Doctor, Doctor, Gimme The News......
Ah, 'tis nearly the end of a productive - and frustrating - day off. I got through all the "to do" items on my list: calling for an oil delivery, going to the post office, shopping at Shaw's (one of my most hated stores), and getting the pheasant ready to cook. Heck, I called the oil place this morning, and they'd been at my house before I even got home! Talk about prompt!
The other item was the frustrating one, as it was "Call the Doctor." (That, by the way, is my orthopaedic doctor.) If you've been reading my journal since January, you may recall that Nurse Mark is a real thorn in my side. He consistently dropped the ball last spring when I was trying to get the insurance company to approve Syn-Visc shots; no wonder they denied them. Anyway, Sept. 20, Dr. P. says that we'll try again now that I've had ineffective cortisone shots. He said it would only take a couple of days to get approval, & I said that he over-estimated my insurance company. I also told him about Nurse Mark's inability to send anything promptly. He promised to speak with Nurse Mark and said he'd call me in a few days.
3 weeks later, I called the office and spoke to Nurse Mark. "We just heard back from the insurance company," he claimed, "and they want a letter of necessity. I just sent it out." Would I hear back from him soon, I queried? "I'll call you the minute I hear anything," he replied.
Well, here we sit, almost 3 months later, and I've heard absolutely nothing from anyone. I left a message for Nurse Mark last week, and I tried to call him again this morning. I was told he was in, but the connection went right to his voice mail, where I left a very pleasant message (through my gritted teeth.) When I'd heard nothing by 2 pm I called back, and was told that Nurse Mark only worked half a day today - which meant that he'd received but ignored my call.
I spoke to the receptionist and told her this whole story. She promised to have Dr. Presutti call me himself tomorrow, & if that wasn't possible, she'd call me. Needless to say, this didn't make me feel any better, so I cried at the computer for 15 minutes before I got really pissed. I went on the net and found the phone number for patient relations, where I related the entire story to a very nice woman who promised to do something about it for me.
Look, I'm not asking for miracles, but would it be too much for Nurse Mark or Dr. P. to just pick up the phone once a month and keep me informed? It's only fair, considering Dr. P.'s insane promise to me in September.
I realize that I live in New England now, and that life is just a tad slower here. I have no problem with people doing things in a more leisurely manner, but when it comes to a person's health, I think that the health care profession should be on the ball - not having a ball!
What, were the doctors and nurses up here trained by the respiratory staff of Da Big Houze?!?
(Oh, BTW, did I mention that Dr. P. just returned Monday from a 2 week vacation in Belize? Too bad he didn't take Nurse Mark; I'd have given anything to see that jerk get malaria!)
"Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died."
---Erma Bombeck
The other item was the frustrating one, as it was "Call the Doctor." (That, by the way, is my orthopaedic doctor.) If you've been reading my journal since January, you may recall that Nurse Mark is a real thorn in my side. He consistently dropped the ball last spring when I was trying to get the insurance company to approve Syn-Visc shots; no wonder they denied them. Anyway, Sept. 20, Dr. P. says that we'll try again now that I've had ineffective cortisone shots. He said it would only take a couple of days to get approval, & I said that he over-estimated my insurance company. I also told him about Nurse Mark's inability to send anything promptly. He promised to speak with Nurse Mark and said he'd call me in a few days.
3 weeks later, I called the office and spoke to Nurse Mark. "We just heard back from the insurance company," he claimed, "and they want a letter of necessity. I just sent it out." Would I hear back from him soon, I queried? "I'll call you the minute I hear anything," he replied.
Well, here we sit, almost 3 months later, and I've heard absolutely nothing from anyone. I left a message for Nurse Mark last week, and I tried to call him again this morning. I was told he was in, but the connection went right to his voice mail, where I left a very pleasant message (through my gritted teeth.) When I'd heard nothing by 2 pm I called back, and was told that Nurse Mark only worked half a day today - which meant that he'd received but ignored my call.
I spoke to the receptionist and told her this whole story. She promised to have Dr. Presutti call me himself tomorrow, & if that wasn't possible, she'd call me. Needless to say, this didn't make me feel any better, so I cried at the computer for 15 minutes before I got really pissed. I went on the net and found the phone number for patient relations, where I related the entire story to a very nice woman who promised to do something about it for me.
Look, I'm not asking for miracles, but would it be too much for Nurse Mark or Dr. P. to just pick up the phone once a month and keep me informed? It's only fair, considering Dr. P.'s insane promise to me in September.
I realize that I live in New England now, and that life is just a tad slower here. I have no problem with people doing things in a more leisurely manner, but when it comes to a person's health, I think that the health care profession should be on the ball - not having a ball!
What, were the doctors and nurses up here trained by the respiratory staff of Da Big Houze?!?
(Oh, BTW, did I mention that Dr. P. just returned Monday from a 2 week vacation in Belize? Too bad he didn't take Nurse Mark; I'd have given anything to see that jerk get malaria!)
"Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died."
---Erma Bombeck