Dealing With The Hard To Deal With People

@andriaperry (116876)
Anniston, Alabama
December 13, 2017 10:07am CST
Now say that title 10 times as fast as you can . As most of you know Tony is one of my jobs, I am his caregiver, He has stage 4 lung cancer and its in remission. But he is still taking preventive medicine and seeing a couple doctors. The people in the office of the oncologist are awesome! They will work with you no matter what to make sure that the patient is comfortable with everything, try to fill their needs. The Doctor is the same, he told Tony if he could not pay, don`t worry about it, come in anyways. Good People. I make sure that when I do his budget monthly the doctor gets paid, maybe not all of it but I make a payment. I need to change a day for his IV junk, sure! This office will get you in. Now he still goes to the lung doctor, the doctor that saved his life last November, Dr. yum yum ( he is very handsome) well he is a good doctor as well and calls Tony his miracle patient because he was not supposed to live, he also tells Tony " No money that is okay, I will gift you a visit!" But tell this to the office people. This office called while I was in a meeting ( a phone meeting) and I let it go but looked at the number that I know well by now, thinking it was just confirmation of the up coming visit. When I was done, I checked voice mail and had none so I called. Well.... this woman told me that he does have a visit and how much money he needs to bring " Before" he can see the doctor. I was so nice and told her about my conversation with the doctor, I got put on hold. She came back and asked "when did the doctor say this?" I went over the conversation we had the doctor again. On hold again. Next another woman came on the phone and said "hello, may I help you?" I told her I was talking to another about a visit and no money and asked me to tell her what the doctor said. By this time I am so over this mess. I said "to make this story short that I have already repeated numerous times, The doctor said I don`t care if you have money to pay, come anyways." The lady on the other end said " okay see you tomorrow." See, I tried to postpone this appointment for a couple weeks because Tony has doctor burn out and wants to stay home but when I ask this office they tell me no he is booked for 6 weeks. When I told this office that I tried to put it off she told me he is booked till March. I really don`t believe that. There are 4 doctors on this team and 2 of the four has been over Tony. Plus if they were that booked why is the small waiting room never packed full? I think I will talk to Dr. Yum Yum again, let him know Tony cannot get in when he needs to and he cannot ask a question by phone for the doctor, we are told to come in.... but that will be months away. Sometimes you have to get past the front desk to get things done, today I will do that. So I will work this afternoon, driving on the wild and crazy interstate 20 again. Do you encounter problems with the doctors staff?
21 people like this
21 responses
@Kandae11 (53601)
13 Dec 17
It is just in the nature of some people to give others the run around. I do hope you get it sorted.
4 people like this
@andriaperry (116876)
• Anniston, Alabama
13 Dec 17
Sure I will, I am a total bytch when it comes to me taking care of someone sick but I can do bytch in such a nice way they do not know what hit them.
2 people like this
@Daelii (5619)
• United States
13 Dec 17
If dentist offices count... Yes!! I have gone rounds with one clerk. After months of her on a crazy power trip I cursed her out and found a new place. It was crazy! They are so bad two place in town refuse to use that office and people are now redirected To a place two hours away instead.
2 people like this
@andriaperry (116876)
• Anniston, Alabama
13 Dec 17
Oh yes, been there and done that.
2 people like this
@andriaperry (116876)
• Anniston, Alabama
13 Dec 17
@Daelii Glad you found another.
1 person likes this
@Daelii (5619)
• United States
13 Dec 17
@andriaperry its sad too because the actions of this callous person, a little girl had to suffer longer. The person called to confirm the appointment. I live in the mountains so its rare to get a phone signal. Nevertheless, I did. So I was on the phone talking and confirmed the appointment and leaned down to grab my baby (she was just learning to crawl) and lost the phone signal. So I immediately called back, and no one answered. I tried a few times and apparently, I was the last call of the day. So we drive the hour + over to this special place, for the appointment. We left early to make up for possibly getting lost in a new city. I called ahead of the appointment, because we missed the turn in to the place, so we had to do a u-turn. I was like "hi, we just missed the turn in, but we are turning around and will be there in just a few moments". this would be about 15 minutes before app, giving time for paperwork. "oh, your the one who hung up on me last night. so and so isn't in so the appointment is cancelled" .... they couldn't have said that before taking kids out of school and all? So we reschedule - with a 6 week delay.. Dentist is on vacation (again, no notice?) - reschedule now like 8 weeks later. it kept getting pushed back! needlesstosay, she got to get another cleaning before she saw the pediatric dentist. Almost a year later, we found someone else. this was after being told they were the only one who could take care of her, for her medical needs.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (157027)
• United States
14 Dec 17
We have been through some of that routine. Not the lack of money but the lack of schedule flexibility or even the lack of schedule, period.
2 people like this
@andriaperry (116876)
• Anniston, Alabama
14 Dec 17
Well I can pay the bill but the point was the doctor told him to come in, no matter if the insurance covers or not. Insurance wont cover test! They said he needs to wait six more months or another year?! This is why I pay out of pocket.
1 person likes this
@amadeo (111956)
• United States
13 Dec 17
same here.Not an issues with me.Yet?lol
2 people like this
@amadeo (111956)
• United States
13 Dec 17
@andriaperry yes it is very good for me.
1 person likes this
@andriaperry (116876)
• Anniston, Alabama
13 Dec 17
I am glad.
@JudyEv (323672)
• Rockingham, Australia
13 Dec 17
Getting past that front desk is sometimes the really difficult bit.
2 people like this
@andriaperry (116876)
• Anniston, Alabama
14 Dec 17
Yes it is but they will learn I will tell the doctor.
1 person likes this
@Hannihar (129095)
• Israel
14 Dec 17
I find the people at my doctor's office act like security guards. When I call and want to speak to him they say I have to leave a message and if he tells me I can interrupt him they ask him and put me through. It is as if they think I am being honest with them. If is urgent I tell them I need to speak to that day. They are not sympathetic. When the manager is there she and I do not get along and she speaks to me in English and I ask can't if someone else is there she help me. I speak in Hebrew. We have been told here that we have to speak English but people like that do not help us. I prefer to speak Hebrew if I can and not English. There are people that want to practice their English but I will speak in Hebrew and tell them you want us to speak the language but yet you speak in English so how are we going to learn.
2 people like this
@andriaperry (116876)
• Anniston, Alabama
14 Dec 17
We never get the doctor on the phone.
@Hannihar (129095)
• Israel
14 Dec 17
@andriaperry I leave a message andria and he usually calls me back.
@snowy22315 (168421)
• United States
13 Dec 17
Fortunately, that is not an issue for me.
2 people like this
@andriaperry (116876)
• Anniston, Alabama
13 Dec 17
Usually I only have a problem if there is someone new, I have had the same doctor forever so they all know me by name. I know these people have to collect for the office to run, but I make sure his bills are paid so there should not be a problem.
1 person likes this
• Pamplona, Spain
13 Dec 17
Hope everything comes out okay with him sounds like he is doing very well.
1 person likes this
• Pamplona, Spain
14 Dec 17
@andriaperry Anyone who can beat this illness is a great whoopee feeling for me so very well done. I believe there should be very early testing for possible lung cancer so it does not cause so much havoc when it does appear.
1 person likes this
@andriaperry (116876)
• Anniston, Alabama
13 Dec 17
He is good, thanks.
1 person likes this
@andriaperry (116876)
• Anniston, Alabama
14 Dec 17
@lovinangelsinstead21 The problem is it just happens and grows fast, its not a slow growing cancer to detect early.
1 person likes this
@much2say (53672)
• Los Angeles, California
13 Dec 17
Although I don't have these experiences exactly, I can see how this would happen. I suppose the office staff has to say or go through whatever their jobs tell them to do . . . and sometimes it seems like the staff and the doctors are not exactly on the same page. Then you end up having to deal with the run around. Thank goodness Tony has you taking care of this for him . . . sometimes handling these office folks can be quite stressful!
2 people like this
@andriaperry (116876)
• Anniston, Alabama
13 Dec 17
I am very determined! I do not give up, plus I can tell one doctor and he will walk into the backdoor of the next office and doc to doc talk.... I am so bad aren`t I?
1 person likes this
• Malaysia
14 Dec 17
" Dealing with the hard-to-deal-with people" I had my fair share of those experiences. Once, I was looking after my lil bro who was hospitalized for bacterial infection in his appendix and had his appendix removed. I was kicked out from the room by a nurse saying I am not qualified to be a guardian, without taking a look at my pass and my identification card. I took the issue upfront at the registration counter, and the counter said I am legit. When I get back to the bed, she shooed me away yet again. I am flabbergasted at that time, since people were watching. I asked her why am I not allowed there, and she simply say " Because you are a kid. Kid can not look after other sick kid". I am 27 at that time. She don't even check my IC at that time and dismissed me like I am not worthy. I shoved my pass and my IC to her face. She got mad, but luckily another nurse nearby who might overheard our short but heated conversation stop her with a hand signal, picked my pass which dropped to the floor, examined it, and returned it back to me as well as motioning me to come sit beside my lil bro's bed.
1 person likes this
@andriaperry (116876)
• Anniston, Alabama
14 Dec 17
Hospital nurses will do that, they act like they control the world.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64363)
• United Kingdom
13 Dec 17
Tony is so lucky to have you to sort things out for him. My husband is in poor health and we have had marvellous attention from our health service, no complaints at all.
2 people like this
@andriaperry (116876)
• Anniston, Alabama
13 Dec 17
Here there will always be one in the office that should NOT be there.
2 people like this
@Srbageldog (7720)
• United States
14 Dec 17
Oh don't get me started on the doctors' staff! I have been trying to get someone on the phone at my gyn-oncologist's office for nearly two months and it just always goes to voicemail. I always leave a message with my name, reason for calling, and phone number asking them to call me back. Nobody ever calls! I've even tried leaving the voicemail message without saying why I'm calling, just asking them to call me back. Nope. If this specialist wasn't so far away I would just drive down there and confront them in person. It would be nice to know when I can expect to have surgery! This seems to be a common theme among doctor office receptionists. They never return calls and most the time they seem clueless. I have come to the conclusion that medical clinics only hire incompetent people to work the front desks.
1 person likes this
• United States
15 Dec 17
@andriaperry Surprisingly the receptionist finally called me back today, she has been out of the office for weeks because of the weird holiday scheduling (so she claims.) She did apologize that nobody called me back sooner and sounded sincere. I still don't have a set date, but I know that it will happen either at the end of January or beginning of February -- she promised to call back within the next two weeks to tell me the exact date.
@andriaperry (116876)
• Anniston, Alabama
14 Dec 17
I would not have waited the 2 months, since you have someone there who is not answering the phone its possible that the day has come and gone for your surgery. Call your primary care doctor and ask them, when it will be since the other doctor office does not have a phone.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (72494)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
13 Dec 17
I hope everything works out. No problems here I keep away from the people in white coats. Have my blessings to count because I don't need them.
2 people like this
@andriaperry (116876)
• Anniston, Alabama
13 Dec 17
Thank God you do not have to see them.
1 person likes this
@DianneN (246452)
• United States
13 Dec 17
I'm sure Tony appreciates all you are doing for him. Hope it all gets sorted out. Fortunately, we've never encountered such problems.
1 person likes this
@DianneN (246452)
• United States
14 Dec 17
@andriaperry So am I!
1 person likes this
@andriaperry (116876)
• Anniston, Alabama
13 Dec 17
I am glad that you haven`t.
1 person likes this
@Ithink (9980)
• United States
19 Dec 17
I have only gotten attitude one time from the doctors receptionist that the ER sent me to after getting a hold of my doctor. It was after the initial appointment and the testing. They said we had to come in to discuss the results. Well we got the first appointment of the day so that husband could take me, take me home and then get to work. About 2 hours later I went up and told her we could not stay any longer and to please send the results to us. She said they do not do that I had to talk to the doctor. I told her we could not stay any longer and that is why we asked for the first appointment of the day. Make a long story short I did get some of the results at least. We didn't care the doctors attitude either. So I never went back.
@jobelbojel (34731)
• Philippines
14 Dec 17
I hate run arounds - the wrong ones. I hope that everything will be booked as plan for your next visit.
1 person likes this
@andriaperry (116876)
• Anniston, Alabama
14 Dec 17
Oh yes I got him there the next day.
@marlina (154183)
• Canada
13 Dec 17
Sorry that you have to deal with "unpleasant" people. Our clinic is very good all over.
1 person likes this
@andriaperry (116876)
• Anniston, Alabama
13 Dec 17
I am glad to hear your clinic is awesome.
@teamfreak16 (43451)
• Denver, Colorado
14 Dec 17
No, probably only because I go through the VA. I haven't had a private Doctor in at least ten years.
1 person likes this
@andriaperry (116876)
• Anniston, Alabama
14 Dec 17
That is good you do not have problems going to the doctor.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40250)
• United States
13 Dec 17
Wow those physicians sound most excellent
1 person likes this
@andriaperry (116876)
• Anniston, Alabama
13 Dec 17
These are the best I have ever seen, besides my clinic doctor.
• United States
13 Dec 17
Yes, they don't care what the doctor says, they are like piranhas trying to get the money. I hope it goes better for you when you deal with them again.
1 person likes this
@andriaperry (116876)
• Anniston, Alabama
13 Dec 17
I looked her in the face today and told her I will pay it in January, that Tony is here every 2 weeks for the oncologist appointmets
1 person likes this