Nothing Shocking

The last few weeks have been about my back. I was sitting at my desk at work and I started to get aching from the waist down. I felt like I was getting the flu. It persisted the rest of the day into the night. When I woke up the next day I could tell it was my back and not the flu. The pain was intense and it radiated down my leg. I am not a doctor but I would say that is sciatica. I have periodically had a pain that I thought was sciatica but it would stop hurting in a day or so and sometimes in a matter of hours. But this time felt different worse than anything ever. I started doing some back exercises that I remembered from when I had physical therapy back in 1989 when I was in a car accident. Nothing was helping. I am not a fan of going to the doctor. So I waited for my good 'ol back to heal itself. I was just taking ibuprofen which was doing nothing for me. So two weeks went by and I wasn't getting any better. What the heck?? So I did it I went ahead and made a dumb doctors appointment. This is when I learned how crappy my insurance is. You have to get a referral for everything. So I had my appointment and she said I should get x-rays and take some naproxin (which didn't help at all). I got the x-rays and made an appointment to see the real back doctor. My appointment was on a Tuesday. I get to the lobby and there is a huge line. So since I am so shy and don't want to ask what is going on I got on the line. Seemed like the right thing to do. The line wasn't moving. Two times a woman came up to me and asked if she was supposed to wait in the line. Uhh This is my first time here I don't know. The second of the two women asked the nurse at the desk. It turns out that each desk has a different Drs name on it and you are supposed to sign in at the desk with your Drs. name. OK so I go to the table with my Dr's name. Now there is only one person in front of me. Blah.

The doctor told me that it was sciatica and that I shouldn't go to work for the rest of the week. She wanted me to get an MRI so we can see if it is being caused from muscles or if I have a herniated disk. This is where the bad insurance thing comes in again. I go back to the office to check out. I have to wait on line in the queue for my doctor again. There are two men in front of me that appear to be together. They are taking forever. Some guy goes up to the receptionist next to me that is not for my Dr. The guy is doing his thing and when he says his Drs. name it is not the same name as on the sign. So I am thinking I will go to her when he is done. There is some guy all antsy walking around with a piece of paper in his hand. He looks like a homeless junky. Finally the guy in front of me is done. But it turns out that the two guys weren't together so the second guy (who also does not have my Dr.) says something that makes the receptionist say oh I have to go in the back and check on something. She leaves. The guy next to me finishes up and wouldn't you know it before I get a chance to go to the receptionist next to me Mr. Junky gets in there. Of course he has something weird. He apparently has something for someone there. But he only has her name on a piece of paper. I am thinking he is illiterate. The receptionist doesn't know what to do about this. The other receptionist (the one I am waiting for) comes back and finishes up with the guy in front of me. I am next! But the receptionist with the junky asks her about the paper. Now they both leave and are running around trying to figure out what to do with whatever the junky is dropping off because the woman who's name is on the paper is not in the office today. Oh bother! The junky is getting all agitated he wants the paper back. He is complaining under his breath. Finally that is resolved they will take whatever it is that the junky has and leave it for the woman who will most likely be there tomorrow. Genius. OK its finally my turn. I tell the woman that I need to make an appointment for an MRI. She says oh you need to go down the hall and make 2000 right turns and you will see MRI. Thanks bye there is nothing I can do for you here. Great I waited all this time to find out I am in the wrong place. So I go all the way to the MRI room. Its a pretty far walk and my back is killing me at this point. I am a little frustrated. I get to the office and this woman is watching a soap on the waiting room TV. She says she isn't the receptionist but she can help me. She wants my prescription for the MRI. I hand her the form that I was given from my doctor. She says no I need a prescription like the ones in my hand. I look through the pile of prescriptions and its not there. I don't have one I say can't you just use this form. No I need a prescription and I need a precert number. A what??? A precert number just go back to your Dr. and get a precert number and a prescription and then I can do the MRI right now if you can get that stuff I have an opening. OK. I go all the way back to the doctors. This is even further that the receptionist desk that I mentioned earlier. When I get there I see my doctor walking in the background. I say I need a prescription for the MRI and she says oh right the nurse just found a prescription on the copier she left it there when she made copies of your scripts. OK great thanks for making me trudge all over the place with an aching back and legs. So then I say can I get a precert number? Oh sure you can but it will take 1-2 days. Then I just go. I walk to CVS to get my drugs. Call my supervisor and tell her I won't be in the rest of the week and get home.

The next day is filled with tons of phone calls and pain. Trying to get that damn precert number. These people are retarted that freakin keep calling my work phone and leaving VM they are the ones that told me I have to stay home. I call the place that they tell me to call on my VM. They say they are unclear about the spelling of my last name. First of all I am thinking what the hell. I have filled out my name on about 1000 things I have gotten mailings from them with the correct last name how could they mess it up at this point???? and to make things worse I cannot understand what the woman's name is on the message. Apparently this is a very important piece of information. It sounds like she says her name is somebody. I listened to it several times. I asked Danny to listen too. Somebody. I call the number she left. The woman on the phone wants to know who left the message. Great uh it was Somebody. Uhh I will forward you to Alisa. OK. Ring Ring. Pharmacy. Uh do you handle referrals. No we are the pharmacy. Yeah uh ok. I call back the woman. Get VM lots of times. Finally get her. This time she forwards me to a private office. Great. I call back. I am a little frustrated at this point. I say why does it matter who called me can't someone else help me. Isn't there a record in the computer or something so you can see the status. She hangs up on me! Bitch!!!! I am about to give up then I decide to call the office where my back doctor is to see if they can do something. I leave a message. i sound pretty frustrated in the message I make sure to leave my home number and say that I am at home so please don't call my work number. I hear nothing. At about 4 I think to check my work VM and wouldn't you know it there is a message with my precert. Now all of the offices are closed and I have to wait to make my appointment tomorrow.

I am supposed to make a follow up appointment with my doctor a week after the MRI. I get an appointment for Friday night for the MRI. So I call my doctor's office to make an appointment for a week later and the woman says oh your doctor is going to be on vacation. The first appointment I can give you is for April 4. What the???? Why did she tell me she wanted to see me in a week then what the hell.

So basically that is where I am now. I had the MRI on Friday and I am back at work and I am just waiting till April 4 to see how I am. Although someone told me that I should call the office and see what the results of my MRI are. I might do that.

My back still hurts but it seems a lot better.