annoyedI live in northeastern Connecticut, we have woods in our backyard, across the street, etc. We have three cats, all of which are allowed to go outside. Over the many years, with many cats, we've found probably hundreds of ticks, pulling possibly over a hundred off ourselves as well, both dog and deer ticks. For those who don't know, deer ticks are the ones that carry Lyme Disease. So far, we've been lucky not to catch it ourselves. Until now.
Thursday morning, I found a bulls-eye on my thigh, which is a textbook symptom of Lyme. I had my mom check it to make sure I wasn't being a hypochondriac, and she urged me to call the doctor ASAP, which I did. Made an appointment for later that day, and, sure enough, doctor said I had Lyme. Didn't even run bloodwork (yay, no needles!), just prescribed antibiotics, said I could start it that night. I caught it early, the only symptom was the bulls-eye, I'd probably be fine.
When I left the doctor's office, around 3, the receptionist said she would call in the prescription "right now". I went home to do a few things, then went to the pharmacy on the way to somewhere else to grab the meds around 5:30, only to find that they weren't called in. The doctor's office closed at 4, so I couldn't call and yell at them.
I was pissed right then. Didn't call it in when they promised, and didn't give me a paper scrip so I could get it filld myself. End it right there, I would have given them an earful. In fact, that was the plan--call them up in the morning, right after they opened at 9, and find out wtf and have them call it in now.
I called in the morning, and no one picked up.
No one picked up for two and a half hours.
I was megapissed. My mother was beyond. This was her baby we're talking about, and they were delaying her treatment!
Finally, I took Mom's advice, and I stayed on the line with the answering machine message to talk to someone at the answering service, which they ask you only do if you have an emergency. So I finally got to talk to a human being, albeit one without any medical training. She explained why no one was picking up at the doctor's office.
They were moving their offices and wouldn't be available until Tuesday.
Livid.
The answering service woman gave me the number for the on-call doctor, who hooked me up with my perscription. 24 hours after I was supposed to get it in the first place.
I have my meds now, started them yesterday, all is well with my treatment, but I am just beyond pissed with the doctor's office. Not even the doctor himself, as he was very nice and did everything he was supposed to do, but his office staff, who were the ones to actually drop the ball.
[o]They didn't call it in when they said
[o]They didn't tell me the day before that they were moving
[o]Their answering message says nothing about them moving, where they're moving to or that they're unavailable until Tuesday
Tuesday, I'm calling, and they're getting an earful. Grrr.
By the way, don't ever get Lyme Disease. It bites. :)