So I'm driving along Friday afternoon with a few of my kids. I get a call from my doctors office. It is "Sally" a nurse there, she is calling because she needs to follow up on my referral from umm about 9 months ago. Sally says she is trying to see where things are with my medical care/referral. I find it ironic that she works at the docs office but she has to call me to gather this info. I tell Sally her guess is as good as mine. I inform her that I have inquired several times about my referral and can't seem to get clear info. You will not believe how the conversation went from there.
Sally
Me
I've heard nothing despite my many calls.
You've got to be kidding me! Let me check the file. Silence as she reads over the info Well it says here that a referral was faxed to UNC on May 3rd, and you have heard nothing?
Nope nothing
Did you follow up with UNC?
No. I had no clue I was supposed to.
Oh yes, you were supposed to call them with your medical record number and follow up.
How would I have know that?
The front desk should have told you that when you checked out
They did not
Well here write down this medical record number and call them. When you call them tell them you need Dermatology and give them this number.
Dermatology? I ask. You mean Urology?
No Dermatology
I was supposed to be referred to a urologist.I have no skin issues my issue is a urological one.
That's not what your file says
This does not surprise me. She begins reading the info out loud in the file. You were here in March. (true) The doc observed signs of skin cancer.
I had no clue.
Yes, Ms Reed. You have skin cancer.
No one told me that!
You are kidding me? It's right here in your file. That's why we are sending you to UNC.
OMG! My heart drops as this is not the way to receive the info that I have cancer while I am driving with my kids in 5 o'clock traffic. Are you sure you have the right person? I ask her in disbelief.
Yes, Raquel Reed right?
Yes but I never even knew I had cancer!
It says here in the file you had a suspicious looking patch on your leg (oddly enough I do)
They should have told you. Don't worry though it may be treatable and by the way there is nothing in here about an urology referral.
I say nothing because, if I have cancer, peeing will be the least of my concerns.
Are you sure you have the right person? I ask. I give her my name again.
She repeats it and says 791-5**6?
Yes that's me
She begins to read me my visit history over the phone and she is mumbling off a lot of medical terms I don't understand and then she says and your thyroid disease... and your history of Cancer...
Wait a minute I have thyroid disease too? WTF?? I did not know that! Are you sure you have the right person?
Yes ma am I know you are in shock and I apologize but don't get all worried. It will be okay.
Birth date 6-21-75? I ask her
What?
I repeat "birth date 6-21-75"
"hold on" she says and puts me on hold
She comes back 4 minutes later and says I apologize I thought you were someone else
Seriously? I wanna punch her in the face. How in the hell can you make that kind of mistake/!@#$#@ I am torn between being relieved that I do not have Cancer and pissed off that they just took me through this shit and concerned that these are the people handling my medical care.
Only in Raquel's World
