This Is Ridiculous

There is something deeply, fundamentally, enragingly wrong with our medical system.

I admit, I hate going to the doctor, and I will postpone it as long as humanly possible; usually longer than is safe or rational. But a large part of that comes from the fact that, on the rare occasions that I get up the guts and activation energy to go, it turns out that I can't get an appointment anywhere for love or money.

This is the second time I've tried to get an appointment with a dermatologist, mostly because I've finally hit the 'actually worried' stage about the funny-looking mole on my back. It's tiny, but it has every single hallmark of being something dangerous. Unfortunately, the soonest any of the local doctors can see me is the end of September.

This is better than last time I tried, though, for another problem - when out of four different clinics, not a one could get me in in less than two months. That time, I just gave up and didn't go at all. And, to be completely honest, that's what I think I'm going to do right now. By the time I get in anywhere, if it's malignant it'll be metastasized beyond treatability - and if it's benign, I will have wasted a lot of time and frustration for nothing. So honestly, there's absolutely no point in going. Screw it.

And this is all triply frustrating in the face of my day job, where people call at 10am, demand an appointment before 2pm the same day, pitch a screaming fit at the receptionist if we can't do it, make me cancel my lunch break to see them for their "emergency" (usually either vaccines or a problem that's been going on for at least 3 weeks), and then ultimately fail to show up, deciding that they didn't feel like coming after all.

Right now, I hate the world. MD's most of all.

Medical Ridiculosity - The Outcome

In Which Our Heroine Learns That The Only Force More Powerful Than Her Sheer Frustration Is Her Stubborn Will To Get Crap Done Once She Decides It's Really Necessary

Clinic #1: First available appointment is September 21. Decide that this is ridiculous, without even vaguely any clue of just how much worse things can get.

Rail and curse in frustration, then eventually decide to go to the Blue Cross Blue Shield web page and look up other local providers.

Clinic #2: Doctor is away on vacation. Earliest available appointment is September 28.

Clinic #3: Snotty receptionist insists on taking my name, phone number, address, insurance, insurance number, and birthdate before even discussing schedule with me. First available appointment is second week of October.

Clinic #4: Get stuck in automated answering system for five minutes, then put on hold. Eventually find a human, who tells me that the first available appointment is in March. After explaining that this is a serious health concern, possibly time-critical, she offers me an "emergency slot" in January.

Scream at husband over IM, and then decide that at this point it has become a matter of stubborn pride.

Clinic #5: Phone is answered with one long word that sounds vaguely like DoctaFinnDoctaJonescnyaholdplee... *click* Am put on hold before I can answer yes or no. A few minutes later someone picks up. First available appointment is at the end of October. When I turn it down, receptionist gets angry and defensive, arguing that it's better than other clinics can offer. Sadly, this is true.

Clinic #6: Phone is answered by a polite human, who transfers me to another polite human. Instead of asking for my insurance number and date of birth, she asks me what's wrong. When I describe the concern, I am asked to hold on while she checks her cancellation list. Within a couple of minutes - during which she apologizes for keeping me waiting - I am offered a last-minute opening this Thursday. Alas, I am working - but I have next Thursday off. She immediately promises me that I will be seen next Thursday; she can't guarantee when, but informs me that, if I'm free all day, I can call her at 8am and she will tell me what time is best to come down and be seen.

I heap blessings and praises upon this woman's head, inform her that she has singlehandedly made my day better and is a bastion of grace and courtesy in this benighted world, and make plans to bring candy and/or flowers with me when I make it into the office.

So. No death, at least not from medical neglect at this time.....