catching up

So, here I am, putting it all in writing.

backstory - overweight, almost forty, mom of 4, happily married for just over a year.

I spent last year sick - all the time sick. coughing, aching, stuffy head, fever, no rest kind of sick. FINALLY, I just couldn't breathe anymore, so I went to Urgent Care. pneumonia. asthma. allergies. upper respiratory infection. mega-antibiotics. steroids. rescue inhaler. allergy shots.

So I followed up with my primary care physician, only not. SHE moved to a new location with new partners and they accept state funded insurance which is great if you have to be on state aid, because you now have access to a totally groovy chick doc. NOT so great, though, if you need to see her any time this YEAR. The switchboard is totally overworked and can't figure out what they are supposed to be doing IF they can manage to find you in their computer system. Forget that! I called the old office and made an appointment with a new doc.

DOC runs tons of blood work and schedules appointments for the "nearly 40" yearly checkup. pap. mammo. full physical. cholesterol. blood glucose. yada yada.
blood work is back - high cholesterol, pre-diabetes. low fat, low cholesterol, low sugar diet time. OH and can I come back for "additional views and possibly an ultrasound?" Okay, say I, but can you tell me why? M - aka THE MA - tells me "sometimes they just do that. you had what? an ultrasound?" um NO - I had a MAMMO! So, M needs to get the request signed and faxed back to radiology so that the additional views can be scheduled. groovy!

3 days later - no fax to radiology and I have a follow up AGAIN. DOC says M did fax the request - some sort of breakdown in communication (more yada yada) I got a copy of the faxed request and went down to radiology myself. tried to make an appointment - computer system is down, we'll call you.

2nd mammo - radiologist shows me the films and the spots that he's concerned with and says "I definitely want to follow up on this in 6 months to see if there is any change." groovy! Then he looks again at the films and says "ya know, I want an ultrasound. fit her in today" TODAY?!?! I sit. for an hour. I sit. I have to say, here, that the staff is EXCEPTIONAL!
Ultrasound tech is available!! yay!! We go in and get set up and here comes the radiologist. He doesn't want to wait to see the films. He wants to be there and see it as it's done. "cyst. cyst. cyst. cyst. cyst. cyst....." Radiologist says "yeah, I definitely want to follow up on this in 6 months to see if there is any change." (sound familiar?) He steps out of the room and starts to close the door.... "ya know, I want an MRI as soon as possible." He goes on to tell me that he will fax his recommendation to my DOC and that she will need to get insurance authorization for the MRI. I'll get a call to schedule the MRI. Films will be sent to another location, read by Different Radiologist, HIS report will be faxed back to the original location and to my DOC, original radiologist will call me to discuss recommendations. Sounds good!

That was Wednesday. Thursday, M calls to give me all the same information that radiologist gave me. I let her know that I was aware of all this and that she needed to get the insurance auth. She tells me that she will get to it but probably not before Tuesday (Monday is a holiday). I let her know how important this is to me and she tells me that she understands.

Tuesday
nothing
Wednesday
nothing
so I call. M is away from her desk but "all calls will be reviewed by the end of the day" so I wait for a return call.
nothing
Thursday - noonish
I call and talk to whomever answered the phone "don't send me to M, she isn't returning my calls, here's what's going on." I proceeded to tell her about the MRI and the need for auth and that I'm frustrated and freaking out. "I totally understand that I am not the only patient and that they are busy, but this is my LIFE and possibly my DEATH we're talking about. somebody please help!"
I'm told that M is out of the office today but that someone is handling her caseload. Groovy! I hold for J. J comes on the line and sounds as frustrated as I feel. She is covering for TWO missing MAs today and is cleaning up messes that M has left all over the place. NOT happy! So she goes looking for my chart. Nothing to indicate that M has initiated ANYTHING with the insurance company regarding an MRI. FABULOUS! J is taking notes like a madwoman! (I'm loving J at this point) She tells me that she will get on this right away and get this info to the DOC, but she's seeing patients, so it could be a while. Okay, I can handle that. "I'll get back to you NO LATER than this afternoon." groovy!
THIRTY MINUTES LATER
J is on the phone letting me know that she's talked with the radiology department and my insurance auth is currently pending. "give them a call tomorrow to check again." Theoretically, I should get a call from BOTH the radiology dept AND the DOC's office to let me know when they get the authorization. groovy!!
At this point, I ask J if SHE will be MY MA and she giggles and tells me "if you ever need anything, you go ahead and give me a call." kudos!

now, I wait......

all that said, I am losing weight by eating a low glycemic load diet. Amazingly, without adding exercise to my daily, lazy routine, I have lost 6lbs in about a week. This will be the place that I will blog about my DOC experiences and my new dietary habits. I'm finding loads of great food to eat and a new store in our area -- fresh & easy. The daughter calls it "the hippy mart"

Here's to new food, new friends, new DOCs, new MAs, new test results and new beginnings!
cheers!