Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Kay's World -- Things that make you go GRRRRRR

I have been carrying on a fight for the past week with a cold/cough that has refused to respond to the usual regimen: chicken soup, ginger ale, vitamin C, & Robitussin. Yesterday I finally realized that I needed to make an appointment and visit my kid doctor -- a very bright, cute little 35-year-old mother of four. (Do you remember when we had doctors that were older than we are?)

I don't have health insurance since being laid off from my job -- not good for a 58-year-old stroke survivor -- so I go to the internal medicine clinic at a local hospital. My Dr. Julie is a very good doctor who listens to me pretty well but it isn't easy to get to see her. When I called yesterday the following conversation ensued between this Skinny Old Gal (SOG) & a very obstructive office person (VOOP):

SOG: Hi! This is Kay Dennison & I need to make an appointment with Dr. Julie.
VOOP: Can you hold a moment please?
SOG: Sure.

(10 minutes pass)

VOOP: Can you hold a moment please?
SOG: er . . .

(VOOP is gone & 15 minutes pass -- SOG's blood pressure rises )

VOOP: Oops!!!!

(VOOP is gone & SOG mutters under her breath, hangs up & calls back)

VOOP: Aultman Clinic.
SOG: This is Kay Dennison. You've left me on hold for 25 minutes. I need that appointment & I'm at work.
VOOP: Can you hold a moment please?
SOG: No-no-no! That dance is over!
VOOP: Well, we're busy here.
SOG: I understand that -- we're busy here, too, but I need to see the doctor. I have congestion, a cough & a fever that I've had for a week.
VOOP: I can get you in on the 22nd at 10 a.m.
SOG: I could be dead by then.
VOOP: Well, do you want it?
SOG: I'll be there if I'm alive. If not, my lawyer will be there.

I went home at the end of the day feeling infinitely worse and upon checking, discovered that I had a fever of 102. I tried to rest but kept waking up coughing.

This morning I felt even worse so I went to the ER and the doc ordered breathing tests and pronounced me one step away from pneumonia and took care of me. Hallelujah and Amen!


Happy Blogging

Kay

3 comments:

  1. Kay, I was wondering what happened to you. I'm relieved to know you are okay...no thanks to VOOP. I don't know if it will do any good, but I hope you DO give Dr. Julie an earful. It is despicable to be treated that way when you're sick...serious or not. And...don't get me started on proper healthcare coverage from loss of employment...recently wrote a post about that. Sending you many healing hugs Kay.... -Joy

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  2. I hope you're feeling better by now with those miracle drugs. We can all empathize with your encounter with VOOP. Even with good insurance, my daughter faces this incredible voice mail labyrinth at her health care provider. If she actually reaches her Dr days later, it's clear the Dr hasn't listened to her voice mail. A friend, also with good insurance, recently tried to make an appointment with a Dr whose VOOP whined about how the insurance didn't pay the full charges so she didn't thinnk my friend should expect full service!

    On the plus side, I think the sun's going to shine today, so we'll all keep putting one foot in front of the other and hope for the best.

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  3. Hope you are somewhat better by now. I think I've had that bronchitis -- they treated me better when it really was pneumonia. We all seem to have to fight for health care.

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