Feel like giving up
Just returned from the Ottawa Civic where I was told by a nurse practitioner that I call too often and that the person who schedules surgery is worried I have a neurological problem or that I am abusing alcohol or taking drugs. I have called every 2-3 weeks since I met the surgeon on April 8th - I do not think that is too much, I think it is perfectly normal. Anyhow, they called my Friday last week telling me it was "absolutely essential" that I come in for an appointment but would not tell me why, only saying they needed to go over some paper work. I was freaking out all weekend not knowing what was going on. And now this. I have been crying for the past hour and a half, I just feel finished and that the world does not want me to have surgery. Now that she is angry who know how long it will take to get a date. I just do not trust that she will be professional and feel so discouraged. They have all the power in this situation so they can waste people's time as much as they want. I feel so humiliated and feel like giving up.
Highest: 320, Surgery: 255 (Aug/14), Lowest: 132, Current: 167, Goal: 155
Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards. - Soren Kierkegaard
I'm sorry that you feel this way. I remember the desperate anxious feeling. Did you tell her that you only call every 2-3 weeks?
A while ago someone on here said Lana yelled at her for calling too much, when in fact she doesn't call much. Was that you? Was it Lana who said they think you have a neurological problem?
The world is not against you. No one is trying to prevent surgery. You are dealing with overworked people in a system that takes a while with a lot of people calling. They are not handling it as professionally as they should. Don't take it personally. You will get there. And if nothing else, all this noise will make you more determined to make this a success!
She did not yell at me but she was unprofessional and short-tempered with me. What happened was Lana the surgery scheduler told the nurse practitioner that she was worried I had a neurological disorder or was drunk or on drugs. She said that since I kept calling every 2-3 weeks that maybe I had one of these problems and thus would not qualify for surgery. Really upsetting stuff because I was thinking they were going to give me surgery date and they waste my time with this garbage.
Highest: 320, Surgery: 255 (Aug/14), Lowest: 132, Current: 167, Goal: 155
Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards. - Soren Kierkegaard
on 6/18/14 11:27 am
OMG...I simply can not believe the had the nerve to even suggest such a thing. There has to be something you can do or someone who you can get in contact with to complain. You are being penalized for being anxious. I wish I knew who to refer you too. But by all means, please do not give up, this is just one persons opinion and they have no idea what it is like to sit and wait and wait and wait to be healthy. This just makes my blood boil. Im so sorry this happened.
Thank you for your kind words. The nurse practitioner I saw today gave me the number for patient advocacy for the Ottawa Hospital so I have a number I can call. She was apologetic about having me come in and told me I had done nothing wrong and no to worry about this slowing down the process even more. Wish I could believe that but my confidence in their scheduling system is zero at this point. I figure I will be lucky to get surgery at all the way things are going. I am still crying and it is 3 hours later! Wish I could stop crying but I guess it is good to let it out.
Highest: 320, Surgery: 255 (Aug/14), Lowest: 132, Current: 167, Goal: 155
Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards. - Soren Kierkegaard
I'm sorry you've gone through this. I read these posts and get so upset about it - they don't know what they do to us in the pre-op stage when they pull these stupid power plays and mind games on us. We're desperate for surgery, trying to get our lives back and it's an extremely stressful and emotional time for us, and then some of them decide to dick people around. I think some of them just don't see us as people, and certainly they don't understand for a moment what it's like to be in our shoes. It's like a big morality play to them when we're actually just people who need a medical procedure for our medical conditions. They wouldn't **** around like this if we had heart disease and had to get heart surgery.
It makes me so angry.
Referral to registry: Oct 21, 2011 Orientation (TWH): Feb 22, 2012 Surgery: Nov 7, 2012
Come to Toronto East End Coffee Nights! Click here for details.