The Ball Drops Again.
I went to a doctor’s appointment for my back yesterday. It has been giving me a lot of problems for about the last six months. This is the first appointment I’ve had with this doctor and I really like him. I thought he was through, and the big point is, he listened. Plus he talked. We got to talking after the examination about other things. I had told him about my time in Europe (as if I don’t tell any and everybody that will listen), and he told me that some years back he had been on an archaeological dig in Jordan for about two months. Then he got to talking about Italy and other places he had been.
Now I already think he’s a good doctor because of the examination and his listening. But I like him because instead of being an automation trying to get people in and out as fast as possible, he took the time to tell me a little about himself and let me get to know him. I felt much more relaxed and comfortable talking to him.
When I fractured a vertebrae last year, the doctor I saw told me my bone scan showed my bone density to be that of a 90 y.o. man. The doctor yesterday kept stressing that I have a severe case of osteoporosis, and asked if the other doctor had offered any explanation of why this was so. I told him no they didn’t, but said if I had anymore problems to call them. Well yesterday’s doctor told me it looks like a very bad pinched nerve, but he was concerned because of the vertebra below the one that was fractured. He set up some test, and a day when I’ll have to come in for an epidural steroid injection. Everything is going fine, oh yeah……….........…But noooooooo!
When I got home, the doctor’s office called me about a referral. They said they didn’t have one from my GP. I told them the GP had to have set up the appointment and I asked specifically, when checking in, if my insurance had approved it. I was told by the check in person, that yes my insurance had OKed it. The person that called me said no they hadn’t and that the new doctor didn’t even have the referral. So I call my GP’s office and I find out that the nurse had set up yesterday’s appointment, but had not routed it through my insurance. I asked my GP’s office to please set up the referral and to get my insurance’s approval. If they don’t approve, then the test and other stuff will have to be put on hold, and I’ll have to work out some plan with yesterday’s doctor.
Why is it that when you come away from something feeling good, especially something as stressful as seeing a new doctor, there is always something jamming up the cogs? It’s as if the FSM was saying, “Ah, he’s starting to feel good about something - now’s the time to lower the boom.” What got me is I even double checked to make sure it was approved, and I was given the thumbs up all the way.
Now I already think he’s a good doctor because of the examination and his listening. But I like him because instead of being an automation trying to get people in and out as fast as possible, he took the time to tell me a little about himself and let me get to know him. I felt much more relaxed and comfortable talking to him.
When I fractured a vertebrae last year, the doctor I saw told me my bone scan showed my bone density to be that of a 90 y.o. man. The doctor yesterday kept stressing that I have a severe case of osteoporosis, and asked if the other doctor had offered any explanation of why this was so. I told him no they didn’t, but said if I had anymore problems to call them. Well yesterday’s doctor told me it looks like a very bad pinched nerve, but he was concerned because of the vertebra below the one that was fractured. He set up some test, and a day when I’ll have to come in for an epidural steroid injection. Everything is going fine, oh yeah……….........…But noooooooo!
When I got home, the doctor’s office called me about a referral. They said they didn’t have one from my GP. I told them the GP had to have set up the appointment and I asked specifically, when checking in, if my insurance had approved it. I was told by the check in person, that yes my insurance had OKed it. The person that called me said no they hadn’t and that the new doctor didn’t even have the referral. So I call my GP’s office and I find out that the nurse had set up yesterday’s appointment, but had not routed it through my insurance. I asked my GP’s office to please set up the referral and to get my insurance’s approval. If they don’t approve, then the test and other stuff will have to be put on hold, and I’ll have to work out some plan with yesterday’s doctor.
Why is it that when you come away from something feeling good, especially something as stressful as seeing a new doctor, there is always something jamming up the cogs? It’s as if the FSM was saying, “Ah, he’s starting to feel good about something - now’s the time to lower the boom.” What got me is I even double checked to make sure it was approved, and I was given the thumbs up all the way.
posted by Family Man | 12:54 AM
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