STILL waiting

Let's review. ~~Monday before last-approved ~~Last Tuesday-Dr. office agrees I am approved. Promises to call back same day to work out dates. Never calls ~~Yesterday-Appointment lady isn't in the office. Call back tomorrow. ~~Today-Appt lady is in the office. But, the appt. book isn't in the office. Call back tomorrow. I know they are busy. But, for the love of dogs, this is my life we are talking about. I wouldn't mind so much if they would just tell me that they aren't going to get around to me until next week, month or year. But, to keep strining me from day to day and empty promises to call or do something is driving me nuts. Plus, if we go with the first of two dates we talked about, that means that I will have surgery in 12 days. DH has to get off work. Plans have to be made. I need time to stress instead of be pissed. ~Hat

Do your calming excersises. Breath in and out. I went through the same thing Hat. I was so mad, but the gal kept telling me they were moving along as fast as they could. I didn't beleive her then either. Keep you chin up, your date will be here soon. Calvin

I know exactly what you are going through...I am going through the same thing same office and all....so let's just be pissy together...ok? I am just a tiny bit behind you, but I am with you. It's going to work out....or else we'll just have to go over there oursleves....together...he he. keep me posted. Rachael

I really didn't think you were having any problems at all with them. Did you know that when they are in the office but don't want to talk to patients, they answer the phone, "Answering service". But, when it is really the answering service, you get a recording that tells you what info to have ready when the answering service comes on the line. I realized that when I called 30 minutes before the opened and again 5 minutes before they opened. 30 minutes before they were still hooked up to the service. 5 minutes before they were just faking it. Good thing I am not talking the psych eval now. I would probably flunk the paranoid questions.

~~Today-Appt lady is in the office. But, the appt. book isn't in the office. Call back tomorrow. I find that comment unbeleivable. What did it do, get up and take itself for a walk? Sounds like somebody is giving you the runaround. Hopefully you'll find out something tomorrow......are they open on Saturdays? If not maybe Monday. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. ~Tanja

Unbelievable is a good word. I was scratching my head over it too. Maybe the appt book had an appt to have a facial or something. All I can say is Dr. Weber must be really good for his staff to not have run off all of his patients. I wonder if they ever drop by to read the boards.

I know you are all waiting on the edges of your seats for today's installment of "As The Woman Loses Her Mind". No? Well, that's ok. I called today at the time I was told to call. I have no clue why I was told to call at that time because the appt. lady wasn't in yet. But, she was in an hour later. Drum roll please...my surgery date is July 27. My pre-op appt is July 20. I was given the standard info with a final reminder to make sure my initial referal was still good because that is what will cover my pre-op appt. Well, crud. This would have been good to know say, oh I don't know, a month ago. That is when my referal expired. I just assumed that my pre-op appt was covered under my surgical approval. I told her that it was going to be hard to get another referal in just 6 working days. She seemed to think it would be no problem. I just needed to do it. I reminded her that in Pam's (the insurance lady) words, Tricare is baaaaaaacked up. She said she didn't know anything about that, but she was sure I wouldn't have any trouble. So, I call TriWest. After being on hold for 25 minutes, they answer. I can tell that I got the wrong person by the tone of her voice. She was so lost. She put me on hold saying she had to check on something. At least that is what she said she was doing. Instead she transfers me to another number which tells me they no longer deal with Tricare issues. I should call TriWest. Grrr. OK, I call TriWest back. After waiting another 25 minutes, I warn the girl (a different one) to not put me on hold or transfer me. If your doing the math, you can see that I have spent almost an hour on the phone. In under 2 minutes, she is able to tell me that since HealthNet was the one to approve my referal, they weren't able to give me an extention or help me. She also says that the Dr. Weber's office should be handling this. Back on the phone with Dr. Weber's Summer, she says they used to. But, they don't any more. All short cuts exhausted, I am back to my PCP to beg for a referal. This is so twisted. I am approved for surgery, but I now have to beg for a referal to be seen off base to discuss the possiblity of having WLS. Of course, by this time it is 4:30 and my PCP's office is closed. Now, do you need a laugh? I know I do. When you call TriWest, their phones are voice activated. At the beginning of your wait, they tell you if your having a mental health crisis, just say mental health crisis. I was this close [-----], specially after having to call back a second time, to having a mental health crisis. But, I bet I couldn't get a referal for that. LOL It is funny that if they drive me nuts, they have to pay for it. I am going to have a beer now. And, if that becomes a problem, they can pay for that treatment too.

Wow!!! I hope that everything works out soon. The way people can play with our emotions like it's silly puddy, is terrible. I called Tricare appt. line for a annual pap and was told they have no appt. available and that they will call me back. Well that has been two or more weeks ago. I guess I am going to have to demand an appt. or to be seen by a civilian doctor. It is just crazy at madigan right now, and Tricare.

LOL I totally know exactly what you're going through...I have waited 35 minutes andeven 46 minutes all to talk to someone at Tri West who doesn't kow what to do for me....Word of advice to those people who get phone calls....they need to brush up a bit on their customer service...I had rude peoeple, but let me tell you if they are rude to me they'll get what's coming to them from me....I know what I am calling for and I know what I am talking about...I know what I need done and I know what they need to do to help me get it done.....Sometimes I wish I were one of those triwest peoepl so I could be one person who makes peoeples day brighter....they need to get their **** together and they need to do it quickly. They said there wasn't going to be any changes...yeah well my fat as_ no changes. It use to take up to a day for an approval now it takes anywhere from seven to ten days....but remember there are no changes. I am so glad I am at the end of my course...or am I? Hat let's go out for a drink and celebrate beofre our surgeries or at leats go to a buffet....LOL Hope everyone has a good day thanks for letting me vent... Rachael