Fun times with healthcare bureaucracy
Background: Until last week I hadn’t had a obgyn exam in 6 years because mumblemumble. When I went last week I was asked why I hadn’t followed up on my last exam 6 years ago because the results had been abnormal. (I hadn’t followed up because I didn’t know about those abnormal results. Somehow that information hadn’t reached me.)
Determined not to make the same mistake this time, I asked whether there was anything else I needed to do before leaving, and went home after reassurances that I was good to go. Later that day I got a call asking why I hadn’t shown up for a blood draw I was supposed to do. Evidently this hospital is Very Bad at communication.
I got a call just now saying my results THIS TIME are abnormal to the point that I needed to go back asap. ASAP meant the doc’s first available opening was on the 24th, but I bullied the person on the phone into letting me schedule an appointment at the asscrack of dawn tomorrow. I feel slightly bad about hassling the staff but seriously I’m not going to wait three weeks for a biopsy that was urgent in at least 2011 and probably years earlier because fuck US health insurance.
Naturally, I’m certain that whatever-it-was has been left untreated for so long that it must have turned into incurable aggressive cancer by now. It’s been pounded into my head my whole life that early detection and treatment are the most important thing.
I can’t tell IRL family and friends because it’s not like they could help in any way and all that it would accomplish is the extra stress making their lives harder. So I’m talking to the internet instead. Cuz at least it gets it out of my system.