Monday, October 6, 2008

Now I Know

Well now I know why I've been putting off making myself a doctor appointment - their offices are just awful!

Perhaps I was just spoiled by having such a caring and wonderful staff (admin and nurses) with my ob/gyn when I was pregnant with the girls. Perhaps I was just spoiled by the quiet and gentle care of the entire Methodist Breast Care Center staff. Perhaps I was just spoiled by being able to call directly into my current gyn's nurse - and in spite of having hundreds of patients, she takes time to talk with me and remembers me, even if she only sees me once or twice a year. Heck, even the ultrasound tech remembered me and she'd only seen me twice in her life - and it had been a year since, but she remembered me, asked about my work, my family.

Trying to find a new doctor just stinks. Who do you trust for a referral when you don't know many people in a new city? Yellow Pages? Internet? Not very personal.

Then when you do get a referral - oh, they're top notch, great research facility, all the best, etc so forth - it's a monolithic nightmare. Snippy grouchy people transferring your calls, yelling at you if you don't understand their muffled questions, telling you another number to call, responding to you as if you are an idiot, assuming you know the whole process...

Gah. So there I sat, in tears, trying not to sound crazy as I gave the woman my phone number. My doctor said to transfer the records electronically, why is that such a problem? Why can't I just make an appointment, why must I register with the system first and then wait wait wait for who knows what and who knows who to call me back for an appointment with who knows what doctor? Why don't I get a say in who I see? So much for "patient rights".

You know, it may just be worth that plane ticket back to Houston instead of all this hassle.

Upside is, the orthopedist managed to fit Mary Grace in this afternoon, so we'll know by today what's really up with her arm and whether or not she will be able to play her flute, play the piano, get dressed by herself, etc.

Mondays. What a mixed bag.

2 comments:

Carol said...

Why do you think I drive 2 hours to go to my old doctor? LOL I think it must be a worldwide problem. You move to a new town and it's dentists and doctors alike, you get the same message ... "oh Doctor Bloggs isn't taking any new patients at the moment". Except you get the message EVERYWHERE.

I hope you do find someone you like closer to where you are. It's just not fair.

Lisa Beth said...

Thank you so much! I go on Monday for I'm not sure what. They did tell me I don't get to see a doctor until later. It's SO frustrating!