Just when I thought I had streamlined the whole thyroid sonogram situation, and eliminated a redundant or additional doctor by way of consolidating my neuro and optic-neuro into one specialist, Saturday I was informed I needed a root canal.
I had a 37 year old filling that a small part broke off, and despite complaining about it to my dentist, he did nothing about it, as he couldn't find the break, and didn't do any further/comprehensive imaging to see what was going on. So I've gone let's say, 6-12 additional months with this intermittent twinge when I'd bite down to chew a steak or the twinge would hit if I ate/drank something too hot (obviously an indicator something was rotten in Denmark!).
Amalgam fillings typically last about twenty years, so considering I had this one for nearly 37 years, it didn't owe me anything. I got more than enough mileage out of it!
Saturday I followed up with my husband's dentist as mine pretty much has one foot out the door to retirement, and both dentists are in the same practice, so it's not like I had to seek out an entirely new office and become an established patient, so score one for convenience.
Anyway, I'm in the office on Saturday for what I thought would be an exam and evaluation, and whatever work would be started in a subsequent office visit. But the dentist said he had an hour until his next patient and if I wanted to do so, he could drill/grind out the old filling and take an assessment--but warned me that he wouldn't really know what we're dealing with. And of course, it was a gamble on my part. But he managed to numb me enough to work on the tooth, and I need a root canal.
Meanwhile, my husband is in the other cubicle getting a dental cleaning, and the dentist was called in to do a quick exam on him. And no great surprise, he needs a root canal as well. He's been struggling since roughly December with some pain/discomfort, which we thought was just a sinus infection. We traveled to India, and he saw a doctor there, who prescribed antibiotics, and that helped a bit. And weeks after returning, the pain returned, and our GP couldn't figure it out, and referred us out to an ENT, who scoped him and couldn't find anything. And here it is about two months after returning from India, and it turns out it wasn't a sinus infection at all. He's got an abscess in the tooth immediately adjacent to the one he had root canal in nearly two years ago (and that root canal went bad, and he ended up losing the tooth and now has an implant).
While I am upset about the prospect of having a root canal, as I am the one in our little family who has the good teeth, I am MORE upset about Maharajah's, as he's gone through one struggle or another with his teeth and gums.
He had his root canal two days ago, and the pain seems to be amping up as of yesterday, and this morning there's a bit of swelling in his cheek in the area of the tooth that was worked on. So, a call was made this morning for possibly some pain meds and antibiotics for him--I'm pretty much surprised by the lack of post-root canal antibiotics, especially given he's got an obvious abscess, but what do I know?
Anyway, my root canal is scheduled for 4/22, and when it comes to my mouth, I need my hand held like a little kid. And I hope that when I finally do get the crown installed, that I will get as good of mileage out of it as I got out of the amalgam filling!
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Physician Fatigue: Part 4(a): LESS Insanity
I decided to go to an imaging center close to home for my thyroid sono--and by close to home, I timed it, and it's about 7 minutes, door to door if I catch all the traffic lights.
There was a bit of maneuvering to schedule the sonogram, as the sono is done in one place, and if need be, the biopsy will be done (I believe) at Westchester Medical Center, five minutes from my home; however, once the maneuvering (i.e. getting a new Rx for the sono, and a separate one for the biopsy) was done, the entire process was a breeze. I just wish I hadn't gone through the drama with Janice at Mt. Sinai Radiology Associates immediately before attempting to schedule this appointment, because THAT entire mess truly did frazzle me, and made me edgy so the instant there appeared to be a hindrance, I got agitated.
Lucky for me, the professionals at Advanced Imaging very quickly resolved everything and the appointment was in place. I called on or about 3/22, and managed to get an appointment for 3/29--easy, fucking, peasy.
Additionally, from the moment I finished filling out the necessary forms, it was roughly/less than five minutes until my name was called.
The sonogram took less than a half hour, and I was back home within an hour of when I left, thereby not necessitating me taking a sick day off, or driving myself insane by taking a full sick day to go into NYC for the imaging, and then try to jam 1-2 other appointments in the day to maximize being out of the office.
Currently, I am basking in the righteous afterglow of using my time efficiently, enjoying the fruit of my labors of trying to streamline all of the running around I must do for medical appointments. It also bears mentioning that it was a DELIGHT to be treated professionally, and not only that, with more than a smidge of respect for my time. A five minute wait time? Truly I shouldn't be as overwhelmed with happiness as I am, but I AM, and I am appreciative of it.
My endo should be getting the report sometime tomorrow, and I'll know more then (whether I need a biopsy or not).
There was a bit of maneuvering to schedule the sonogram, as the sono is done in one place, and if need be, the biopsy will be done (I believe) at Westchester Medical Center, five minutes from my home; however, once the maneuvering (i.e. getting a new Rx for the sono, and a separate one for the biopsy) was done, the entire process was a breeze. I just wish I hadn't gone through the drama with Janice at Mt. Sinai Radiology Associates immediately before attempting to schedule this appointment, because THAT entire mess truly did frazzle me, and made me edgy so the instant there appeared to be a hindrance, I got agitated.
Lucky for me, the professionals at Advanced Imaging very quickly resolved everything and the appointment was in place. I called on or about 3/22, and managed to get an appointment for 3/29--easy, fucking, peasy.
Additionally, from the moment I finished filling out the necessary forms, it was roughly/less than five minutes until my name was called.
The sonogram took less than a half hour, and I was back home within an hour of when I left, thereby not necessitating me taking a sick day off, or driving myself insane by taking a full sick day to go into NYC for the imaging, and then try to jam 1-2 other appointments in the day to maximize being out of the office.
Currently, I am basking in the righteous afterglow of using my time efficiently, enjoying the fruit of my labors of trying to streamline all of the running around I must do for medical appointments. It also bears mentioning that it was a DELIGHT to be treated professionally, and not only that, with more than a smidge of respect for my time. A five minute wait time? Truly I shouldn't be as overwhelmed with happiness as I am, but I AM, and I am appreciative of it.
My endo should be getting the report sometime tomorrow, and I'll know more then (whether I need a biopsy or not).
Monday, March 20, 2017
Physician Fatigue, Part 5
As I'm still waiting to find out if 3/29 will be a good date for another radiologist entirely--I've decided to CUT AND RUN. This is to say, that if I am not going to see Dr. Doshi, the doctor my endocrinologist recommends, then I'd just assume find another doctor entirely and try my luck that his office/department, at another hospital system entirely, is run with a bit more give-a-fuck.
I'd say five to six years of this nonsense is long enough. I've been a good-enough sport about all of this, but I honestly don't have time for this level of ineptitude.
I'd say five to six years of this nonsense is long enough. I've been a good-enough sport about all of this, but I honestly don't have time for this level of ineptitude.
Friday, March 17, 2017
Physician Fatigue, Part 4: More Insanity: Radiology Associates Klingenstein Pavillion
I don't care anymore. I'm naming names. I don't know or care if anyone reads my blog at this point, but hopefully this will POP up in a Google search if someone decides to search any of the players involved. Or perhaps some administrator at Mount Sinai Hospital in NYC might actually care about this.
For approximately 5-6 years now, I have been going to Mt. Sinai Hospital's Radiology Associates at the Klingenstein Pavillion, for both, sonograms and biopsies of thyroid nodules.
While I have no complaints about Dr. Amish Doshi (who was highly recommended to me by my endocrinologist), the radiologist in question, I *DO* have a serious problem with everything about the administrative aspects of just MERELY getting in to see Dr. Doshi.
The MERE act of scheduling an appointment date/time has now reached epic proportions of stress. Perhaps I should get out a slide rule, consult an astrological chart, and perhaps offer up a blood sacrifice--perhaps that might make the experience easier.
I have been trying since 2/14/17 to schedule my appointment. For one full month, I have been playing telephone tag with Janice (I don't know what her last name is, all I do know is she signs off her outgoing messages with "God Bless," well, let's just say, I don't feel all that "blessed").
The first week of calls went something like this:
1. I call and leave a message. I clearly state who I am, and that I am calling to schedule an appt. I VERY CLEARLY state to call me back at my work phone AFTER 2 p.m. Note: I stated AFTER 2 p.m., because with MY luck, she will call back DURING MY LUNCH, thereby continuing this telephone version of "water torture."
2. She then calls MY ENDOCRINOLOGIST stating she could not call me back WHEN I wanted, and informs THE SECRETARY AT MY ENDOCRINOLOGIST'S OFFICE that I should call her back with two potential dates for my appointment.
3. Like a trained monkey, and in an act of utter futility, I call, and AGAIN, I get her voicemail, and AGAIN, I very clearly state who I am, what dates I am available for the appointment, and VERY CLEARLY state she should call me at MY OFFICE PHONE.
4. Like an idiot, she calls me at my HOME PHONE, and now has elevated this game of telephone tag to SISYPHUSIAN-INNER-RING-OF-HELL-ITSELF-FUTILITY, by informing me that Dr. Doshi was away, and she won't know until he returns whether those dates will work.
5. So I sit and seethe for two more weeks until March 8th, when I call and leave a voicemail following up YET AGAIN. No reply was received.
6. Which brings us to this week, and granted there was a blizzard on Tuesday 3/14.
7. I called again on 3/15. Her outgoing voicemail stated she was out.
8. I called again on 3/16. Her outgoing voicemail stated she was out and at the tail end of the message she stated someone else's name to direct my call. I called that person, and left a voicemail. And got no reply.
9. I called again, TODAY, 3/17, and Janice is in. Apparently, she left a voicemail TODAY ON MY HOUSE PHONE stating Dr. Doshi was available on 3/22--well now 3/22 is no longer good for me, as another co-worker will be out that day for medical stuff, and I need 3/29. (My head is just about to explode at this point). I then say, "Okay, when in April is Dr. Doshi available?" And this was met with, "You need to call me back regarding this as I don't know what his schedule will be like in April." I got loud and I got firm and stated the ridiculousness of it taking a FULL MONTH to merely try to get an appointment FOR A SONO AND BIOPSY and this unnecessary stress is doing NOTHING BUT STRESSING ME OUT MORE. I was put on hold YET AGAIN (and at this point, I am really just sick on a Pavlovian response level of sickness when I hear the piano hold music).
Just when I was about to hang up in frustration and reconsider the idea of the ultrasound and sonogram ENTIRELY, she finally got on the phone. I got loud and somewhat (for me) belligerent. And finally at that point she made the suggestion that I might see Dr. Aggarwal. At this point, I was like "At this point I will see anyone--can we just schedule this so I can get this shit done?" And all this said, this is not even a given! I gave 3/29 as the date, and I want the first appointment of the day--she still needs to call me back to confirm. And no doubt Janice, in keeping with her track record, WILL call me back at ANY OTHER NUMBER OTHER THAN THE ONE REQUIRED.
Then there are other systemic administrative failures--
EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. I go in to see Dr. Doshi, there is anywhere's from 1-2 hours of my time pretty much ROBBED from me. Yes. I am being MUGGED and what is stolen is the most vital, most precious commodity: TIME. Time I will never get back.
Now mind you, going in for an ultrasound with the very real possibility of a BIOPSY is a stressful thing. A one-to-two hour wait on top of this, only exacerbates the anxiety and stress.
Last year's appointment had been scheduled, then rescheduled at least twice that I could recall. Rescheduled so many times, that I did not remember to change the time in the calendar on my phone. So imagine my surprise, showing up at 10 a.m. for an appointment, and sit there for over an hour, and realizing every one else who came in AFTER me had been tended to--and when I asked the receptionist when would I be seeing the doctor, she informed me my appointment was at NOON. At this point I blurted out, "At what point were you going to inform me that I showed up TWO WHOLE HOURS EARLY for my appointment?" She suggested I go off some place to get coffee or food, but that is not the point, in order for me to go for lunch, I'd have to walk to find a place, which then takes time, then WOLF DOWN MY MEAL, which takes more time, and then there's the matter of the time it takes to WALK BACK.
I don't recall if it was during this particular visit or the year before where I actually lost my shit to the point where I insisted on speaking with a hospital administrator regarding this.
Additionally "telling" about how poorly run this particular department at Mt. Sinai is run--there is never, ever a survey sent to me. Mt. Sinai Doctor's Practice sends out a survey. Every other office and department I have been to (nephrology, gynecology, cardiology, hematology) runs efficiently and timely like a Swiss watch. Radiology is the only department where I have endured piss poor customer service from the administrative staff.
So here it is, nearly an hour after I've had my most-recent interaction with Janice, and my head is pounding and I've got a raging case of oggida, and no recourse or resolution, so unless I find some place else to get my sonogram and FNA done, I have this to look forward to for the time being. And it just sucks (to put it mildly).
For approximately 5-6 years now, I have been going to Mt. Sinai Hospital's Radiology Associates at the Klingenstein Pavillion, for both, sonograms and biopsies of thyroid nodules.
While I have no complaints about Dr. Amish Doshi (who was highly recommended to me by my endocrinologist), the radiologist in question, I *DO* have a serious problem with everything about the administrative aspects of just MERELY getting in to see Dr. Doshi.
The MERE act of scheduling an appointment date/time has now reached epic proportions of stress. Perhaps I should get out a slide rule, consult an astrological chart, and perhaps offer up a blood sacrifice--perhaps that might make the experience easier.
I have been trying since 2/14/17 to schedule my appointment. For one full month, I have been playing telephone tag with Janice (I don't know what her last name is, all I do know is she signs off her outgoing messages with "God Bless," well, let's just say, I don't feel all that "blessed").
The first week of calls went something like this:
1. I call and leave a message. I clearly state who I am, and that I am calling to schedule an appt. I VERY CLEARLY state to call me back at my work phone AFTER 2 p.m. Note: I stated AFTER 2 p.m., because with MY luck, she will call back DURING MY LUNCH, thereby continuing this telephone version of "water torture."
2. She then calls MY ENDOCRINOLOGIST stating she could not call me back WHEN I wanted, and informs THE SECRETARY AT MY ENDOCRINOLOGIST'S OFFICE that I should call her back with two potential dates for my appointment.
3. Like a trained monkey, and in an act of utter futility, I call, and AGAIN, I get her voicemail, and AGAIN, I very clearly state who I am, what dates I am available for the appointment, and VERY CLEARLY state she should call me at MY OFFICE PHONE.
4. Like an idiot, she calls me at my HOME PHONE, and now has elevated this game of telephone tag to SISYPHUSIAN-INNER-RING-OF-HELL-ITSELF-FUTILITY, by informing me that Dr. Doshi was away, and she won't know until he returns whether those dates will work.
5. So I sit and seethe for two more weeks until March 8th, when I call and leave a voicemail following up YET AGAIN. No reply was received.
6. Which brings us to this week, and granted there was a blizzard on Tuesday 3/14.
7. I called again on 3/15. Her outgoing voicemail stated she was out.
8. I called again on 3/16. Her outgoing voicemail stated she was out and at the tail end of the message she stated someone else's name to direct my call. I called that person, and left a voicemail. And got no reply.
9. I called again, TODAY, 3/17, and Janice is in. Apparently, she left a voicemail TODAY ON MY HOUSE PHONE stating Dr. Doshi was available on 3/22--well now 3/22 is no longer good for me, as another co-worker will be out that day for medical stuff, and I need 3/29. (My head is just about to explode at this point). I then say, "Okay, when in April is Dr. Doshi available?" And this was met with, "You need to call me back regarding this as I don't know what his schedule will be like in April." I got loud and I got firm and stated the ridiculousness of it taking a FULL MONTH to merely try to get an appointment FOR A SONO AND BIOPSY and this unnecessary stress is doing NOTHING BUT STRESSING ME OUT MORE. I was put on hold YET AGAIN (and at this point, I am really just sick on a Pavlovian response level of sickness when I hear the piano hold music).
Just when I was about to hang up in frustration and reconsider the idea of the ultrasound and sonogram ENTIRELY, she finally got on the phone. I got loud and somewhat (for me) belligerent. And finally at that point she made the suggestion that I might see Dr. Aggarwal. At this point, I was like "At this point I will see anyone--can we just schedule this so I can get this shit done?" And all this said, this is not even a given! I gave 3/29 as the date, and I want the first appointment of the day--she still needs to call me back to confirm. And no doubt Janice, in keeping with her track record, WILL call me back at ANY OTHER NUMBER OTHER THAN THE ONE REQUIRED.
Then there are other systemic administrative failures--
EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. I go in to see Dr. Doshi, there is anywhere's from 1-2 hours of my time pretty much ROBBED from me. Yes. I am being MUGGED and what is stolen is the most vital, most precious commodity: TIME. Time I will never get back.
Now mind you, going in for an ultrasound with the very real possibility of a BIOPSY is a stressful thing. A one-to-two hour wait on top of this, only exacerbates the anxiety and stress.
Last year's appointment had been scheduled, then rescheduled at least twice that I could recall. Rescheduled so many times, that I did not remember to change the time in the calendar on my phone. So imagine my surprise, showing up at 10 a.m. for an appointment, and sit there for over an hour, and realizing every one else who came in AFTER me had been tended to--and when I asked the receptionist when would I be seeing the doctor, she informed me my appointment was at NOON. At this point I blurted out, "At what point were you going to inform me that I showed up TWO WHOLE HOURS EARLY for my appointment?" She suggested I go off some place to get coffee or food, but that is not the point, in order for me to go for lunch, I'd have to walk to find a place, which then takes time, then WOLF DOWN MY MEAL, which takes more time, and then there's the matter of the time it takes to WALK BACK.
I don't recall if it was during this particular visit or the year before where I actually lost my shit to the point where I insisted on speaking with a hospital administrator regarding this.
Additionally "telling" about how poorly run this particular department at Mt. Sinai is run--there is never, ever a survey sent to me. Mt. Sinai Doctor's Practice sends out a survey. Every other office and department I have been to (nephrology, gynecology, cardiology, hematology) runs efficiently and timely like a Swiss watch. Radiology is the only department where I have endured piss poor customer service from the administrative staff.
So here it is, nearly an hour after I've had my most-recent interaction with Janice, and my head is pounding and I've got a raging case of oggida, and no recourse or resolution, so unless I find some place else to get my sonogram and FNA done, I have this to look forward to for the time being. And it just sucks (to put it mildly).
Monday, March 06, 2017
Physician Fatigue, Part 3
Last week, I contacted my (regular) neurologist to forward my records to the neuro-ophthamologist I am scheduled to see in June; and today I will type up a letter to my (soon-to-be-former) neuro-ophthamologist to forward his records, too, thereby consolidating two doctors into one specialist-- who can tend to my optic nerve drusen as well as my migraines (though, TBH, my migraines have abated CONSIDERABLY in the last year).
The hospital system where the majority of my doctors & specialists are is fantastic and has ruined me for medical care in "The 'Burbs." Everything about my experience there is top notch--save for the way the radiology department is run.
The radiologist is fine, that's not the problem. And he's highly recommended by my endo--and that's why I'm going to this guy. However, the person with whom I must coordinate my appointments OUTRIGHT is inept, and the receptionist in the waiting area just is lacking in every way imaginable--and between the two of these fools, I wait anywhere from 1-2 hours EVERY YEAR when I go for this sonogram/FNA.
Thursday of last week, I called to arrange the sonogram and FNA. I left a voicemail at 12:30 that clearly stated, "please call me at (work #, provided) AFTER 2 p.m." This idiot calls my endocrinologist's office back saying she couldn't call me when I wanted--she couldn't call me AT 2 p.m. WTF!
So I called AGAIN, stating "Please call me at (work #, provided) as I want to schedule my sono and FNA for either 3/22 or 3/29." The idiot calls my HOUSE PHONE and leaves a voicemail so incongruous I couldn't figure out wtf was going on. Clearly, this person cannot follow simple directions--and I don't care that she appends her outgoing voicemail message with "God Bless," the woman is inept.
So, Monday, I called YET AGAIN, and lo-and-behold, I got her on the phone. She informed me the doctor won't be back in the office until 3/8, and she won't know until that day, WHEN I'll be able to get my appointment with him. So I have set a reminder to call this shit-show of an administrative assistant ONE MORE TIME. It's like the idiot version of being water-boarded, where I'm drowning in the ineptitude of others.
AS IF I weren't already fatigued running hither-and-yon from one specialist to another, I have yet one more interaction with this idiot with which to look forward.
Additionally, It has gotten to the point where I cannot schedule another appointment afterwards, as I have no real guarantee I will be out of there on time to make a second appointment. I'm now to the point where I am insisting on getting the first appointment of the day--which could be a huge ass-pain to me, as I live 45 minutes north, and if the first appointment of the day is 8 a.m. (let's indulge in a pipe dream, shall we?), and would require me moving heaven and earth to get there at that time. But if need be, I will. Because waiting 1-2 hours is unacceptable. The entire experience sucks, and curiously enough, THIS PARTICULAR DEPARTMENT is the only department at this hospital which does not send out a survey after my appointment. So I don't even have the prospect of a survey to let off steam and tell people off--I feel very short-changed!
And if this weren't ENOUGH, last week I dropped a FULL bottle of Snapple on my foot, and thought I broke a bone as the last two toes on that foot have been somewhat numb. Today I went to the podiatrist (instead of languishing for HOURS or even a half a day at the ER), and he Xray'd my foot and luckily, no broken bones--but I could have done something else, perhaps more productive, with my lunch hour. Luckily, his office is walking distance from my job.
The hospital system where the majority of my doctors & specialists are is fantastic and has ruined me for medical care in "The 'Burbs." Everything about my experience there is top notch--save for the way the radiology department is run.
The radiologist is fine, that's not the problem. And he's highly recommended by my endo--and that's why I'm going to this guy. However, the person with whom I must coordinate my appointments OUTRIGHT is inept, and the receptionist in the waiting area just is lacking in every way imaginable--and between the two of these fools, I wait anywhere from 1-2 hours EVERY YEAR when I go for this sonogram/FNA.
Thursday of last week, I called to arrange the sonogram and FNA. I left a voicemail at 12:30 that clearly stated, "please call me at (work #, provided) AFTER 2 p.m." This idiot calls my endocrinologist's office back saying she couldn't call me when I wanted--she couldn't call me AT 2 p.m. WTF!
So I called AGAIN, stating "Please call me at (work #, provided) as I want to schedule my sono and FNA for either 3/22 or 3/29." The idiot calls my HOUSE PHONE and leaves a voicemail so incongruous I couldn't figure out wtf was going on. Clearly, this person cannot follow simple directions--and I don't care that she appends her outgoing voicemail message with "God Bless," the woman is inept.
So, Monday, I called YET AGAIN, and lo-and-behold, I got her on the phone. She informed me the doctor won't be back in the office until 3/8, and she won't know until that day, WHEN I'll be able to get my appointment with him. So I have set a reminder to call this shit-show of an administrative assistant ONE MORE TIME. It's like the idiot version of being water-boarded, where I'm drowning in the ineptitude of others.
AS IF I weren't already fatigued running hither-and-yon from one specialist to another, I have yet one more interaction with this idiot with which to look forward.
Additionally, It has gotten to the point where I cannot schedule another appointment afterwards, as I have no real guarantee I will be out of there on time to make a second appointment. I'm now to the point where I am insisting on getting the first appointment of the day--which could be a huge ass-pain to me, as I live 45 minutes north, and if the first appointment of the day is 8 a.m. (let's indulge in a pipe dream, shall we?), and would require me moving heaven and earth to get there at that time. But if need be, I will. Because waiting 1-2 hours is unacceptable. The entire experience sucks, and curiously enough, THIS PARTICULAR DEPARTMENT is the only department at this hospital which does not send out a survey after my appointment. So I don't even have the prospect of a survey to let off steam and tell people off--I feel very short-changed!
And if this weren't ENOUGH, last week I dropped a FULL bottle of Snapple on my foot, and thought I broke a bone as the last two toes on that foot have been somewhat numb. Today I went to the podiatrist (instead of languishing for HOURS or even a half a day at the ER), and he Xray'd my foot and luckily, no broken bones--but I could have done something else, perhaps more productive, with my lunch hour. Luckily, his office is walking distance from my job.
Friday, March 03, 2017
Myo, myoGOD Am I Tired
I haven't boosted the 500 mg of myo-inositol, and continue to take it in the evening right before dinner. And today, which is little more than a week into taking this new supplement, my fatigue levels are EPIC.
Going to do a finger stick tonight before dinner, 2 hours after, and then tomorrow morning do another stick upon rising to see what THAT number is, just to see how my glucose is responding well over a week into this experiment.
Going to do a finger stick tonight before dinner, 2 hours after, and then tomorrow morning do another stick upon rising to see what THAT number is, just to see how my glucose is responding well over a week into this experiment.
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