How Pushy Should I Be? ~ Update ~

So last Friday the sleep doctor (pulmonary specialist) went over my results with me and told me he would get the report done and to Dr. Spaw. Tuesday I call my contact at Dr. Spaw's office and she says she hasn't gotten it yet. So I call the pulmonary office and they say it was MAILED on Friday.  So I ask them to fax it to my contact's attention. Then I call my contact back and tell her they are faxing it and to please call and let me know if she doesn't get it.  She says she will and that Dr. Spaw is in the office Wednesday/Thursday and I should hear back. So today I call to check the status and she says she never got it.  #1 why didn't she call me?  #2 she didn't get either the mailed copy or the fax??? Their office is across the street!  So I called and asked them to refax it and made sure they had the right fax number. I'm going to check again in the morning and if she says she still hasn't gotten it I will drive down town and get it and walk it over myself.  But this has postponed me finding out my date for another week and probably pushed back my surgery another week.  And I have an appointment with my orthopedic doctor next week that I am going to have to postpone because there is no use me going unless I know when my surgery is going to be. I am so angry right now.  I know this is just a piece of paper to these people but my life is on hold waiting to find out when this surgery is going to be.

Kill 'em with kindness...  but stay on top of things!  I had to stay in constant contact with my insurance company.  Like you said, this is your life on hold!  Keep the faith!

Thanks, I couldn't have killed anyone with kindness today I was so frustrated and that's not like me...which just made me feel worse.

Hey Blush!

I am a patient of Dr. Spaw's and I can tell you that you are in great hands with everyone at that office!  I was turned down twice before I got to Dr. Spaw.  My strategy was to get the papers myself and then make copies (just in case) and do all of the faxing myself (and/or delivery.)  Remember that you own your medical records so it only makes sense to maintain a copy. Don't get frustrated...just take a deep breath and take control.  You are gonna be scheduling that surgery before you know it!   Big smile!!! Freddie 

OK here's my .02 worth, Freddie is dead right it seems the process will drive you crazy before you get WLS.   P.S. Good reason to get psychiatric test done early might not pass?? BwaHahaha!!  But I took Trina, Freddie's and many others advice and made copies and called repeatedly.  Had great help and response from B/C B/S of TN.  It was everyone else that dragged their feet. So save yourself some aggravation and get the paperwork make copies, fax your self and immediately call and confirm they received it. Note time and date and who you spoke to, so later if and when they want to play stupid you have everything documented.  I truly believe if I hadn't taken the bull by the horns I would still be waiting for surgery.  As Scott said be polite but be persistent!! Good luck try not to pull your hair out!!!!  C'ya Bob 

I am upset and frustrated today but partially because so far I have been spoiled and this has gone so fast. I'll make sure this gets taken care of tomorrow.

So far I have been thrilled with everyone I have met (including Dr. Spaw) I am just frustrated because we already have insurance approval and my sleep study is the last piece Dr. Spaw required before he gave me my date.  I could have gotten my date already if she had followed up like she promised and called me if she hadn't gotten it. I have resigned myself that I am going to have to drive downtown tomorrow to walk the piece of paper across the street.

I will tell you what I did.  I went to the doc's office, picked up the records, gathered over 100 pages, sent all of it to Blue Cross.  I kept copies of every single thing.  I still have the notebook which is a huge binder of every email, every medical record.  I did not leave it up to fate, chance, ability, skill of anyone else. I did it and made sure I hand delivered it all to Dr. Houston's office and put it into the hands of the financial counselor after deciding to go to another surgeon. Plus, I also called Blue Cross at least once daily, sometimes twice (40 times in 30 days) to see if I had been approved.  At one point, a rep told me not to call back but to wait on the letter in the mail.  My response:  I'll be talking to you again on Tuesday." And that was on a Friday and the next Monday they were closed due to holiday.

Maybe the process just teaches us the persistence we will need after surgery???

There might be more truth in that then we know!