arggggg! Why are doctor's offices so frustrating??

[ZiSunka]

I went on monday for my annual thyroid check up, and they drew blood to check my tsh levels. They said they would only call me with the results if there was a problem, otherwise I should just use the prescription they gave me.

Yesterday they called while I was at work and left a message on my machine. The worst part is that the nurse sounded like her voice was wavering, like she was trying not to cry.

So I called back right away, only to get the answering service who only told me to call back in the morning.

So I called back this morning and was told I'd have to leave a message and the nurses would call me back. I told the girl that the nurse would only be leaving another message and then I would have to call her back and then she would leave another message...could I hold until a nurse was available so we didn't have to go through that? She told me I should call back every five minutes until a nurse is available.

So I called back in five minutes. Still no nurse. I asked her if I really had to keep calling back every five minutes, and she said I could make an appointment and come into the office to get my results. I asked her if I would be charged for an office visit and she said yes. I asked if they had any appointments after work and she said no, they close at the same time I get off work.

So I called back in five minutes and still no nurse. The girl said the nurses were starting their lunchtime and they would be back at 2. Lunch goes from 11:30 til 2? What a great job. I want to be a nurse. There aren't that many jobs that get a 2-1/2 hour lunch.

I asked if the results could be mailed to me and she said there is a $40 charge for mailing the results.

So here I am, with a message from a crying nurse on my machine and no way to find out what is wrong. :(

[mesue]

I get my lab results mailed to me from the lab. The doctor needs to write on the lab slip "CC pt"
Which reminds me, I need my TSH done too. :doh:

[ZiSunka]

I get my lab results mailed to me from the lab. The doctor needs to write on the lab slip "CC pt"
Which reminds me, I need my TSH done too. :doh:

That would have been a better choice. I'll ask for that next time. :)

[MrJim]

Yeah, I had a run in with my dr office--thyroid issue too. I had the blood test done and it essentially said I need a higher dose of synthroid. So I said to the nurse that called-"hey, can't ya just have the doc call in the scrip to the drugstore""

Oh you'd have thought I was trying to get a scrip vor Vicaden or something. I sort of got angry about it and never did go. I'm still on the same dosage I was prescribed in January (blood test was in May I think). As long as I can get refills I'm cool with it and I'll go back sometime in the fall. And if the doc asks why I didn't come in, well, I expect to be at least 25# lighter by then and I'll tell him I was busy.

MD's think that we are here for them instead of the other way around. Most are little more than overpaid condescending snits. I have literally fired my fair share of MD's over the years.

Fired because a Dr works for me, I don't work for him. He is simply day labor on my account sheets--just like the plumber or electrician. And most MD's rank under used car salesmen and politicians in the trustworthy category.

<<sore subject>>

[ZiSunka]

After 15 calls, i finally got to talk to a nurse, who was supremely annoyed that I called 15 times. Even though they told me to keep calling back until a nurse could talk to me. She told me they can't send the results through the mail because then I "wouldn't be getting any support information." I said I didn't think I was getting any support info anyway.

Yeah, I had a run in with my dr office--thyroid issue too. I had the blood test done and it essentially said I need a higher dose of synthroid. So I said to the nurse that called-"hey, can't ya just have the doc call in the scrip to the drugstore""

Oh you'd have thought I was trying to get a scrip vor Vicaden or something.

It was just the opposite for me. I need a paper script so I can mail it to the insurance company because we have to get our meds by mail. You would have thought I had asked her to transcribe War and Peace. She told me no, the doctor could call it in but he couldn't write a paper script. But he wrote me one yesterday. :confused: How come he could do it yesterday but today it's impossible?


I sort of got angry about it and never did go. I'm still on the same dosage I was prescribed in January (blood test was in May I think). As long as I can get refills I'm cool with it and I'll go back sometime in the fall. And if the doc asks why I didn't come in, well, I expect to be at least 25# lighter by then and I'll tell him I was busy.

MD's think that we are here for them instead of the other way around. Most are little more than overpaid condescending snits. I have literally fired my fair share of MD's over the years.

You got that right. I am the customer, and you would have thought it was the other way around. :( They acted like it was ridiculous of me to want to get my results today. She said that if I hadn't hassled them today they would have gotten around to getting back to me. She said that they get back to most of their patients within two weeks. Good thing I wasn't going there for a biopsy or a heart test, huh? I told her I thought I was going to have to find a practice that would answer the phone and talk to the patient. She told me that they work really hard and don't always have time to get lunch. They were at lunch today for 3 hours from 11:30 to 2:30, so I guess today wasn't that day. I told her welcome to the American workplace. Nobody gets lunch anymore and everyone has to skip their breaks. Like only nurses work hard?! (no offense to nurses. My mom, sister and most of my cousins are nurses, I know you guys really do work hard :) )


Fired because a Dr works for me, I don't work for him. He is simply day labor on my account sheets--just like the plumber or electrician. And most MD's rank under used car salesmen and politicians in the trustworthy category.

<<sore subject>>

Sorry I brought up something so infammatory for you. :sorry: But today I understand exactly where you are coming from.

[Danfrey]

I guess we were really blessed with our doctor when Candice was sick. When we found her lump the doctor sent us right away to radiologist and called us back to her office the same day. A couple of days latter we were sitting in one of the best Oncolgists offices in the area. She even prayed and cryed with us the day she had to tell us it was cancer.

[ZiSunka]

I guess we were really blessed with our doctor when Candice was sick. When we found her lump the doctor sent us right away to radiologist and called us back to her office the same day. A couple of days latter we were sitting in one of the best Oncolgists offices in the area. She even prayed and cryed with us the day she had to tell us it was cancer.

She sounds like a great doctor. I wish they all were like that. Or at least a bit more sensitive.