Ready to tear my hair out....or someone's hair

[thefrogprincess]

Some of you may remember my recent trouble trying to get into my CF clinic after the doc in charge of a research study I'm in was concerned about my PFTs. Well they worked me in, my appointment was for this Monday (the 23rd). So I get this message on my voice mail today "We've had some scheduling conflicts and moved your appointment back to June 27th." AAAAAAAAAHHH!!! Of course this was after the nurse practitioner who runs the clinic had left for the day. So I left my own message saying "This is unacceptable!!! I cannot wait another month!! FIX IT!!!!" I'll let you know how that goes.

Here's my next complaint. Great Strides is on Sunday, my boyfriend always goes with me and this year my best friend who moved back from to the area from California was going to go with us. Well, on Monday my bf was in an accident at work and broke his toe, needles to say a 3 mile walk is not high on his list of fun things right now. And now my friend can't get the day off because they are understaffed where he works, ok, I've been there, but some other dude he works with get all of Memorial Day weekend off. This guy gets a whole weekend and my friend can't have 1 day! What is that?!?! So now I have no one to go to Great Strides with!

But the good news is my dad went back to work this week (he had a quadruple bypass in March)!!! Yay dad!

 

[Emily65Roses]

Yeah I love how they always push back CFer appointment to weeks or months later. Don't they understand that if we're making an appointment, usually it's because something needs to be done... NOW ??? Durrrrrr. Boo about Great Strides. Mike is going with me this Sunday, and it's his first ever. And yay for your dad. <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

 

[anonymous]

froggy, I am sorry for the cancellation of your appointment but I really do like the way you handled it. I believe that you can't be too firm when it comes to your own health and I have been a bit short with some of my husbands doctors on a few occasions but it got the point across. I would definately talk to a "head" person at the clinic though if this becomes a habbit.

Sorry about the friend and the BF. Would he consider going if you pushed him in a wheelchair? I know most men are like, NOoooooooooooooo! I can walk if it's that big of a deal but if he knows how important it is to you and he doesn't want to walk (he probably shouldn't anyways) maybe he would consider it for 1 afternoon???????

Julie

 

[thefrogprincess]

I thought about renting a wheel chair for the day but since this is the Seattle walk there are some serious hills to consider. I'm not sure I could push him up some of them, and going down I'd be afraid that I'd lose control and he'd go flying into a busy intersection.

 

[jenhum]

I still cannot believe that they expect you to wait a MONTH before you see the doctor when you are not feeling well!!!! Do they not KNOW what can happen to a CFer's health in that amount of time?!?!? Is there any way for you to contact your doctor directly to ask to squeeze you in? I have NEVER not been squeezed in THAT WEEK if I needed to see the doctor. I guess I should be grateful to go to such an understanding clinic with competent people! Sheesh!

<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-mad.gif" border="0"><img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-mad.gif" border="0"><img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-mad.gif" border="0"><img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-mad.gif" border="0"><img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-mad.gif" border="0"><img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-mad.gif" border="0"><img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-mad.gif" border="0"><img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-mad.gif" border="0">

OK sorry my rant is over...I just am bewildered by what you have to go through to get an appointment!

 

[thefrogprincess]

I found out what happened when the NP called back today. Apparently the doc on duty yesterday made the people in scheduling move a bunch of people's appointments without consulting the nurse who runs things there to see who could wait and who needed to get in NOW.

So now I have to go in sometime next week just to do a PFT and depending on how that turns out they may get me in to the doc on a non-clinic day (with any luck I was just having an off day with the last PFT). And then I go in for my regulat visit (I'm due anyway) on June 6th. Which is still another 2 weeks away. For being smart people medical personel can be really dumb.

 

[anonymous]

Froggy, I really cannot believe the clinic. You are in WA right? Where do you go if you don't mind me asking.

LOL, I just got a visual of your BF flying down queen anne. I am sorry, I am bummed for you about your BF and your best friend-is anybody else walking with you???

Julie

 

[tessa55454]

A couple of times I have just walked in, opened the door to back where all the clinic rooms, and basically said someone has to see me. It is either that, or I go through the ER, and then my doc will see me.
I don't threaten them, if they don't help me, I will make a lot of noise.

Because my old clinic, not my new one yet, cause I don't know them well enough yet, but they have been great. They ask me why i am there, and what do I need. Sometimes it's a couple phone numbers that I can't get for whatever reason, or I actually need to see someone. I just walk-in. It is much more difficult to refuse someone while they are standing there, it's very easy on the phone. With my body language I am saying, " I am not leaving," and I don't. This has only happend a couple of times in my lifetime, but you have to do what you have to do.. They choose there jobs, you didn't.

Tessa 27 w/cf

 

[tessa55454]

one more thing...

I respect them a lot, and they have always done the best for me I think, meaning the clinic. i am always very polite, but I do mean business.

Tessa

 

[thefrogprincess]

Julie, I go to the adult clinic at UW.

 

[anonymous]

So you've got gwen for the nurse right? Which Dr do you see, Tonelli?? I can't remember the other guys name. That jsut floors me that they would do that to you. Did they have a change of staff recently or something because that NEVER went on when Mark was seen there? I am so sorry to hear that.

Julie