Remember that rude nurse from Issue #4 posted about below??
Well...the office she works at called me back today.
Thankfully, it was a different nurse.
And, thankfully, the fact that I called about the medication problem got passed onto the doctor.
The nurse on Friday told me she had no idea why I was calling since I seem to be getting along just fine despite everything.
The doctor is quite glad I called and has the opposite attitude of the nurse.
Love it!!
She wanted me to come in and sit down to have a serious talk with her about what all I have been going through, my medications I am currently taking, etc. And I really wanted to come in and have that chat with her. But, the problem is we are in two different states.
Ok...this one is not my fault (for once!)! I started going to this doctor when I was 16 and living at home! Well before I even knew I was going to college! And I liked her so much that I continued going to her even after I started college.
After everything I have already been through with doctors and rude office staff, I expected this nurse to get upset with me and tell me I would have to get over it and come home. Nope! Instead, she said to me, "Not a problem! I will just let the doctor know you are away at college and are therefore unable to come in." Literally, she left me speechless! I was shocked by how kind she was over the whole thing!
This just gives me hope that there are a few nice doctors still out there who really do care...
July 20, 2009
July 17, 2009
UGH!!!!
Today has been yet another emotional day for me!
I am SO incredibly frustrated with doctors. It's beyond belief how frustrated with them I am.
Issue #1:
This morning, the orthopedic doctor's office called me. Based off of my neurology records (which speak of migraines), he's decided he can't help me with my hip pain. My neuro records speak NOTHING of hip pain. Basically, he compared apples to oranges and decided he can't help me from that.
Issue #2:
I call the office back to see about picking up my records because my neurologist sent a bill to me for them (and charged me $0.50 a page - can we say ridiculous!?!) The nurse tells me to come by the office and tell the receptionist she is holding on to them. When I arrive, I do so. The receptionist proceeds to tell me she doesn't have my records. To which I tell her I just got off the phone less than 10 minutes ago with the nurse who told me she is holding on to them. Finally, after waiting for 5 minutes, my records appear and I leave the office (never to return again).
Issue #3:
I get in my car and start looking at my neurologist records. I read the first line and realize how serious doctors don't take me and much they don't listen when I speak. The first line of the report states, "The patient is a 20-year-old right-handed woman..." Yeah...I'm LEFT-handed, NOT right!! I can't tell you how many times I told him I was left handed and mentioned I was left dominant. There are a bunch of other errors as well in the report concerning my symptoms.
Issue #4:
When I went to pick up my prescription medications, the pharmacist pulled me aside and asked if I was aware my migraine medication was counteracting with another medication I take daily, which I wasn't. I called that doctor's office today and spoke with the nurse concerning the medication. Everytime I went to speak, she started talking over me. She would ask me a question, and before I could even get 3 words out, she interrupted me.
Needless to say, I am irritated and frustrated.
I am at that point where I am about ready to give up.
I'm tired of fighting doctors who don't listen to me and think I'm crazy. I'm tired of living in pain. I know something is wrong with me, but I'm constantly blown off.
And I've had it.
So, to sum it all up in one word...
UGH!!!!!!!!!!
I am SO incredibly frustrated with doctors. It's beyond belief how frustrated with them I am.
Issue #1:
This morning, the orthopedic doctor's office called me. Based off of my neurology records (which speak of migraines), he's decided he can't help me with my hip pain. My neuro records speak NOTHING of hip pain. Basically, he compared apples to oranges and decided he can't help me from that.
Issue #2:
I call the office back to see about picking up my records because my neurologist sent a bill to me for them (and charged me $0.50 a page - can we say ridiculous!?!) The nurse tells me to come by the office and tell the receptionist she is holding on to them. When I arrive, I do so. The receptionist proceeds to tell me she doesn't have my records. To which I tell her I just got off the phone less than 10 minutes ago with the nurse who told me she is holding on to them. Finally, after waiting for 5 minutes, my records appear and I leave the office (never to return again).
Issue #3:
I get in my car and start looking at my neurologist records. I read the first line and realize how serious doctors don't take me and much they don't listen when I speak. The first line of the report states, "The patient is a 20-year-old right-handed woman..." Yeah...I'm LEFT-handed, NOT right!! I can't tell you how many times I told him I was left handed and mentioned I was left dominant. There are a bunch of other errors as well in the report concerning my symptoms.
Issue #4:
When I went to pick up my prescription medications, the pharmacist pulled me aside and asked if I was aware my migraine medication was counteracting with another medication I take daily, which I wasn't. I called that doctor's office today and spoke with the nurse concerning the medication. Everytime I went to speak, she started talking over me. She would ask me a question, and before I could even get 3 words out, she interrupted me.
Needless to say, I am irritated and frustrated.
I am at that point where I am about ready to give up.
I'm tired of fighting doctors who don't listen to me and think I'm crazy. I'm tired of living in pain. I know something is wrong with me, but I'm constantly blown off.
And I've had it.
So, to sum it all up in one word...
UGH!!!!!!!!!!
July 14, 2009
My Old Grandma Self
For a while now, I've been struggling with pain and weakness in my left leg. I realized about a month ago the pain originates in my hip and radiates downward. Well, now I'm at that point where my hip won't let me forget it's the origin of the pain. I can't sit comfortably, I can't sleep comfortably, I can't stand for more than 5 minutes before my hip feels like it's on fire. Basically, I'm uncomfortable 24/7.
So, I finally gave in to my hip and called an orthopedic surgeon to try to get an appointment. Unfortunately for me, I have to go through the ringer first.
This is what my yesterday consisted of:
- call the orthopedic doctor's office and leave a message concerning my condition
- receive a call back from them but can't answer because I'm at work and not on my break
- call them back
- find out they want ALL of my records from the neurologist
- they proceed to tell me the doctor will read the neuro's records and will decide from those if he can help me
- have a mini breakdown
- call the neurologist's office and leave a message concerning my records
- receive a call back from them stating I need to fill out a bunch of paperwork before they'll release any of my records to me (even though my records are mine and technically belong to me, but whatever!)
- have a mini breakdown
- call the radiology department to see about getting a copy of my MRIs
- they proceed to tell me they can copy the MRIs on a disk, but I have to physically come and pick up the disk, with a photo ID (yeah...we're located in 2 different states currently)
- have a mini breakdown
- explain to them that's impossible for me to do as we're in 2 different states
- they tell me I have to fill out a bunch of paperwork before they'll release the disk to my parents
- have a mini breakdown
- fill out paperwork giving permission for everything to be done that needs to be done
- have a mini breakdown
- Mom calls to check on me and see how I'm feeling
- have a mini breakdown because it's 10 pm and my hip hurts so much I can barely walk
Does anyone see a pattern here??
Needless to say, I'm SO glad yesterday is over!
Hopefully, the doctor will review my records and will agree to help me. I'm thinking my chances of that happening are slim to none, but I can always hope and dream, right?!
Until then...I'm sure everyone at work will continue to enjoy making fun of me as I walk (since I limp because it is SO incredibly painful). If only they knew how painful it is...
In other news, I'm still head over heels in love with living alone! Why in the world didn't I do this sooner?!
Time to get back to writing my Spain papers (which are due tomorrow!) Yikes!!
So, I finally gave in to my hip and called an orthopedic surgeon to try to get an appointment. Unfortunately for me, I have to go through the ringer first.
This is what my yesterday consisted of:
- call the orthopedic doctor's office and leave a message concerning my condition
- receive a call back from them but can't answer because I'm at work and not on my break
- call them back
- find out they want ALL of my records from the neurologist
- they proceed to tell me the doctor will read the neuro's records and will decide from those if he can help me
- have a mini breakdown
- call the neurologist's office and leave a message concerning my records
- receive a call back from them stating I need to fill out a bunch of paperwork before they'll release any of my records to me (even though my records are mine and technically belong to me, but whatever!)
- have a mini breakdown
- call the radiology department to see about getting a copy of my MRIs
- they proceed to tell me they can copy the MRIs on a disk, but I have to physically come and pick up the disk, with a photo ID (yeah...we're located in 2 different states currently)
- have a mini breakdown
- explain to them that's impossible for me to do as we're in 2 different states
- they tell me I have to fill out a bunch of paperwork before they'll release the disk to my parents
- have a mini breakdown
- fill out paperwork giving permission for everything to be done that needs to be done
- have a mini breakdown
- Mom calls to check on me and see how I'm feeling
- have a mini breakdown because it's 10 pm and my hip hurts so much I can barely walk
Does anyone see a pattern here??
Needless to say, I'm SO glad yesterday is over!
Hopefully, the doctor will review my records and will agree to help me. I'm thinking my chances of that happening are slim to none, but I can always hope and dream, right?!
Until then...I'm sure everyone at work will continue to enjoy making fun of me as I walk (since I limp because it is SO incredibly painful). If only they knew how painful it is...
In other news, I'm still head over heels in love with living alone! Why in the world didn't I do this sooner?!
Time to get back to writing my Spain papers (which are due tomorrow!) Yikes!!
July 8, 2009
A place to call my very own...I mean home!!
As of July 1st, I no longer have to deal with a roommate...and I absolutely love it!!
Since I'm graduating in December and my lease at the apartment I was living at (which was a dump) is up August 1st, I went ahead and got a 6 month lease elsewhere. And since it's too hard to find someone who only wants to be your roommate for 6 months, I decided to not have one! Seriously, one of the best decisions I've ever made!!
I absolutely love:
-coming home to a clean house
-having complete control of the thermostat
-not having to coordinate my showers around someone else's schedule
-coming home to a house that doesn't smell like smoke
-living in a place where the walls aren't paper thin
-having kind and friendly neighbors (they're totally awesome!!)
-knowing all of this is mine (ok, so maybe I have a bit of a sharing problem...)
Yeah...it's awesome!
I have yet to hear any of my neighbors except for when they sit out on their patios and chat in the evenings after dinner (which I don't mind that at all!). That's a complete 180 from my old place. I didn't sleep at my old place because they let their little baby cry all night long. I'd wake up in the early hours of the morning to them yelling profanity at each other and then at their little children. If they engaged in pillow talk in the evenings, I could hear it as if I was in the bed with them (want to talk about awkward). And let's not talk about when the newlyweds lived next door. My only comment on that one is that I completely rearranged my room, and it didn't help, at all. Now that's awkward!
I still have lots of decorating to do. Yet another thing I love! I can decorate this place any way I want to and no one can tell me otherwise!! :)
But, since I have a couple of months off before my last semester of college starts (so weird and crazy to think I'm almost finished with college already!), I've got some time on my hands. Love it!!
So...now, I must decide what I want to do in my own apartment... Shower now and then go to bed, or go to bed and shower in the morning... Man! I love being able to have a choice!! :)
I'll close with a cool picture I took of the cathedral in Granada, Spain. Just as a side note, absolutely zero photo retouching was done on this photo. Enjoy!
Since I'm graduating in December and my lease at the apartment I was living at (which was a dump) is up August 1st, I went ahead and got a 6 month lease elsewhere. And since it's too hard to find someone who only wants to be your roommate for 6 months, I decided to not have one! Seriously, one of the best decisions I've ever made!!
I absolutely love:
-coming home to a clean house
-having complete control of the thermostat
-not having to coordinate my showers around someone else's schedule
-coming home to a house that doesn't smell like smoke
-living in a place where the walls aren't paper thin
-having kind and friendly neighbors (they're totally awesome!!)
-knowing all of this is mine (ok, so maybe I have a bit of a sharing problem...)
Yeah...it's awesome!
I have yet to hear any of my neighbors except for when they sit out on their patios and chat in the evenings after dinner (which I don't mind that at all!). That's a complete 180 from my old place. I didn't sleep at my old place because they let their little baby cry all night long. I'd wake up in the early hours of the morning to them yelling profanity at each other and then at their little children. If they engaged in pillow talk in the evenings, I could hear it as if I was in the bed with them (want to talk about awkward). And let's not talk about when the newlyweds lived next door. My only comment on that one is that I completely rearranged my room, and it didn't help, at all. Now that's awkward!
I still have lots of decorating to do. Yet another thing I love! I can decorate this place any way I want to and no one can tell me otherwise!! :)
But, since I have a couple of months off before my last semester of college starts (so weird and crazy to think I'm almost finished with college already!), I've got some time on my hands. Love it!!
So...now, I must decide what I want to do in my own apartment... Shower now and then go to bed, or go to bed and shower in the morning... Man! I love being able to have a choice!! :)
I'll close with a cool picture I took of the cathedral in Granada, Spain. Just as a side note, absolutely zero photo retouching was done on this photo. Enjoy!
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