.”

“Okay… we can get you in on Thursday at 10.”

(Ooook. Tomorrow isn’t Thursday. Let’s try again…)
“Ok, well, can I see someone else then? I need to get in tomorrow.”

“We aren’t making appointments for tomorrow. If you want to come in tomorrow, you’ll need to call tomorrow.”

WTF?

(Someone needs to explain the purpose of making an appointment)
“Ok. I don’t understand. Do you have any appointments with anyone tomorrow? Anyone?”

“We aren’t making appointments today for tomorrow. We’re only scheduling acute appointments* for tomorrow today.”

*(“Acute appointment” – code word. Even if they’re booked solid for weeks, just say this phrase and you’ll get in faster than you can drive there!)

“Ok. Can I have an acute appointment please? For tomorrow? I don’t even care who with.”
(I almost offered my first born child, but stopped myself because I may need that bargaining tool later)

“Ok, let’s see… I can get you in with Dr. So-and-So at 1, will that work?”

“YES! YES!”

My original choice of doctor? On the day I wanted? Even the time I preferred? Can it be true? What’s the catch…

“Ok, well we have you down for 1pm with Dr. So-and-So, we’ll see you then. Just be sure to watch your phone in case we have to cancel or reschedule you since it might snow tomorrow and we may delay everything, or he may not even come in… Thanks have a great day. Click.”

FML. Everyone still want government run healthcare?

Things I Hate: Doctor's Visits

One nice thing about the Army is the medical insurance. Yup, we're pertty well covered. But the care provided is, uhm, well...

How come I’m asked to arrive “at least 15 minutes early” to see the doctor, and then made to sit alone in a tiny, cold room (with no magazines to be seen! Thank God I brought a paperback with me!) for 55 minutes before the MD ever pops in? Fifty-five freakin’ minutes. No apology, and then I’m rushed through my visit, hardly able to voice my concerns (to which every response is simply “Take this to the lab, they’ll run blood work”) in the generous ten minutes I was allotted.

Apparently, I had a mind reading doctor today, which would explain why he was so busy; he must be quite popular! (This is not my normal doc, mind you. Mine is friendly, and must not have telepathic powers since at those visits, I’m actually questioned about my medical history, current medications, symptoms, etc. You know, the stuff that could be important, like "Yes, this runs in my family, both sides, in fact!")

Mind reader or not, I was unimpressed, and a little irked that just because someone one to medical school his time is more important than a little blogger with internal bleeding. (Ok, irked was the wrong word. I was actually a blubbering baby about it as soon as I reached the lab for blood work. Thanks, girls, for cheering me up and addressing my questions, even though that wasn't your job. And thanks for the tissue, too.)

You can bet, Mind Reader, MD, when I make my follow up appointment in 7-10 days (even though my lab results are back already so it’d be cool to talk, uhm, before then, but whatevs….), it won’t be with you.

So I'll just keep bleedin' away for the next ten days, and since you wouldn't answer my questions about what I could do to ease things along, I'll keep being grumpy, 'cause I don't feel so good.

Anyone still want Government run health care?

Rant over.

Multiple Choice

Lack of recent posts has been due to

A) Taking a leave of absence from work to deal with my anxiety disorder

B) Hand feeding an 8 day old baby rat every 3-4 hours day and night

C) Cleaning cat pee off of the love seat

D) Screaming at the dog for unwrapping the gift “she got” for her daddy (That was FROM you, Erika, your name was in the FROM spot, not TO, D@MNITT)

E) Hanging cow Christmas lights in my cow kitchen (An early gift from LT Fromage, since he got to open one early… er, Erika opened it for him)

F) Winning the lottery

G) All of the above

H) All of the above except for F

If you answered H, you’re correct. I’m at home for a few weeks (maybe longer, if I qualify for short term disability). I wish we’d won the lotto, but alas, my recent activity has included no such luck. I’m supposed to be using this time to de-stress, however most of my time has been spent trying to undo the damages caused by our four-legged kids and playing wet-nurse to a little boy we call Florian Geyer who’s little eyes and ears aren’t even open yet. (Ok, the baby isn’t stressful. I actually kind of like all that mothering I get to do for our new little guy).

So, folks, please bear with me. I’m still around and blogging, but if I don’t post quite as often for a short bit, assume it’s because I’m re-stuffing the cats’ stocking (again) or dealing with a couple of dogs who’ve eaten every last shard of glass from a broken cake platter. Cross your fingers that I actually will manage to get some down time so I can drink some Red Thai Chi Tea (say that 5 times fast!) with LT Fromage, open some gifts (if the dogs don’t get to them first) and read a good book or two.

Merry Christmas to you and yours from us and ours in the Fromage household!

What Were We Thinking? Part II

Still not back to work. Eff. Headed to a doctor's appointment this afternoon; thanks for the well-wishes, all.




For now, I offer you: Candid Shots part 2, Our Wedding:


*Clearly, we didn't hire as good a photographer as my sissy did. Crap.

What Were We Thinking?

I thought about calling this post “Finally! A picture taken by a professional and not that crappy phone camera! And, no vermin on her head!” but went with this instead.

Don’t you just love candid shots?

*picture from my sissy’s wedding in August.

**Cut me a break, I’m home from work today feeling no beuno, it’s after 2 and I’m still on the couch.This is all you get. Back tomorrow.