Weight Loss Tracker

Thursday, March 18, 2010

but they were so nice in the infomercial ...

Well, I finally had one of those appointments that makes me wonder WHY THE HELL DID I CHOOSE THIS OFFICE!!!!

I originally had an appointment scheduled for Feb 26th but I needed to reschedule due to a last minute conference I needed to attend. I called to reschedule and told them that I wanted to go as soon as possible and since Lisa (the FNP that I usually see) only works on Thurs/Fri please schedule me with Brett if he was available sooner.

Got the appointment set for 3/8 and was ready to go. I showed up on time for my appointment and the lobby was semi-busy. After about 30 mins of waiting (and listening to some other woman bitch that people were being called before her even though she had been there longer) I was taken straight to an exam room. Usually they weigh me first, but I figured perhaps someone else was using the scale.

I sat there for about 30 minutes waiting. In comes a nurse who I had never seen before. She asked me if I usually saw Lisa. I told her I did but that I had to reschedule and so they put me with Brett for an adjustment. We talked about my issues and how I thought perhaps I should do the fill under fluro. I talked for awhile about my lack of restriction and my hunger level. It was weird that she didn't recognize some of the terminology that I was using. I let her know that I wanted to do fluro to make sure everything was in place and working as it should be.

She finally decided to weigh me AND WTF I was up 1.5lbs from my last visit. I told them I was f-ing hungry and not restricted! Look what happens!

So we go back into the exam room and she says she is going to get everything ready for the doctor. That it might be a good idea to schedule a fluro appointment with Lisa and the x-ray tech are both there (neither were there that day of course). She was going to assume that the doctor would give me .5ccs just to tide me over until I could have the fluro appointment. She didn't know where all the fill supplies were and had to kind of fumble through the cabinet to find everything.

She said the doctor would be right in and went into the hallway. A few minutes later I could hear her in the hallway talking to another nurse. She was saying that I had been scheduled for the wrong doctor and that what I really needed to do was reschedule but that if Dr. X wanted to fill me he could. They talked for a few minutes about how I need to go under fluro because of my hunger, weight gain, etc.

I sat there listening and I couldn't believe they were talking about me right outside the door (pretty loudly I might add) like I couldn't even hear them!

I decided to interrupt their conversation and let them know that if what I needed to do was reschedule then that is what would be happening. I told her that I was supposed to be scheduled with Brett and if that wasn't the case then I didn't want some other person who doesn't normally do this to be sticking me with needles. She said that Dr. X was qualified to give me a fill he just usually doesn't do it because he isn't a weighloss surgery doctor! I told her that instead of waiting another 30 minutes (I had now been there almost 2 hours) and being stuck by some random doc, I would rather reschedule for the correct person and get it all done at once. She told me that would be fine.

You pay when you walk in the door at this office so I had already shelled out my $60 specialist copay. Of course, I then told her that I would be expecting a refund from that appointment because nothing had happened. She told me that wouldn't be a problem either and sent me up to check out.

The lady at check out (while very nice about it) basically told me that they wouldn't refund the $60 that I had paid since I had been seen by the nurse. I told her the gist of the story and that I wasn't leaving until it was settled - either give me back my $60 or apply it to my new appointment. She went to ask the office manager who thankfully told her to apply it to my next appointment. I got her name, the office manager's name, the nurse's name, etc. No way I was walking out and not having it in the bag.

So after 2 hours, no fill, and $60 later - they rescheduled my appointment for the next opening when Lisa and the x-ray tech would be there. MARCH 26th!!! That was two and 1/2 weeks away from that day.

I would honestly think about changing doctors but I don't want to have to pay another office a membership fee or go through unnecessary tests.

UGH! I hope things go better next week and that all is well under fluro.

7 comments:

  1. Why are you getting the fluro? Do they think something is wrong? Because it sounds like you are in the early days when you don't get a whole lot of restriction anyway? Sorry, a little confused.

    Can you find another place to go to get your fills? These people sound awful - truly, not an ounce of professionalism between them. I feel for you :)

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  2. I agree with Cara! Unless there is a suspected problem or they are truly having trouble giving the Fills, Fluro shouldn't be necessary.

    So sorry you had to go through so much, then not to even get the Fill!! Those nurses were definitely unprofessional, talking where you could over hear.

    So glad that you had the tenacity to make sure that you at least got credit for the payment. AND most important, you got everyone's names for proof if necessary! Hopefully, this won't happen to you again!

    Hugs

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  3. Ughh- that sounds a little scary. At least you stood up for yourself. If you have to wait then at least it will be under fluoro and hopefully they'll get you some good restriction.

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  4. Frustrating!!! Grrr :/
    Hope all goes well next week!

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  5. I agree. they sound TERRIBLE.
    I think it would be good to complain directly to your surgeon about what happened so s/he knows how badly the office is being run.

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  7. Yikes...too bad you are not closer to Hickory, I love the Hickory Surgical Center. They are a national best practice center. I see the program director and the nutritionist free every 6 weeks or so and they decide with me if we think I need a fill. If yes, then I go accross the street to the hospital and all fills are done under floro and by your surgeon. Love it! sorry you are having such a bum experience!

    I am at 5 months out and have lost 40lbs. They did a small fill this wsek because I had only lost 5lbs in 6 weeks.

    they also tell me that if I am hungry before teh 4-5 hour mark then I need a fill.

    Keep up the great work!

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