Friday And The Medical Profession--so called

Noreen called just as I was waiting for Cheryl to pick me up for T.O.P.S. We chatted until I got in the car; said I'd call when I got home, but forgot; will call her today. Weight: at home, still 127.4, same as the last three weeks; T.O.P.S. 127.6, loss of .02. 

Stopped at Suzanne's to see if she was available for lunch today. She was and I called Jim--hadn't talked to him since we started rehearsals--to invite him, too. He was pleased to accept, but sounded--well, old and confused when we talked. Among other oddities, he said he "was told" (I think by the Agency on Aging), that he should "go to a home" and knew he had to clear out his library. He was engaged in copying the items in his books that he had underlined. Good grief, I can imagine this is a herculean task--he has hundreds of books and I know he doesn't like the computer, so I think he's doing it in longhand. I fear for him, but at least, I can give him lunch today.  

Showered, washed my hair, and got the 6 bus to the doctor's office. P.A. saw me, I told her I wanted a referral to an audiologist, which she'll send. She also looked in my ears and had an assistant flush it--ugh, I hate that procedure. 

Stopped at Von's on my way home and got sliced turkey and some nice-looking rolls for my little luncheon today. Hard-boiled some eggs and will "devil" them, plus salad. Susan said she'd bring dessert.

After dinner, Jeanne P. called. She said she wanted to write something to her granddaughters, a kind of auto-biological treatise and wanted my advice because "you're a writer." She went on pretty long about it, but I didn't mind; I get a kick out of her, although as she talked, the old phrase. "three sheets to the wind," came to mind...

WARNING--RANT BELOW!

What in the HELL has happened to the medical profession? Or is it a profession? Seems to me more like a gang of renegade lowlifes who don't know their asses from third base (my late husband's genteel saying).

I don't mean all of them. I actually like some, including (most of) those at Primary Medical. But I have a saga and I'm not going to let it drop. I'll try to make this as succinct as possible. Dr. Ficks, my endocrinologist, sent me an imaging order, asking me to make an appointment with Rolling Oaks (sounds like a motorcycle gang) Radiology for my yearly dexa, axial and dexa, appendicular skeleton imaging. (I've had this done before, as I have osteoporosis.) I called ten days or so ago to set it up and was told they had to hear from the doctor's office. Okay, I called Primary Medical and told them that. Next, I received a duplicate of the imaging order in the mail. I called again to make the appointment. A man answered--anyway, he had a man's voice, but he may have been an orangutan.  He look up the order and informed me that they don't have the equipment for that procedure there, I'd have to go to Lakewood. What? Lakewood is 89 miles away!  I called Primary Medical to ask what gives and was told they'd follow up. I then got an email from Rolling Oaks to the effect I should make an appointment--at the Ventura office, of course. I did, for September 29th, but I was annoyed and demanded to speak to a supervisor. The woman "helping me" was difficult to understand. She put me on hold for twelve minutes, then came back to say there were no supervisors available. At that, I hung up. This was about noon, then I had to get ready for my appointment at Primary Medical, unrelated to Rolling Oaks. I returned home about 4:00, stopped over at Von's and while I was checking out, got a call from Primary Medical--telling me to make an appointment with Rolling Oaks! She also told me in a thoroughly confused kind of way--something about not going to Lakewood, but I don't even know is she was quoting me or what. Oh, that's not all: I started getting text messages and emails from Rolling Oaks, telling me to schedule an appointment WHICH  I HAD DONE HOURS BEFORE! The last one--so far--was sent at 5:11 pm yesterday. 

I'm writing to the head of Rolling Oaks, whoever that benighted person might be, to lay this out and say how annoyed I am that I have to deal with such a travesty. Now, here's an addition: At Primary Medical, when I saw P.A. Natalie for the hearing thing, I mentioned the above and she said they've had "a lot of trouble with Rolling Oaks." I probably won't put that in my email--it was less than discreet--but it made me realize I'm not the only one.