Bel-ly me when I say
Saturday May 23rd 2009, 3:05 pm
Filed under: Crohn's flare

There was a new receptionist yesterday, she made a rookie mistake, and I didn’t correct for it.   I shouldn’t be making rookie mistakes myself by now, that was my fault.

In Family Practice, the receptionists have seemed to me to be empowered to simply create you a same-day appointment if the need is compelling. It wasn’t till after everything settled down yesterday and I’d had time to think that I realized that maybe that’s just through the one woman I know there who’s been on that job for all the 22 years we’ve lived here; she knows me and knows that my doctor and nurse in FP know me–that I don’t waste their time.  If I say I need to be seen, I do.

So when I called early yesterday morning to the GI department, I wondered if we might be able to do that, given how compelling the symptoms were to me: just give me an appointment, okay?

The result is that the new receptionist, who I’m sure could not in fact do that, made the mistake of sending a message to a nurse rather than connecting me to that nurse’s voicemail to do so myself. Which I should have insisted on, so that the nurse (who was also new and didn’t know me) would get a clear message of symptoms and would hear my voice in the process–that’s actually pretty important.

So some of the blame is absolutely mine in yesterday’s mess.

Last night was rough. Today not so much–but.  I sent a note off to my Dr. R in case he or whoever’s on call might be checking his messages, and something about spelling it all out like that… I think I may well let myself be talked into going to Urgent Care later after all.

Meantime, thank you, everybody, for your support. It helps.


22 Comments so far
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Allison,
Please take care of yourself and don’t let whatever is happening get too much of a hold. You are a dear woman and important to so many people.

Comment by debra 05.23.09 @ 4:10 pm

That’s the problem with having a doctor’s office where they know you and you them – sometimes, you forget that you haven’t managed to get “on the inside” in all of them.

Sending good thoughts your way.

Comment by Lene 05.23.09 @ 4:38 pm

Alison, please consider going to the ER today. As the other commentator said, “don’t let it get a grip of you”. You are in my prayer’s. Feel better soon.

Comment by Joansie 05.23.09 @ 4:57 pm

I am sending get better soon thoughts your way. It is still inexcusable to get blown off when you leave a meessage like that. At least a return phone call. I had a bit of an argument myself this week with a doctor’s office while I was acting in a professional capacity. The receptionist thought I was being alarmist. After a week of trying to resolve this problem through messages on nurses voicemail and faxes to no effect (they ignored them and didn’t even give me the professional courtesy of faxing back a quick note) I asked to speak to a doctor. The receptionist got huffy (AGAIN) and I insisted. I got the office manager. I explained the problem. She looked at the file quickly and said,”oh yes, you are correct,ooh, wait, Dr. X is walking by hold on!….Yes dr.X says that is fine. Do that.”

Seriously, I just needed a dr to say ‘do that’. Or not. At htat point, I didn’t care, I needed an answer to pass on to the client. It was absurd.

Comment by Carol 05.23.09 @ 5:29 pm

Don’t hesitate to go to the ER if its needed…its better to have to re-explain everything for the umpteenth time than to suffer. Prayers & hugs to you:)

Comment by TripletMom 05.23.09 @ 6:01 pm

Oh, Alison, I’ve just been reading past posts of yours, and enjoying your writing and storytelling skills so much, then read the most recent posts to catch up, and find you’re in pain again. Please do what you need to do (ER?) to get better. Prayers for you, and love, from NH.

Comment by Joyce in NH 05.23.09 @ 6:52 pm

ER or Urgent Care—you need to be seen. I missed a couple days here so I am praying that you are now better–I hope you are not still truing to tough it out. Get thee hence!

Comment by sherry in idaho 05.23.09 @ 7:06 pm

I hope you are felling better. it is hard when they do not want to listen. It is so hard.

Comment by Henya 05.23.09 @ 7:13 pm

Alison go to the ER and don’t wait to be convinced! You need to be seen. Sending good thoughts your way.

Comment by Eileen 05.23.09 @ 9:27 pm

Looks like the consensus is that you should go to Urgent Care. Alison, please, pleeeease do whatever it takes to get well!

Humor might help:
~ My wife has a slight impediment in her speech. Every now and then she stops to breathe.
– Jimmy Durante

* * *
A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.

* * *
Honk if you love peace and quiet.

* * *
Those who jump off a bridge in Paris are in Seine.

A backward poet writes inverse.

A priest is driving down to New York and gets stopped for speeding in Connecticut. The state trooper smells alcohol on the priest’s breath and then sees an empty wine bottle on the floor of the car He says, “Sir, have you been drinking?” “Just water,” says the priest. The trooper says, “Then why do I smell wine?” The priest looks at the bottle and says, “Good Lord! He’s done it again!”

Comment by Don Meyer 05.23.09 @ 9:55 pm

Alison, love, if that last joke of Don’s doesn’t make you feel better, nothing will! Get yourself taken care of dear, even though Urgent Care isn’t exactly what you need — diagnosis may wait, but treatment will not. Prayers and thoughts and good-strong-love to you and your family, okay?

Comment by Kristine 05.24.09 @ 4:14 am

We’ve exchanged messages, so I was already concerned about you. Then Minky, my companion Siamese, went into severe respiratory distress…on a Friday night. Couldn’t reach anyone (does this sound familiar?). Saturday am got her right in, they worked on her for three hours, and let her come home. We’ve gone from twice a day oral meds to three times a day breathing treatments, plus some new oral meds. She is having a wonderful day (except during treatments). I, on the other hand, am frazzled beyond belief with worry about the two of you.

Comment by Barbara-Kay 05.24.09 @ 5:57 am

Please be seen by a DR whether itss an urgent care doc or one from your GI office. You could go into Urgent care or the ER and request to be seen by one of your Docs if at all possible, that will sometimes work. If you believe you need to be seen then you need to be seen especially since you dont make a fuss unless it is absolutely necessary.

Comment by Danielle from SW MO 05.24.09 @ 6:19 am

I hope you took yourself off to the ER at the hospital where you had the colectomy. I pray you are being treated and will be fine. Please stay in touch.

Comment by Leslie 05.24.09 @ 7:17 am

Alison, I was hoping to see an update this morning until I reminded myself that your morning usually starts later than mine here on the east coast. I hope you got through the night ok. It’s hard to find a doc on a holiday weekend, so I’m hoping you got something figured out yesterday. Yes, I’ll be patient until evening to see what’s up today.

In knitting news, I’ve been focusing on two things: Jeanie (from Knitty, for over a year now) and the Plymouth pattern and yarn for the rainbow Dreambaby DK cardigan. I found something strange in a row on Jeanie and gritted my teeth (as it were) and tinked back 2.5 rows to fix the cable cross and then re-knit back to where I was plus another row. And it looks ok. Whew. Then we watched another movie (DH seems to be using Saturday nights for movie night) — Alec Guinness playing 8 related roles in 1949’s Kind Hearts and Coronets — pretty funny movie but I guess you have to like old movies and, of course, Alec Guinness can’t be beat. I made good progress on the cardigan fronts during the movie. There’s a baby blanket that’s car knitting but I might have to rip it out and start over again slightly narrower and maybe use a 9 instead of an 8 if I want to have it turn out long enough — have only 4 skeins and it might be a bit short if I keep it this wide. This would be the third start….but at least I found a good pattern stitch now.

So may your Sunday and Monday holiday go better than it sounds as if y

Comment by sjanova 05.24.09 @ 7:51 am

oops.

…it sounds as if your Friday and Saturday went.

Now click on “say it”….

Comment by sjanova 05.24.09 @ 7:53 am

Yes, do go to Urgent Care — as awful as it is, better to get a handle on this now. I’m so sorry to hear that you’re feeling bad — sending “quick fix” thoughts your way 🙂

Comment by Jocelyn 05.24.09 @ 9:22 am

Your in my thoughts and dont let one person set you back from your mission you go to the urgent care you know your own body better than anyone else.(((((((Hugging You)))))) Darcy

Comment by Darcy 05.24.09 @ 9:55 am

Still sending healing thoughts and prayers your way, hoping you won’t have to resort to the ER…

Comment by Beckett 05.24.09 @ 3:08 pm

would the emergency room be a better choice than Urgent care, they have the backup of a full hospital staff behind them, where urgent care may just be the individuals who are there to do their best for you, which may not be enough/right. at least the ER has proximity to more range of options? – Just a thought – anyway – don’t hesitate too long, be good to your body! *hug*

Comment by Mary 05.24.09 @ 3:57 pm

It amazes me that a doctor would not believe you when you say you are in pain!

A friend of mine who lives in TN is very ill and after years of being treated for asthma, an aunt of hers suggested that she might actually have emphysema (sp)… My friend mentionned that comment to her doctor who said that yes, it could be that. Just like that. As if it was just another possibility with no real consequence. But she’s been having trouble breathing for a couple of years: why didn’t he broaden the scope of his examination instead of just giving her breathing treatments?

I hope you finally get to meet a professional who takes you seriously and gives you all the care and attention you deserve.

More hugs coming from Montreal! 🙂

Comment by Suzanne 05.25.09 @ 7:47 am

Love to you.

Comment by Lisa S 05.27.09 @ 6:37 am



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