This is long, but I'm really pissed and disappointed and worried and I need to vent.
So on Wednesday I posted about my hearing loss and subsequent dr. appointment. I was referred to the otolaryngology clinic (heretofore called The Ear People) at the University Medical Center, and told to call them on Thursday for an appt. I called about 9 AM and they told me that they wouldn't just MAKE an appointment, that they had to review their referral paperwork first and they would call me within two business days when they had figured out how soon they could see me.
I came home from work (the U Med Center DOES have my work number) to find a message on the machine that was left about 15 minutes after I called them asking me to please call them, preferably that day, to schedule a Monday appointment. So this tells me that they are already considering my hearing loss somewhat urgent, since they didn't schedule me several weeks out.
I called this morning and found that the person who left me the message isn't in on Fridays. I called the front desk and they said that they couldn't make new patient appointments and put me through to someone else. I left her a message. Three hours later, no return call and I needed to leave the house to go to a TV taping, and would not be able to have my phone on. So I call again and leave another message, and talk to the receptionist again, who still can't help me because she still can't make a new patient appointment. And the woman I need to talk to will be out of the office by the time I get out of the taping.
At this point I'm trying to figure out what the hell I'm going to do if I can't get in on Monday, when I have child care and don't have work, and call my mom and leave a weepy hysterical message on her machine asking if she can stay until Tuesday (she's coming to do childcare while I'm at my midwife appointment on Monday). Then I leave for the taping. In the car on the way over I try one last ditch effort, and the woman actually picks up. She shows no sign of having even listened to my other messages and tells me that they have been very busy. She asks me for my insurance information and I tell her that I'm driving, and she says that she really needs the info. So I have to retrieve my insurance card from my wallet and read her the number while on the f-ing freeway. Once we get that over with, she says she is going to check the Monday schedule and see if anything is available, sounding very discouraging. I said, "Well, I'm going to be at the medical center for a midwive's appointment--" at which point she CUT ME OFF and told me that I would need to be flexible and work with their schedule! Because their clinics are booked up MONTHS ahead of time. And that it would be at least 1.5 hours, and I need to be there BEFORE my appointment time because they want me IN the audio booth AT 8:45, blah blah.
So I had to change my midwife appointment time, and thank god they were flexible and understanding, since they are ALSO very busy and totally booked up this week.
I'm just so trepidatious about this appointment. Last time I had this problem, I felt like they managed my case very aggressively. Just the way I was treated on the phone -- the lack of compassion, being treated like an irritation, the lack of regard for my personal circumstances, the failure to return my call in a timely manner -- all put my guard way up. I do not trust this clinic to treat me like an individual. My referring doc half-convinced me that my experience with them would be different this time around because I'm pregnant and they would want to manage my care differently, but I am not confident of that at all. I am just so afraid that I am going to have to fight with them to stay off prednisone, and that I'm going to have to go in there for their damn weekly hearing tests while I am trying to care for an infant.
I'm just really, really bummed about the timing of this. Not that there is a good time to lose your hearing, but this really, really sucks. I didn't want to spend the last three weeks of my pregnancy doing this.
If you made it all the way through this, thanks for reading.
So on Wednesday I posted about my hearing loss and subsequent dr. appointment. I was referred to the otolaryngology clinic (heretofore called The Ear People) at the University Medical Center, and told to call them on Thursday for an appt. I called about 9 AM and they told me that they wouldn't just MAKE an appointment, that they had to review their referral paperwork first and they would call me within two business days when they had figured out how soon they could see me.
I came home from work (the U Med Center DOES have my work number) to find a message on the machine that was left about 15 minutes after I called them asking me to please call them, preferably that day, to schedule a Monday appointment. So this tells me that they are already considering my hearing loss somewhat urgent, since they didn't schedule me several weeks out.
I called this morning and found that the person who left me the message isn't in on Fridays. I called the front desk and they said that they couldn't make new patient appointments and put me through to someone else. I left her a message. Three hours later, no return call and I needed to leave the house to go to a TV taping, and would not be able to have my phone on. So I call again and leave another message, and talk to the receptionist again, who still can't help me because she still can't make a new patient appointment. And the woman I need to talk to will be out of the office by the time I get out of the taping.
At this point I'm trying to figure out what the hell I'm going to do if I can't get in on Monday, when I have child care and don't have work, and call my mom and leave a weepy hysterical message on her machine asking if she can stay until Tuesday (she's coming to do childcare while I'm at my midwife appointment on Monday). Then I leave for the taping. In the car on the way over I try one last ditch effort, and the woman actually picks up. She shows no sign of having even listened to my other messages and tells me that they have been very busy. She asks me for my insurance information and I tell her that I'm driving, and she says that she really needs the info. So I have to retrieve my insurance card from my wallet and read her the number while on the f-ing freeway. Once we get that over with, she says she is going to check the Monday schedule and see if anything is available, sounding very discouraging. I said, "Well, I'm going to be at the medical center for a midwive's appointment--" at which point she CUT ME OFF and told me that I would need to be flexible and work with their schedule! Because their clinics are booked up MONTHS ahead of time. And that it would be at least 1.5 hours, and I need to be there BEFORE my appointment time because they want me IN the audio booth AT 8:45, blah blah.
So I had to change my midwife appointment time, and thank god they were flexible and understanding, since they are ALSO very busy and totally booked up this week.
I'm just so trepidatious about this appointment. Last time I had this problem, I felt like they managed my case very aggressively. Just the way I was treated on the phone -- the lack of compassion, being treated like an irritation, the lack of regard for my personal circumstances, the failure to return my call in a timely manner -- all put my guard way up. I do not trust this clinic to treat me like an individual. My referring doc half-convinced me that my experience with them would be different this time around because I'm pregnant and they would want to manage my care differently, but I am not confident of that at all. I am just so afraid that I am going to have to fight with them to stay off prednisone, and that I'm going to have to go in there for their damn weekly hearing tests while I am trying to care for an infant.
I'm just really, really bummed about the timing of this. Not that there is a good time to lose your hearing, but this really, really sucks. I didn't want to spend the last three weeks of my pregnancy doing this.
If you made it all the way through this, thanks for reading.
I'm so sorry you have to go through this. There is no excuse for such poor treatment, especially since you're pregnant. Maybe you can get your referring doc to intervene if they get too out of hand once you're in, find the problem and start treatment?
