Regardless... lickety split I got on the phone trying to set up consultations with new doctors so I can decide whether or not we'd be a good fit. As in: whether or not they'll give me any script I want... kinda like my departing doctor does. She was the perfect set up for me. Boom. I tell her I need a certain med and bingo. She writes the prescription. A basic match made in heaven.
In the meantime, before you even get to the consultation appointment, you have to fill out intake forms for the new medical office. Keyword here is: forms. As in ZILLIONS of them!! With zillions of questions on each sheet, no less. Jesus... you have NO idea how long I was working on these last night. I thought I'd go nuts. What's really crazy is that for someone who is sorta kinda healthy, I had quite a sh*tload of surgeries to document as well as current vitamins and meds. Oh yeah... and ongoing conditions, too. Seriously... what a person with a list of MAJOR medical problems must have to contend with must be sheer and utter hell.
So bingo. Today was my appoint with Sue. The reason I call her Sue is.... sitting down?? She's not even a doctor!! Instead she's a Family Nurse Practitioner who has her Master's Degree and who takes 50 hours of course updates every year. Plus.. come to find out... she's brilliant!! We spent an hour today talking through all sorts of things and I can tell right off the bat she's STRICT. As in: she's going to make me take my blood sugar reading EVERY damn day. Just like all other diabetics do but what I... uh... never do. It's a pain in the ass and I hate doing it given I'm pretty lazy. Even worse she is going to make me stop eating all the crap I love because it's not really good for me. Damnit.
On the other hand, there is a pretty good chance here that I just may become even healthier which I guess is not such a bad thing afterall. I even asked if in the event she isn't around when I need her, is there a doctor in the practice that she likes better than another. She told me the male doctors are way less on top of how to treat medical issues than she is and of the two female doctors, I should try Dr. ABC as opposed to Dr. XYZ. If I heard Sue correctly, she was like the first licensed Nurse Practitioner in the state of NC. Plus... I decided I needed her most for Family Practice type stuff since I already have all my specialists. Bottom line: I do believe I kinda like her.
Which is good given my other Doctor will be kaput come October. Granted... Sue is lessening my separation anxiety but still... I wished my real doc wasn't retiring. Which sorta brings me to another issue in modern day medicine.
While last night I was dealing with these crazy ass forms, yesterday morning I needed to talk to Blue Cross Blue Shield about my son's coverage. I needed to verify that payment was received and his coverage was in fact, still in place. Not a big deal, right?? WRONG. Wanna guess how long I was waiting on the phone after having pressed button after button to get to the right person? IT WAS AN HOUR AND 15 MINUTE WAIT!! I was fit to be tied. Something about medicine has GOT to be switched up. It is CRAZY to be on the phone so long for just a stupid little question.
Happily it seems that all was good to go but I'm so serious... I have no clue how in his mid 80s my Dad EVER contended with this new fangled way of doing business. Not to mention Medicine. Trust me... if you have no anxiety BEFORE you begin dealing with doctors, insurance companies, whatever.... you will by the time you get to the bottom of anything. Which only means one thing: always have a great shrink on hand ready to help at a moment's notice.
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