Allright already - Part I

Okay, so about this time I am upset. I am in pain. And I am going to go get something started, even if Kaiser can't decide what to do with me.

I figure I will go in on my way to work for the fasting lab that my PCP ordered on 2/15. But when I get there, the lab tech tells me that she can't find the order. And her tone tells me that she's not going to look for it any further. I am frustrated to no end and let the tech know that I did not make it up. I'm already going to miss two hours of work just for stopping by to complete this. I've already used almost all my sick time for the year and I am not leaving until I complete the lab. The order was placed by Dr. Budee on February 15th. I think something in my tone told her how upset I was. She checks her records again and then offers that sometimes the orders are not sent through by the doctors and refers me back to the Family Practice Desk (across the hall) to have them resend it.

So I go over there and ask the desk attendant to check my records. She responds that she found the order, but that she will need to have a nurse send it over. I was so angry and frustrated by this time, I was seriously considering demanding to speak to the person in charge, manager on duty, owner - whoever, but someone ranking 'cause I had issues with this - and I had a severe stomach ache to boot! When the desk attendant came back, she told me that Dr Budee's nurse wanted to speak to me if I could wait a minute before I went back to the lab....

I can't remember the nurses name, but she brought me back to one of the exam rooms. I'm sure I had tears in my eyes. I couldn't believe how hard it was for me to get this done. I'm not an easy person to get to the doctor in the first place, and here I am - practically knocking down doors because I know something is wrong - and I can't get anyone to respond. Anyway, she asks me what is going on and I just let go. Tell her everything as fast as I can and leave off with - "and after all that, I was told someone from Family Practice would call me back, and they never did.". She told me that she was actually the nurse that was going to call me back, but she only got the note that morning at 8:30am. She was extremely apologetic and told me to go over and complete my labs and that she would fit me into Dr Budee's schedule somehow.

Dr Budee saw me, I don't know, maybe by about 10am. I had been in the office since 8am. She didn't know what it could be. Intestinal? An ovarian cyst? A UTI? She told me she wanted to order a CT Scan and I waited. When she came back into the exam room, she said "I can order a CT scan for you here, but it will cost $200. Or, you can go to Saint Joseph's ER and it might cost $100.". She said she would call the hospital and let them know about my history and her recommendation.

Before I left, she wrote me a couple of prescriptions. One was for pain medication. The other was for an antibiotic for a UTI. She told me that my blood test didn't "scream UTI" (she even used the air-quotes when she said it) and that if the ER found something in my CT scan, to go with their advise. But if they didn't find anything, to fill the scripts.

What?!