Oh my god. Owing to a clerical error on THEIR end, the surgeon's office forgot to put me on the schedule for a biopsy today!!!!
To get a procedure like this done, you need what's called an, "Authorization." The Auths have expiration dates. I cannot set up another appt because my Auth is two days away from expiring. In such a case, you request an, "Extension on the Authorization." They're telling me they cannot grant me an Extension on the Authorization because of some arbitrary bureaucratic stipulation that states you cannot get an extension for a procedure that takes place 6 mos beyond the original office consulation with the surgeon. The whole reason I'm trying to get the biopsy done so many months after the original consulation with the surgeon is because THE SURGEON'S OFFICE TOOK 4 MONTHS TO SEND ME THE AUTHORIZATION IN THE FIRST PLACE.
The remaining two months were spent on: I received the Auth in the mail and then, tried to find someone who could pick me up from the hospital afterwards bc the surgeon's office said it was MANDATORY. I didn't have anyone. My friend Christina was the only one I could think of and she wasn't returning my calls. Finally she did when I arranged to dog sit for her over Xmas, but after the first of the year, she flaked on me. And here I am left with a limited window to find someone to pick me up after the procedure and the Auth is about to expire. Because Christina flaked, I had to cancel the procedure, which was scheduled for Feb 3rd, and reschedule for today the 10th. I thought Cheistina would be available for today, the 10th, but she wasn't. Although I don't have anyone to take me home, I decided to wing it and just call an Uber afterward. The receptionist at the surgeon's office said it should be OK.
I go through all of this, show up today, with hardly any sleep - only to find that same idiot receptionist did NOT put in the books the fact that I rescheduled for today.
Instead, the hospital records just have me listed as an irresponsible, "No Show" on the 3rd, to which I got a lecture this morning from ANOTHER receptionist about "taking my health seriously" and not "wasting their time."
I corrected her on that count.
This second receptionist told me this morning that although I'm not in the schedule for a biopsy today, the surgeon can fit me in as a walk-in, but I'll be the last patient of the day, and he probably won't do the procedure until 4 or 5 pm. I also was told I won't be able to leave and come back at 4 or 5 when the surgeon is ready to see me. I'd have to wait around at this hospital all day doing nothing until that time. Considerate of my time, effort and patience clearly.
Also, this is not a great neighborhood where the hospital is nor is where I live. I am wary of trying to take an Uber or the bus back at night while loopy from anesthesia.
So, I asked the second receptionist here at the hospital if I can please get an extension of the Auth to formally reschedule, and maybe this time the surgeon's office will remember to officially put me in the books for the biopsy appt. She tells me I need to call the surgeon's office for the Extension of the Auth.
I proceed to call the surgeon's office just now - the one which delayed 4 months before sending me the Auth in the first place (when they know I have to resolve the whole affair within a 6 month window) and the same office which mistakenly did not officially put me in the books for the biopsy today (despite confirming it verbally on the phone) - and I get yelled at for 15 minutes by some irate middle-aged woman about how I waited too long to try to get the procedure, how she doesn't think she can extend the Auth because it's been past 6 months since the original consultation with the surgeon and how this is all my fault.
I assure you, I disavowed her of such foolishness. And firmly.
She finally resolved to call my General Practioner's office, claiming it was only THEY who had the power to extend the Auth. I told her I'd already spoken to my GP's office and they insisted it was only HER office (the surgeon's office) who could extend the Auth. Ego-driven woman that she was - she promptly ignored me, and said, "I need to call your GP's office to get this extension. I'll call them, see if I can get it and then call you back."
I said, "I am getting the run around here. Your office is incompetent and excessively delayed. One way or another, I need that Auth and I need this biopsy. It has been deemed medically necessary by this surgeon, your boss. And you are unnecessarily hampering me attending to my health by your bureaucratic mistakes and bad attitude. Stop blaming the patient for your clerical errors." She then kept trying to yell at me. I kept stopping her.
Finally, we got off the phone with her agreeing to call me back after she got in touch with my GP in an effort to secure the Auth Extension. It has been over an hour already and she has yet to call me back.
She likely won't get the extension and I'll have to either start the whole process over again from the beginning by trying to arrange a consultation with the surgeon and then wait for the Auth, then schedule the biopsy and see if I can find a friend who's free to pick me up (which is preferable). My other option is wait here all day doing nothing and just let the surgeon perform the biopsy at the end of the day. I can take a chance calling an Uber or taking the bus at night in an inebriated state, but I also might try calling my friend Paul to see if he's free to pick me up. I don't know if I'll be able to get a hold of him though. Obviously he's not Paul Mc.
The other problem for option 1 is that I am hoping to get all medical procedures I need done within the year 2020, before a possible Trump second term where I could lose my insurance altogether. If I start this whole biopsy process from the beginning, it could take another 6 mos or more.
This type of insane costly and disrespectful errors and run around is from my healthcare providers is typical and wears me down unnecessarily on top of my already extistant worry about the health condition itself. No one should have to regularly be put through this. And i am. Our healthcare system is a sham.
I'm going to call that damn surgeon's office again right now.
I hope this post makes sense. I'm not proofing for errors, etc
