Stoner Update

So I've been seeing this new urologist, Dr. H--.  The relationship isn't working out all that well.  I tried him over Dr. L-- partly because he was recommended to me and partly because his office is only 15 minutes away, whereas Dr. L-- takes up to an hour.

But . . .

The second time I went to see him, it was to have x-rays and other scans interpreted and discussed.  When I arrived--early--to my appointment, I waited 45 minutes in the waiting room past my scheduled time.  At last I was shown into an exam room, where I waited another 15 minutes.  At last Dr. H-- came in and said that my scans hadn't arrived at his office, so there was nothing he could tell me right then.  I was furious.  Not only had a lost an entire afternoon (much of it biting my nails because this shit makes me upset to begin with), I now had to drive all the way home in rush hour traffic.  For nothing.  They couldn't even be bothered to call me and say there was no reason to come in yet.  And then his office charged for the visit because they'd "taken my vital signs," so it qualified as a full visit.  I'm still fighting them over that.

At the next appointment, Dr. H-- had finally gotten the scans and they showed stones, but the scans were older than he would have liked, so he wanted me to have another MRI and come back yet again to see if they've moved.  He couldn't explain why I keep having twinges of pain.  I knew I'd need the MRI anyway, so I agreed to this.

I got the MRI done and this time I called--twice--to confirm the scans had arrived before I went in.  This time I waited over an hour in the waiting room.  I asked twice at the reception desk how far behind they were, and got a vague, "We have patients ahead of you."  I was just getting up to walk out when the nurse called me in.  I waited another 15 minutes in an exam room before Dr. H-- came in.

Without preamble, he said I still have kidney issues still on both sides.  The left has a speck of a stone in it.  The right has a much larger one in it, one that's iffy on its chances of passing on its own.  He showed me the MRI. 

And that was all he said.  I waited a moment.  Was he going to make a recommendation?  An interpretation?  Nope.  He said nothing.

"What do we do?" I finally asked.

"The one on the right isn't blocking anything right now," he said.

Again, I waited.  No further response.  He didn't say it would probably be safe to wait on taking it out.  He didn't say it would be best to remove it.  He said nothing.

Finally, I said, "Do you think we should take it out?"

"We could hit it with lithotripsy," he said.

Okay, now I was getting unhappy.  This guy makes no recommendations, no discussions of treatment, nothing.  He just recites facts.

So I said, "Maybe we should take it out.  I mean, if it moves, it could easily =start= blocking something, and I'd back in the ER screaming in agony again, right?"

"We can schedule that," he said, and made a note on his clipboard.  "Talk to the reception on the way out.  They'll have the scheduler call you."

And our time was up.

At the front desk, I got into a polite fight with the receptionist who claimed I owed co-pays for two previous visits I'd already paid for.  Once that was resolved, I asked about getting on the surgery schedule.

"The scheduler will call you in the next couple days," she said.

Wait--what?  In every other case--and I'm an unfortunate expert, here--the patient calls the scheduler once the doctor puts in the order for surgery.  I mean, I can't answer my phone when I'm at work, so a scheduler can only call me after I'm done for the day.  Also, I knew Dr. H-- performs litho on Fridays, and I wanted a specific Friday, if possible.  I'm completely out of sick days at work, thanks to these fucking stones, and if I'm out again, I get docked a huge amount of money.  However, a Friday coming soon is a half day, and if I can go then, it'll minimize the damage.  But if the scheduler waits to call ME, the schedule might get filled up with other people, and I'll be screwed.  I'd much rather call THEM.

But the receptionist wouldn't give me the information to call the scheduler.  Finally, I left.

Four days went by, and the scheduler didn't call.

I finally called Dr. H--'s office to ask about this.  The receptionist clicked around on her computer and--ta da!--turns out Dr. H-- didn't officially put in the order for surgery.  So no call.  I politely asked this to be taken care of, and she said to call back the next day if I hadn't heard anything.

Today (the next day), I still got no call.  So I hit Dr. H--'s office yet again.  "Oh!" the receptionist twittered.  "You're the third person today to call about being scheduled for litho.  Dr. H-- hasn't written any orders yet.  We have to get on him."

I explained that I was trying to get on for a specific day.

"Well, the hospital only has the equipment on certain days," she said.

"I know that," I said.  "Dr. H-- does these things on Fridays, when the hospital has the equipment.  I'm hoping to get on the schedule for a certain Friday so I don't get docked at work."

"We'll have to see what the scheduler says," she replied mysteriously, and hung up.

Dr. H--'s office is enormously inefficient, and Dr. H-- himself leaves quite a lot to be desired, I'm afraid.  I'm glad I'm not in huge pain; I don't feel I can count on him or his office for help.

Meanwhile, I have a previously-scheduled appointment in early March with Dr. L--.  Unless Dr. H-- can give me the date I need for surgery, I may as well just go back to Dr. L--.