What Do I Have To Do To Get Some Service Around Here?
Apparently, the answer to that question is as simple as it is embarrassing. I have to break down and cry in order to get someone to help me.
Today I burst into tears in my doctor's office. Here's the Cliff's Notes; I no longer have a thyroid so I take medication to mimic my thyroid function. This means every 6-8 months or so I need to go in for blood tests to have my prescription renewed. Well, with the new jobs, getting Sullivan into after school programs and hiring the appropriate sitter, and with my mind all the way in Minnesota with my mother who has recently relocated to a "home" (for lack of a better term as "memory care facility" sounds clinical) I sort of lost track of myself. I didn't get to the doctor in time to get my prescription renewed. I made phone calls and have been having trouble with my insurance strong arming me into using their online service as opposed to my local pharmacy. If I choose a pharmacy, they will not cover my medicine which is a whole other rant I'll save for another day.
Anyway, I go to a cheapo walk-in clinic where my doctor does not actually take appointments unless it is for a full physical. I don't know why I go there other than it is a remnant from the days before I had good insurance and I have just never made caring for myself a big priority. Yeah, boo hoo, wah wah. As I was saying, I just had to walk in and hope I could get my blood work done. The receptionist tells me that my doctor isn't seeing anyone until after 1:00. I found myself frustrated but I ask if there are times tomorrow morning because I need to make sure I am back in my neighborhood to pick up my son from school. I could not afford to wait 2 hours for an appointment I may not get. The receptionist just shrugs and tells me that there may be time to see him in the morning but she doesn't know for sure and that is just the way it is.The message was loud and clear, to me; Yeah, it's really nothing personal but...fuck you! I stormed out in my passive aggressive Minnesotan fashion and made phone calls to arrange for someone to pick up my son from school this afternoon so I could take the afternoon to get this done. I figured it out and puttered around the neighborhood (my doctor is NOT near my home) until 12:50. When I walk in, there is a different receptionist who tells me that my doctor left for the day. Excuse me? No one could have alerted me to this 2 1/2 hours ago when I was so clearly irritated with being turned away the first time? Then I see there are all these signs all over the waiting room about making appointments and I again asked if I could make an appointment to see my doctor and they told me I couldn't make an appointment just for blood work that I would have to walk in. At this point, I had just had it and I sat down in the waiting room and bawled like a little girl.
"Right this way, Ms O'Connor. Dr. So and So has left, but Dr. Such and Such will be happy to do your blood work for you."
Are you kidding me? All I have to do is appear (or simply BE) remotely unstable and I'll get what I want? That both placates me and pisses me off all at the same time. It is truly, very confusing.
It wasn't really the whole doctor thing that set me off. That was one of those straw and the camel's back sorts of equations. Really, today was a gloomy day and there are some serious uncertainties about my life at the moment and I was also having strong feelings of guilt for living far from my mother during this huge change in her life and I just snapped like a twig. A little, weepy, red headed twig-with stretch marks.
Tomorrow is supposed to be rainy all day. I think I am going to lock myself in the apartment with some ice cream and weepy movies. Maybe I can purge these sniffly, pouty feelings with a good gut wrenching sob and then move on.
But it is pretty clear that I am going to have to find a new doctor.
Today I burst into tears in my doctor's office. Here's the Cliff's Notes; I no longer have a thyroid so I take medication to mimic my thyroid function. This means every 6-8 months or so I need to go in for blood tests to have my prescription renewed. Well, with the new jobs, getting Sullivan into after school programs and hiring the appropriate sitter, and with my mind all the way in Minnesota with my mother who has recently relocated to a "home" (for lack of a better term as "memory care facility" sounds clinical) I sort of lost track of myself. I didn't get to the doctor in time to get my prescription renewed. I made phone calls and have been having trouble with my insurance strong arming me into using their online service as opposed to my local pharmacy. If I choose a pharmacy, they will not cover my medicine which is a whole other rant I'll save for another day.
Anyway, I go to a cheapo walk-in clinic where my doctor does not actually take appointments unless it is for a full physical. I don't know why I go there other than it is a remnant from the days before I had good insurance and I have just never made caring for myself a big priority. Yeah, boo hoo, wah wah. As I was saying, I just had to walk in and hope I could get my blood work done. The receptionist tells me that my doctor isn't seeing anyone until after 1:00. I found myself frustrated but I ask if there are times tomorrow morning because I need to make sure I am back in my neighborhood to pick up my son from school. I could not afford to wait 2 hours for an appointment I may not get. The receptionist just shrugs and tells me that there may be time to see him in the morning but she doesn't know for sure and that is just the way it is.The message was loud and clear, to me; Yeah, it's really nothing personal but...fuck you! I stormed out in my passive aggressive Minnesotan fashion and made phone calls to arrange for someone to pick up my son from school this afternoon so I could take the afternoon to get this done. I figured it out and puttered around the neighborhood (my doctor is NOT near my home) until 12:50. When I walk in, there is a different receptionist who tells me that my doctor left for the day. Excuse me? No one could have alerted me to this 2 1/2 hours ago when I was so clearly irritated with being turned away the first time? Then I see there are all these signs all over the waiting room about making appointments and I again asked if I could make an appointment to see my doctor and they told me I couldn't make an appointment just for blood work that I would have to walk in. At this point, I had just had it and I sat down in the waiting room and bawled like a little girl.
"Right this way, Ms O'Connor. Dr. So and So has left, but Dr. Such and Such will be happy to do your blood work for you."
Are you kidding me? All I have to do is appear (or simply BE) remotely unstable and I'll get what I want? That both placates me and pisses me off all at the same time. It is truly, very confusing.
It wasn't really the whole doctor thing that set me off. That was one of those straw and the camel's back sorts of equations. Really, today was a gloomy day and there are some serious uncertainties about my life at the moment and I was also having strong feelings of guilt for living far from my mother during this huge change in her life and I just snapped like a twig. A little, weepy, red headed twig-with stretch marks.
Tomorrow is supposed to be rainy all day. I think I am going to lock myself in the apartment with some ice cream and weepy movies. Maybe I can purge these sniffly, pouty feelings with a good gut wrenching sob and then move on.
But it is pretty clear that I am going to have to find a new doctor.
posted by Bree O'Connor at 6:03 PM
3 Comments:
So far my current clinic has done an adequate job for me. I had to strong arm to get my vasectomy appointment date settled, but other than that, no complaints.
My clinic in Minneapolis SUCKED! Best example I can give:
My wife and I went in to see the same doctor with the exact same symptoms. The doctor saw my wife and then me in consecutive appointments. My wife gets prescription strength cough syrup with codeine, I'm told to drink lots of water. I'm a guy. If something is bad enough that I go to the doctor, I am in PAIN! My wife dragged me to the clinic when my appendix had partially ruptured (which of course I had no idea of knowing that was what had happened). Not to sound like Rush Limbaugh, but GIVE ME DRUGS!
At least you can bawl. At times like that, it is an asset.
Bree,
Check out Maggie Carpenter
www.drmaggiecarpenter.com
Has online appt service (which I love) and everyone I know who has seen her loves her... also in Brooklyn, relatively close to you.
HTH. Karen
Muchas gracias! I'll definitley look into it!
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