VENT! Dr's office calls two hours prior to my appt

[dancer67]

And says that my hematologist is not coming in today to ONLY see two patients. To reschedule us for next week!!! WHAT??!!! My appt, was for 12:30 and the nurse calls and tells me this at 10:30 this morning. My hematologist only comes down this way once a week, on Mondays. I told her my husband took time off of work, and that I had rearranged my schedule to get in there to go over my bloodwork.

I am fuming to say the least. I can understand it if he had an emergency. But to say he can't be bothered to come in for ONLY 2 patients????????

 

I demanded that he call me. She called me back to say she spoke to him and she faxed my bloodwork over to him and he supposed to call me.

 

I have never heard of anything so darn rude in my life.

 

I have a feeling this medical system is going to get a lot worse. Uggghhh.

 

Vent over. Thanks for listening.

[Nakia]

That is pretty dang rotten. I'm so sorry. I think sometimes doctors (and other professionals) don't realize all that goes into replacing a stay at home mom for the day so she can go to appointments. :grouphug:

[jplain]

I'm glad you threw a fit about it. Your MD needs to understand that while coming in for two patients may not be his preference, his two patients deserve to be treated considerately. Two hours notice for anything less than an emergency is just rude.

[elise1mds]

I'd have been spitting mad, too. I'd contemplate charging him for not giving you 24 hours' notice. ;)

[Jennifer in MI]

Why was he only coming in for two patients? Is he sick? :grouphug: I know how much you wanted these answers ASAP.

[WeeBeaks]

Good for you for speaking up. It happens to me too. About 50% of my appointments are canceled within 24 hours of the appointment time lately, which is just unbelievable to me. :001_huh:

[Tammyla]

:grouphug:

[Unicorn.]

I think you need to write a letter to the head dr. of the practice. That is completely unprofessional behavior. I think you need to detail exactly how much this cost your family and point out that if the roles were reversed you would have been charged for not giving at least 24 hours notice.

 

:iagree: This

 

I'd have been spitting mad, too. I'd contemplate charging him for not giving you 24 hours' notice. ;)

 

And Elise beat me to it. I would send him a bill to cover your dh's pay, and the amt. of a babysitter. My dad told the receptionist at his doc's office, that he was going to start billing the doc, for the constant 3 hour waits. It's gotten much better. :D

[dancer67]

Well the hematologist called me on the phone about an hour later and went over my results. I told him I was not happy at all that I was cancelled in two hours time. I got a losuy apology. Big deal. Anyways. He told mw that all looked good excpet my ferritan level but he expected it to drop like that because of my periods he increased my vitron c iron pill to one more a day for a total of 195mg of elemental iron. He said unless I take steps to stop or slow my periods I may have to resot back to the IV iron infusions. So it looks like I am going to have to go with the mirena IUD as both him and the GYN have told me. Will do the IUD in a week or so. Hopefully this will slow the bleeding or stop it and hopefully cure this pre period spottong I get to.

Sucks being a woman sometimes.

Oh and I already spoke to the head of hematology and complained about him cancelling. Made me so mad.

[Miss Marple]

That is a poor way for him to do business. However, in this day of lowered reimbursements I can understand why he wouldn't want to travel for just 2 patients. That said, though, you deserved at least 24 hours notice. And from the other side, I'd probably fire the office manager who gave you the reason that he was canceling for just 2 patients. That's poor "office managering". She should be making him look as good as possible - even when difficult. Gag - sounds like a bad office situation altogether.

[Murphy101]

That is a poor way for him to do business. However, in this day of lowered reimbursements I can understand why he wouldn't want to travel for just 2 patients. That said, though, you deserved at least 24 hours notice. And from the other side, I'd probably fire the office manager who gave you the reason that he was canceling for just 2 patients. That's poor "office managering". She should be making him look as good as possible - even when difficult. Gag - sounds like a bad office situation altogether.

 

Ha! That was my first thought too! Someone's head is gonna roll for being honest. Really I think most of the time they lie about "emergencies" bc it sounds better than screwed up the schedule, dr wants to go to whatever event instead or blahblahblah. I know some drs get emergencies, OB and such. But most have pretty regular schedules.

 

 

Now MY big huge screaming Mimi peeve is when they don't tell you you might as well reschedule or cancel and don't fess up to it until after waiting forever in the lobby, you ask what wth is going on. THEN they say the dr isnt even in, ir they are triple booked, or whatever. Makes me blooming furious. Twice I waited hrs to see an OB and then I when I finally get in the nurse weighs me and does the blood pressure and it's not until she starts to fill in that I'm informed the OB wasn't even there. Ticked me royal. And whenever an OB says they don't like midwives, I point out it isn't much different than when they feel perfectly comfortable dumping their patients on their nurses. At least I get to pick the nurse and know who I'm seeing when I select a midwife.:glare:

[Nakia]

Well the hematologist called me on the phone about an hour later and went over my results. I told him I was not happy at all that I was cancelled in two hours time. I got a losuy apology. Big deal. Anyways. He told mw that all looked good excpet my ferritan level but he expected it to drop like that because of my periods he increased my vitron c iron pill to one more a day for a total of 195mg of elemental iron. He said unless I take steps to stop or slow my periods I may have to resot back to the IV iron infusions. So it looks like I am going to have to go with the mirena IUD as both him and the GYN have told me. Will do the IUD in a week or so. Hopefully this will slow the bleeding or stop it and hopefully cure this pre period spottong I get to.

Sucks being a woman sometimes.

Oh and I already spoke to the head of hematology and complained about him cancelling. Made me so mad.

 

I'm sorry. I know you didn't want to have to do the IUD. Praying it works!

[dancer67]

No, I don't WANT to do the Mirena, but I think at this point, I should give it a try. I can always take it out. Right?:tongue_smilie:

[hillfarm]

I'm afraid that my response would have been to inform them that just as they have a policy of billing for appointments cancelled less than 24 hours in advance, MY policy was the same. That since they had cancelled with much less than 24 hours, they would be billed for the amount that I had lost in planning to make the appointment that THEY had set. In this case, it would be the cost of dh's work for the day or any sitters that had been arranged, plus a flat rate of $25 per hour to compensate for travel time and the length of a typical office visit.

 

Of course, they won't pay it, but I would send an official "invoice", and copy their parent company when they didn't pay, indicating that the bill was PAST DUE and should be paid immediately to avoid accruing additional fees and interest.

 

That won't get paid either, but by then I would have vented my spleen properly, which is a good thing. It would also send the message that you are not going to calmly put up with their garbage. If you have to make an appointment with them in the future, I would ask at that time what recourse they allowed if THEIR person did not show up due to nonemergency reasons.

 

In general, my attitude in these cases where you know you will not be able to get justice is that they will certainly have to spend an equivalent amount of time responding to letters and complaints to the value of the time I lost. If it costs me, then it's going to cost them.

[dancer67]

I'm afraid that my response would have been to inform them that just as they have a policy of billing for appointments cancelled less than 24 hours in advance, MY policy was the same. That since they had cancelled with much less than 24 hours, they would be billed for the amount that I had lost in planning to make the appointment that THEY had set. In this case, it would be the cost of dh's work for the day or any sitters that had been arranged, plus a flat rate of $25 per hour to compensate for travel time and the length of a typical office visit.

 

Of course, they won't pay it, but I would send an official "invoice", and copy their parent company when they didn't pay, indicating that the bill was PAST DUE and should be paid immediately to avoid accruing additional fees and interest.

 

That won't get paid either, but by then I would have vented my spleen properly, which is a good thing. It would also send the message that you are not going to calmly put up with their garbage. If you have to make an appointment with them in the future, I would ask at that time what recourse they allowed if THEIR person did not show up due to nonemergency reasons.

 

In general, my attitude in these cases where you know you will not be able to get justice is that they will certainly have to spend an equivalent amount of time responding to letters and complaints to the value of the time I lost. If it costs me, then it's going to cost them.

 

:iagree:

[joannqn]

I had a friend who did exactly that: billed her daughter's therapists when he chatted long into her appointment time with some colleagues. She was able to provide him with a bill right then and there, but it definitely made an impact.

[AuntieM]

I'd have been spitting mad, too. I'd contemplate charging him for not giving you 24 hours' notice. ;)

 

No doubt! Several years ago I heard that a SAHM, fairly compensated for her duties without counting the emotional/sentimental cost, would earn appx $110K annually. So you should bill him at the rate of $50 per hour for your cancelled appointment.

 

If I were in your shoes, I do think I'd send him a nice letter explaining the way you were inconvenienced, including some numbers and what you had to do to arrange child care during your absence from home. While I do think this doc was rude, I think more than that he was being thoughtless and self-centered. He needs someone to send him a wake up call!

[coffeefreak]

I'm afraid that my response would have been to inform them that just as they have a policy of billing for appointments cancelled less than 24 hours in advance, MY policy was the same. That since they had cancelled with much less than 24 hours, they would be billed for the amount that I had lost in planning to make the appointment that THEY had set. In this case, it would be the cost of dh's work for the day or any sitters that had been arranged, plus a flat rate of $25 per hour to compensate for travel time and the length of a typical office visit.

 

Of course, they won't pay it, but I would send an official "invoice", and copy their parent company when they didn't pay, indicating that the bill was PAST DUE and should be paid immediately to avoid accruing additional fees and interest.

 

That won't get paid either, but by then I would have vented my spleen properly, which is a good thing. It would also send the message that you are not going to calmly put up with their garbage. If you have to make an appointment with them in the future, I would ask at that time what recourse they allowed if THEIR person did not show up due to nonemergency reasons.

 

In general, my attitude in these cases where you know you will not be able to get justice is that they will certainly have to spend an equivalent amount of time responding to letters and complaints to the value of the time I lost. If it costs me, then it's going to cost them.

 

:iagree:

A couple of years ago the Dr called me to reschedule and they forgot to cancel my appointment for that day. THEN, they had the nerve to send me a bill for a "missed appointment"!!! :glare: When I pointed out THEY were the ones that canceled and rescheduled because they were overbooked, and maybe they should pay ME the $50, I was told it was a computer error and they would void the bill.:001_huh:

 

I'm thinking if he was able to accomplish your appointment over the phone, why did he have you make an appointment in the first place?:confused:

 

:grouphug:

Dorinda

[AuntieM]

Well the hematologist called me on the phone about an hour later and went over my results. I told him I was not happy at all that I was cancelled in two hours time. I got a losuy apology. Big deal. Anyways. He told mw that all looked good excpet my ferritan level but he expected it to drop like that because of my periods he increased my vitron c iron pill to one more a day for a total of 195mg of elemental iron. He said unless I take steps to stop or slow my periods I may have to resot back to the IV iron infusions. So it looks like I am going to have to go with the mirena IUD as both him and the GYN have told me. Will do the IUD in a week or so. Hopefully this will slow the bleeding or stop it and hopefully cure this pre period spottong I get to.

Sucks being a woman sometimes.

Oh and I already spoke to the head of hematology and complained about him cancelling. Made me so mad.

 

Dancer, I was just in my doc's office today and he discussed with me that he thinks it's time for seriously considering an ablation. He said all the patients he'd heard of (in his group's practice, plus his wife is also a doctor) had a wonderful outcome and many, many asked, "Why did I wait so long to do this???" He drew blood today but said he thoroughly expected the levels to be low again. It's very hard to catch up on the iron stores if they're just getting washed out on a regular basis.

[RahRah]

I'm thinking if he was able to accomplish your appointment over the phone, why did he have you make an appointment in the first place?:confused:

 

:grouphug:

Dorinda

 

Insurance does not reimburse/pay for telephone consultation, plus the blood work may or may not need face-to-face discussion, he didn't know when the labs were drawn, so the appointment (routine follow-up) was scheduled the day the labs were drawn to be able to go over the findings when the lab returned the results.

[dancer67]

I'm thinking if he was able to accomplish your appointment over the phone, why did he have you make an appointment in the first place?:confused:

 

 

 

 

He actually told me today that I do not need to come in again after my next blood draw, that he can discuss my results over the phone. Geesh, why didn't he just say that 3 months ago?????

[kalphs]

:grouphug:

[Jean in Newcastle]

He actually told me today that I do not need to come in again after my next blood draw, that he can discuss my results over the phone. Geesh, why didn't he just say that 3 months ago?????

 

Frustrating, but now you've been saved a co-pay for today and for subsequent blood draws.

[dancer67]

Dancer, I was just in my doc's office today and he discussed with me that he thinks it's time for seriously considering an ablation. He said all the patients he'd heard of (in his group's practice, plus his wife is also a doctor) had a wonderful outcome and many, many asked, "Why did I wait so long to do this???" He drew blood today but said he thoroughly expected the levels to be low again. It's very hard to catch up on the iron stores if they're just getting washed out on a regular basis.

 

 

Abalation was offered as an option to me. But my GYN said that by some off chance I start up with bleeding again, and possibly heavy, that he cannot do another ablation because of scar tissue. I would lose my uterus. I am not willing to take that chance right now.

 

Especially since all my "woman" parts are healthy. It is just my hormones. I guess.

I am not to much of a heavy bleeder, but they do come closer together now. About ever 21-25 days now.

He said that is to close together. I used to be every 28 days.

And no, my iron is not going to catch up unless I plug up the leak, or go in for possibly more IV Iron every 4 months or so.

 

And who knows when menopause will be here.:confused:

[RahRah]

Dancer, I was just in my doc's office today and he discussed with me that he thinks it's time for seriously considering an ablation. He said all the patients he'd heard of (in his group's practice, plus his wife is also a doctor) had a wonderful outcome and many, many asked, "Why did I wait so long to do this???" He drew blood today but said he thoroughly expected the levels to be low again. It's very hard to catch up on the iron stores if they're just getting washed out on a regular basis.

 

Another option is antifibrinolytic medicines, they help to slow menstrual bleeding quickly...tranexamic acid (Lysteda) and aminocaproic acid (Amicar) are two available by prescription. The main advantage to antifibrinolytic medicines includes their ability to slows bleedin quickly (within two to three hours), you tale the medicine a few days each month (as needed) and they don't effect your chances of becoming pregnant.

 

There's also progestin pills as an option, or doing a course (three to six months) of GnRH agonists to "turn off" the ovaries (stop menstruation) to allow iron stores to increase and have time to decide longer term options.

[RahRah]

Abalation was offered as an option to me. But my GYN said that by some off chance I start up with bleeding again, and possibly heavy, that he cannot do another ablation because of scar tissue. I would lose my uterus. I am not willing to take that chance right now.

 

Especially since all my "woman" parts are healthy. It is just my hormones. I guess.

I am not to much of a heavy bleeder, but they do come closer together now. About ever 21-25 days now.

He said that is to close together. I used to be every 28 days.

And no, my iron is not going to catch up unless I plug up the leak, or go in for possibly more IV Iron every 4 months or so.

 

And who knows when menopause will be here.:confused:

 

Throughout my life, my cycle has been 24-days...the interval between your cycle isn't necessarily an issue, it's the intensity of the bleeding and the lueteal phase (time to period after ovulation). Are you seeing a GYN or an RE? If your doc is an GYN, I'd strongly suggest a second opinon at this point from an RE (reproductive endocrinology) who routinely deals with such issues.

[AuntieM]

Abalation was offered as an option to me. But my GYN said that by some off chance I start up with bleeding again, and possibly heavy, that he cannot do another ablation because of scar tissue. I would lose my uterus. I am not willing to take that chance right now.

 

Especially since all my "woman" parts are healthy. It is just my hormones. I guess.

I am not to much of a heavy bleeder, but they do come closer together now. About ever 21-25 days now.

He said that is to close together. I used to be every 28 days.

And no, my iron is not going to catch up unless I plug up the leak, or go in for possibly more IV Iron every 4 months or so.

 

And who knows when menopause will be here.:confused:

 

I'm guessing you are younger than I am. ;) I am 47, have 4 kids, and my husband had his prostate removed last year due to cancer. Our babymaking days are over, so that's not something I personally have to consider, but I can see how that may be an issue for you.

 

Another option is antifibrinolytic medicines, they help to slow menstrual bleeding quickly...tranexamic acid (Lysteda) and aminocaproic acid (Amicar) are two available by prescription. The main advantage to antifibrinolytic medicines includes their ability to slows bleedin quickly (within two to three hours), you tale the medicine a few days each month (as needed) and they don't effect your chances of becoming pregnant.

 

There's also progestin pills as an option, or doing a course (three to six months) of GnRH agonists to "turn off" the ovaries (stop menstruation) to allow iron stores to increase and have time to decide longer term options.

 

Under my circumstances, I think I may go with the ablation, but Dancer, maybe one of these alternatives would work for you. Thanks for the info, RahRah.

[dancer67]

Throughout my life, my cycle has been 24-days...the interval between your cycle isn't necessarily an issue, it's the intensity of the bleeding and the lueteal phase (time to period after ovulation). Are you seeing a GYN or an RE? If your doc is an GYN, I'd strongly suggest a second opinon at this point from an RE (reproductive endocrinology) who routinely deals with such issues.

 

 

No, my hematologist told me that because my periods come closer together now, every 21-25 days, my body does not have time to catch up with my iron stores.

 

My GYN offered the Mirena IUD.

 

I do not really know what constitutes a heavy period. I know that I wear an overnight pad for the first 2 days and have to change it every few hours.

 

If I were to wear a super tampon, for the first 2 days, it would last *maybe* a half hour before it leaked.

 

On the second night, I am wearing two overnight pads, and it will soak through both after 8 hours.

 

it has never been heavy to a point of not being able to leave the house though. No hemorrhaging. But I do pass some serious clots. Bleck.

 

I also had a GI workup. I have internal and external hemorrhoids. But those would not cause iron deficiency like your period does.

 

Oh, and I never heard of those prescription meds before. I will look into them.

[MamaBirdX7]

From my tiny bit of research for my own issues and the fact that your doctor prescribed Mirena and the fact that I don't know about you save the info in this thread, I am guessing you have low progesterone/ are estrogen dominant.

 

Have you already tried the oral meds route? Mirena has levonorgestrel, which is a synthetic derivative of the naturally occurring female sex hormone, progesterone. (googled the last sentence which is the reason for the odd bolding)

 

I was wondering if you've already have tried Prometrium which is a prescription only bioidentical progesterone oral supplement.

 

Just my first thought when I read this thread.

[dancer67]

From my tiny bit of research for my own issues and the fact that your doctor prescribed Mirena and the fact that I don't know about you save the info in this thread, I am guessing you have low progesterone/ are estrogen dominant.

 

Have you already tried the oral meds route? Mirena has levonorgestrel, which is a synthetic derivative of the naturally occurring female sex hormone, progesterone. (googled the last sentence which is the reason for the odd bolding)

 

I was wondering if you've already have tried Prometrium which is a prescription only bioidentical progesterone oral supplement.

 

Just my first thought when I read this thread.

 

 

I have heard of prometrium, but I thought this was a synthetic hormone?

Edited December 7, 2010 by dancer67