After much fuckwittery, I’m having the MRI/MRA of my brainium on the 31st. They’re knocking me out because it’s going to be a long one. I saw the ophthalmic neuro in Rochester on Dec 5th and she said it would probably be after Christmas because of booking an anaesthesiologist as well as the mri thingummyjob.
With having the family here and then being sick I didn’t think about not having got an appointment so I didn’t call them to check until Jan 15th.
The coordinator, Melissa, said that the doctor hadn’t passed on the info to book it. I asked who had sent me the letter describing everything the doctor had stated was wrong and the plan of attack – and the tithead said she did! So she saw that an mri/mra was needed but didn’t check??
I demanded to have the doctor call me and this Melissa waffled on and on and said she would call me back.
She called back about twenty minutes later saying she’s booked one for (wait for it!!) May 1st!! I kid you not. They’re checking for fricken tumours and aneurysms and she thinks it’s okay to wait until May 1st?! #Idontfuckenthinkso!!
I told her I’d call other places to arrange an mri because that was an unacceptable wait and she said go ahead. I asked to speak to the doctor again and she said that’s not necessary and hung up on me!
Anyway, I called a couple of other radiology clinics and found one that could do it as early as Thursday last week with me being out for the count so I called her back to send over an order.
She said she’d have to get authorisation from the insurance and she wouldn’t cancel the May 1st appt until she did. I told her to cancel it immediately because I would go out of state before I’d wait that long. Bear in mind, she’s already got this authorisation during the 20 minutes it took to call back after my first call.
Unsurprisingly, she didn’t call back. I called on Friday and got her answerphone.
I called again on Tuesday and spoke to someone else who said she couldn’t see a request for authorisation but she’d get Melissa to call me back after her lunch.
No call.
I called Wednesday morning at 9:30am and was told she’d call me back within the hour.
At 2pm, I’d had enough. I called the insurance company and asked them if they had had a request for authorisation at a different clinic. They hadn’t, but said it would be an automatic yes so they couldn’t understand the delay. They called the eye clinic and unsurprisingly, they couldn’t speak to Melissa either but they spoke to someone else.
Melissa was supposed to call them back too…
Yesterday morning I got a call from the Radiology clinic I’d contacted saying they had had authorisation from the eye clinic and when did I want to go in! The bitch didn’t even have the balls to call me!
The moral of all this is don’t be a doormat. The best person to advocate for you is yourself and don’t let any jumped up little jobsworth dictate the terms if they don’t suit you.
I haven’t finished with her yet as I have every intention of telling the neuro about the allegations of incompetence her staff levelled against her at my next appointment too.
I’m praying for you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! I’m more bothered about the MRI than the results. That bit just doesn’t feel real
LikeLiked by 1 person
I understand. We’re going to put it all in His hands and get you to worry as least as possible.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m thinking of you. You are so right to stand up the right level of service and care.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You have to sadly. The little tinpot healthcare bureaucrats need reminding that its patients that keep them in their jobs!
LikeLike
I certainly hope you’re not finished with her yet?! She needs a face to face from you….Like WTF?! I’d go find her in her office. Who da fuk does she think she is?! Incompetent, self-righteous ____ (insert any apt expletives here, don’t hold back).
LikeLiked by 1 person
If I make a mistake I put my hands up. I apologise and I tell people what I’ll do to make it right and I keep them informed every step of the way. I think that’s a very basic way to behave and I hold others to that standard. The minute anyone throws someone else under the bus I lose all respect. That’s beyond unprofessional. There have been times I’ve taken the brunt of someone else’s mistake but I’ve never thrown them to the dogs. That’s beyond unprofessional. You take that up behind closed doors.
LikeLiked by 2 people
As it should be.
LikeLiked by 1 person
And the government wants people like this for everyone.
What a great country we live in…
LikeLiked by 2 people
I really liked the neurologist. People make mistakes, it happens, we’re all human but just own it and fix it, that’s not so hard!
LikeLiked by 3 people
Well she just sounds completely incompetent! Uugggghhhhh!! Glad you are vocal enough to stand up for yourself. I hope if I am ever in such a position that I would have the resolve to do the same
LikeLiked by 1 person
If not call me, I’ll stand up for you! I’ve advocated for a lot of others. When you’re ill and in pain you don’t need to be pushed around. I have made sure of that for several people while working (ironically) within a headache organisation!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good for you! If I ever need someone to make a threatening phone call I know who to contact
LikeLiked by 1 person
❤️
LikeLiked by 1 person
Poor you! What as wretched woman. I hope your complaint gets taken seriously and she is duly reprimanded/fired. All the very very best of luck for the scan. I hope we hear very good news soon xxx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Me too! About good news I mean! I hope she’s reprimanded but unless this isn’t a line incident, I wouldn’t want to be the cause of anyone’s termination
LikeLike
True, not if this is a one-off case, but if she treats other patients in the same casual manner then playing a very risky game with people’s health. All the very best!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hell yes Britchy!!! Fuck them jackasses.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am furious on your behalf! And speechless and trying to keep all naughty words to myself otherwise we’d all get sidetracked. Im so sorry you had that experience! That just riles me up the more I think on it! Aaaaaaargh! 😤🤬😤🤬😤🤬
I’ve been curious to know if you’ve had any testing done yet. Prayers to you, Britchy. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m just glad it was me and not someone less tenacious!
Yes to other testing. I’ve had a series of blood work to try and rule out a couple of possible things like myasthenia gravis (I cant remember what the other two were!)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow……not to return a phone call repeatedly is really unprofessional. Best to mention it to the neurologist when you see him just so he is aware, but if she is part of the MRI/x-ray dept he may not be able to do anything about it. Good luck and I hope you get an answer soon. On the plus side, if they were making you wait until January in the first place, they must not be too worried about any of those worst case scenarios. Now if you lived in Canada, where health care if free but waiting is the norm, May would be a standard wait!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was supposed to be a 3-4 week wait but thanks to this dingbat it’s ended up almost twice that. She works for the eyeball institute not the x ray clinic. They’re on opposite sides of the city, billing is different etc and the fruit loop sadly works for my neurologist.
On a plus note I WILL be seeing her at my next appointment *evil smirk*
LikeLiked by 2 people
Oh, that makes it even worse! You definitely should tell the neurologist then. Think of how many seniors who might sit waiting for an appointment and not know enough to follow up….good luck!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m glad you got it sorted. I know from way too much experience how awful dealing with incompetent twits can be.
I’m also glad to hear you’re going to have sedation. Maybe it won’t be so scary. I still don’t understand why they can’t book you into an “open air” MRI machine.😕
I’ll be keeping you in my thoughts 🍀💌
LikeLiked by 1 person
I did ask about an open MRI. They don’t give enough definition for the scans I have to have sadly.
At least when I have to have the shoulder MRI that one CAN be in an open MRI unit!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Kudos to you! Please don’t let this go. Melissa needs to be dealt with. This is your freakin’ head for God’s sake. She needs to go. I will haunt you from NC😏
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am a bugger for letting stuff go because it takes too much effort and too much of me to hold grudges. I think this is one I won’t let go of mostly because my conscience won’t let me. She lied to everyone. That’s unconscionable
LikeLiked by 1 person
And, she was willing to let your health suffer. This isn’t about one upping her (who has energy for that) but you know you weren’t the first one she’s done this to. Her behavior was reckless and her doctors should know about this. Similar thing was done to my mother and I got to the doctor on my own. She was gone by the next visit. My mother had lung cancer!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s detestable. I do intend making sure the neuro knows. The office manager already does as the Insurance company called too. At the very least she needs retraining and monitoring
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m planning on spending St Patrick’s Day in NC again… secure the borders 😂
LikeLiked by 1 person
No, we’re opening the gates and rolling out the red carpet😍
LikeLiked by 1 person
❤️
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are in charge. Good initiative. Hope things are okay with the MRI.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Take care.
LikeLiked by 1 person
So aggravating…and unnecessary, especially when you’re already stressed out about the procedure in the first place. I hope all goes smoothly and the results give you the answers you’re hoping for!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re absolutely right – don’t be a doormat, and don’t be afraid to question procedures. The doctors in larger clinics rarely know the actual cost charged to their patients – if they knew that a 5-minute consult cost $247.50 would they actually pay themselves that much for what they share? Grr…way to stick up for yourself. You’re in my thoughts!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes l have reached this phase also, albeit slightly differently, but with my medication. I haven’t won the battle, but l have found that by being a simple yes man and being honest and polite or diplomatical correct, gets me no where.
So l had to lose my rag and demanded if they were experiencing my fucking pain and who the fricketty doodle duck fuck did they think they were? Strangely enough it worked, l even got an apology.
They dropped my meds down from 2300mg per four hours to 1000mg per 6 hours which as you may recall left me in agony for my own mri on the 5th and resulted in me experiencing a spasm and a severe one in the dome. They hoo haahed about medication, and l did have to finally just absolutely lose it with the surgery and threatened to sue them for malpractice and deliberately trying to cause physical harm to one of their patients. Now, when l ask for a repeat prescription they give me what l want. As said battle still not won, as l don’t really want to be taking 20 plus tablets in 24 hours each day, but baby steps is the way forwards.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s been neverending for you too. I hope the procedure is ASAP
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s a year since it all began with a tingle in my right hand on Tuesday next week. It’s now 26 weeks since l walked into the doctors and said l think l have a problem.
I hope that l get the results of this MRSA this coming week, and l can go in for this injective surgery and l pray that it works, because the deterioration has just gotten worse. The pinched nerve and the collapsing shoulder were originally the only two problems, but now with it taking so damned long, the upper bicep tendonitis only came about as a serious problem because of all the delayed tactics and buggering about.
Like you Helen, l am afraid l no longer have the patience to be polite.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good luck. Keep badgering them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Jeees, what a palaver! You’re right, we need to advocate for ourselves when these sort of things happen, which is all too often. Wishing you all the best for Thursday! xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
This type of thing is inexcusable. Glad you spoke up for yourself… not that I doubted you would!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Here’s to all good news with your MRI…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good on you! I can’t believe the level of incompetence. How did it go?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I got through it. It was pretty hard going though
LikeLiked by 1 person
Talk about being given the fucking runaround!
LikeLiked by 1 person