#wait for job offer wait for doc appt.

[thenarrativefoil]

it's that kinda dark at 5pm that has me lost and convinced i need to turn my whole life upside down

[thurisazsalail]

Adventures in Getting Psychiatric Care:

- two meds badly interact with each other. both cause retention of potassium, meaning hyperkalemia. It is not well-controlled with diet. My diet dwindles to nothing very quickly. can't stop taking the one for bipolar disorder, although it really isn't working well anymore, but also can't stop the hormone therapy because without it, i’ll end up in the hospital AGAIN with cysts. the last one actually tore an ovary from the abdomen. the doc diagnosed it as indigestion, despite being able to literally see a baseball-sized cyst through my skin above my hip bone. it is EXACTLY as painful as it sounds. my heart almost failed from it. but also can’t risk hyperkalemia.

- try to call the psych. just give him a note, ask his advice. I was PRETTY SURE I did that last time I was at the office, but never heard back. phone disconnects immediately. - try to call again later. routed through various full inboxes before I could leave a voicemail that is never returned. - try to call AGAIN some days later, and finally get a person. on hold for over 45mins before I give up. - put in messages through their patient portal. problem is twofold: I *STILL* need help with autism-related ADHD, and the hyperkalemia issue. auto-response says I’ll have a reply in 24 hours.

TEN DAYS LATER. - no response. i put through another message. silence. - next day, call in the morning. hey, can you tell Doc I need these two things? they’ll get back to me. Okay, but when??? They’ll have someone call.

- Later someone FINALLY responds to the online message! GLORY HALLELUJAH. .... to tell me I should come in tomorrow. When I start a new job. Which is why I tried to start this process a month ago. More than that, from my last office visit. Which I had to drive 25 miles in person to get because of this EXACT communication issue. where they told me to use the online app. - i ask what time because I have to start that job, and I take a bus everywhere. so if I can’t be out well before that bus, given that there’s ~2miles of walking with fibro and degenerative hips, spinal injuries, etc. in the heat... guess what, I’m not wasting your time by saying yes and then not being able to show up. nothing. it says to wait 24 hours, automated response. i know it could actually be never.

- i call again to ask what time they’re talking about. had to leave a voice message

- they call me back. sweet lord, THREE responses in one day! ... to tell me that I don’t have an appointment tomorrow. YES, I know that. So why am I asking what time the appointment is??? ............ no, YOUR OFFICE offered me an appointment tomorrow, but did not specify a time. “There are no appointments open at all for Doc tomorrow.”

................................. so why did anyone offer?!

Now I’m actually getting pretty angry. I’m still not trying to take it out on anyone, but I have reiterated what I need multiple times by now and it’s like the very small sentences I use go in one of these people’s ears and out the other. No documentation process for patient calls, it’s CLEAR.

- They tell me they’re going to check something. Annnnd they hang up.

Maybe it was a mistake. Multiline phones suck, and I’ve had bad days where I’m like “fuck, shit, just hit the wrong button from muscle memory...” No call back within 20 minutes. - I call AGAIN. And get forwarded to someone else. I explain the issue from the top, “Hey! I’m trying to get a message to Doc. Two of my meds badly interact, and I need help with the ADHD thing. I’ve been calling for over a month, AND using the messaging system. I was offered an appt tomorrow, but then was told there IS no appointments for tomorrow. Can you get Doc the message?” Okay, let’s check appointments. What was your appointment time for tomorrow? .................................................................. ................. ........ ....

i. don’t. have. one.  i was offered one, with no time on it to say yes or no to. If I can’t get out by 10:15, I can’t say yes because I start a new job tomorrow. - they transfer me. fine, whatever. i start. from the top. again. look, just SEND DOC BROWN A FUCKING MESSAGE PLEASE.

you know what, at this point, fuck it, i’ll mail a postcard. i’ll take the bus out 25 miles and do the mile-plus walk and all that shit ffs just.... “Okay, sooo you say you’ve been having this issue, when did you start these meds?” One about two years ago, one last year. “Annnnd you waited til NOW to say there are side effects??” ................. noooo.... my dose went up a few months ago... and also there are new meds... and also OH YEAH I DID REPORT IT AT THE LAST VISIT AND ALSO I’VE BEEN TRYING TO CALL FOR A MONTH AFTER THAT VISIT BECAUSE IT ISN’T BEING CONTROLLED WELL THROUGH DIET CHANGES. BECAUSE DIET CHANGES ARE THE FIRST FUCKING DEFENSE AGAINST HYPERKALEMIA YOU ABSOLUTE FUCKING SPACEWAFFLE. you lot is why misogynist men think we belong stupid, shut-mouthed, and in kitchens for our whole lives. fucking christ the level of basic comprehension in this medical office i just cannot. “no, i DID report it, but was forced to discontinue one of the meds to not be hospitalized. I NEED that med, though. SO I need to talk to him about this, and ALSO, the ADHD thing.”  “You don’t need to talk to us that way, ma’am. We are TRYING to help you.”

are you? are you really, though???

apparently someone has taken my *slightly irritable tone* at this point to be the same thing as hostility. bitch, you ain’t seen me hostile. it takes a LOT to make me hostile towards ANYONE over ANYTHING. Last time I got *hostile* it was because some gross-ass man was trying to touch women on the bus. You have NEVER seen nor heard ME get hostile, bitch, so don’t fucking play. I sure the fuck don’t.

“Okay, we can give you an appointment Monday.”

that’s cool, but like I said, new job. I won’t even have a schedule until Monday. 

“Then why are you calling if we can’t help you?” 

.............................. you COULD have helped me by answering.... A MONTH AGO.......... 

I remind them of how long I’ve been trying to get ahold of literally ANYONE who works there. “Can you get the message to Doc, or not?” 

somehow, miraculously, i get off the phone with them.

this is one of the BETTER offices I’ve dealt with in Florida.