Tuesday, September 9, 2008

My Doctors Appointment

Today I had a doctors appointment for my one year check up. All is good with my health. I walked in at 2:55pm my appointment was for 3:00. So I checked in and sat down in the waiting room. I read a newspaper that was there that talked about estimated cost per household in Maine.
Fuel oil $4.49 now; $5 projected Average use 800 Gallons estimate $3500 - 4,000 annual cost, Kerosene $5 Now; $6 projected Average use 800 Gallons estimate $4,000 - 4,800 annual cost, Wood (traditional) $240 - 250/cord dry Estimate $1,250 annual cost but a safe chimney & stove are necessary, Wood Pellets $280/ton 3 tons/annual Estimate $2,100 stove & pellets No chimney required, but venting needed. Pellets: under $1,000 annual cost, Electricity equal to oil now; PUC protection Same as fuel Oil costs, Propane $4/gal 2 x needed as oil (1600 gal) Estimate $6,400 annual cost. Natural Gas no substantial increase yet but anticipate surge.

So last year when I was thinking about a pellet stove I should have got one when I had the money. My mom has had a pellet stove for years and it works great, I wish I would have looked into it when we bought the house we are in now. I just wanted to share the info from the paper.

Back to my appointment. I read a little more of the paper, then the nurse called me in. She walked me down to a small room with no window. She took my blood presser and asked some questions and then asked me to put on one of the johnny that everyone hate to wear with all of your back side showing!!! She said my doctor would be with me in a minute. She was very nice. So I undressed and sat up on the table like I have done for years. Every other year that I have gone to this doctors office my doctor was there within 5 minutes of me getting into the johnny. Well it was 15 minutes, and I could hear her laughing from one of the doctors offices just two doors down. 20 minutes now sitting there feeling like she forgot about me. 30 minutes now I'm getting a little mad. I have now been sitting in this small room with no window going crazy in a johnny for over 30 minutes waiting for my doctor to see me. I could hear her laughing it up with other doctors. Maybe on break, having a party, what ever she was doing wasn't what she should have been doing!!!!! So I got out my cell phone and called the doctors office that I was at. A woman answered the phone, I told her who I was and that I was there to see Dr. -------, and I had been waiting for over 30 minutes for her to see me. At first the woman on the phone didn't understand that I was in the room waiting, I had to make that clear to her and in my voice I wasn't happy. She came walking down the hallway and knock on the room I was in, opened the door and saw me sitting there on the table in my johnny waiting for my doctor. You should have seen her face, you could see she felt bad and said she would get her right away. The woman closed the door. I heard her go in the office where my doctor was and say something. They were talking so low I couldn't heard them. Then I heard the office woman walk by the door and beyond, then a minute later my doctor knock on the door and came in. My doctor said hello and asked how I was doing. I just said fine. I could feel my face turning red. I was so mad I really wanted to say how mad I was but just couldn't do it. She then had the audacity to ask me if I was in a rush, or needed to be somewhere. I told her "I need to get my son after school", but that wasn't the point. I had been sitting there while she was off doing her own thing. I really wish I could have spoke up. I don't know why I let people walk all over me. The other thing is she was asking questions she had written right in front of her. I would answer and she would then say"oh ya it's right here". I thought a doctor goes over your carts the day before or the day of your appointment????? She also asked me a question that she should have had paper work on and couldn't find it. I remember seeing the pink paper the last time I was there. So now I would like to know where MY INFORMATION ON ME IS??????!!!!! Those are my records that are missing. I don't know if I should change doctors. This is the first time anything like this has happened. What do I do???? How can I stand up for myself??? Why don't I speak UP!!!???

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

No thanks for reminding us of winter woes for fuel costs.
If I had recieved that kind of treatment from a doctor, I would be long gone. Sounds like they aren't really caring people. And a doctor should be reading your chart so they know what is going on with you and any questions that may have been asked by their nurse. Maybe I am not as shy as you, may be the old prison guard in me, but the doctor would have gotten my two cents worth before I left.

flying fish said...

You did stand up for yourself by calling them on your cell phone. Don't be hard on yourself for not getting angry...one step at a time and you'll be as bad as me about customer service, lol! I'd have grabbed the back of my johnnie and walked out there and demanded some attention. Yeah...I've gotten myself in trouble with ER doctors a few times. Your time is valuable, and they're wrong to leave you... Ooopsie, I'm on my soap box. Sorry for ranting. I'm glad you got the attention of the office person, good move. I'm going to remember my cell phone when I'm waiting and waiting.

Steve Hildebrand said...

That is a great idea for calling. that was a smart move. I am the same way with letting poeple take advantage. I heard this the other day I thought about doing it next time:

When you have been waiting too long AFTER your appointment is scheduled, start adding your time. Remember your time is just as valuable. Take a invoice piece of paper and Tell them in plain language that you are starting to bill them for YOUR time. Most businesses have to work under a time line and lose money if you complete after that time. Think of yourself as a business. Your losing your time. Literally bill them for your time after your scheduled time. of course, you may lose that doctor but do you want to go to a doctor that doesn't repect your time? If they don't pay you on time, send them to collections just as they would do for you.

steve