Doctors Receptionist's Need To Back Off !

SpoonieLife

I'm going to start by saying I understand that receptionists have a job to do, but I draw the line at further questioning by them over my medication and yet again deciding whether I am an emergency ! Bad enough that they decide if I'm an emergency because they are not medically qualified to do that, nevermind questioning my medication ! !!

Here goes:

Since my trip to hospital the pain iv been in has been in the extreme category, my doc gave me Oramorph 10ml every 4hrs and told me to keep a pain diary. She instructed me to phone on Friday to see her.

Although as sometimes happens emergencys pop up and one did - I sall explain - on Wednesday my daughter who has been poorly for a while was having a kidney scan at the hospital so we'd been awake since 8am getting ready.

For reasons I don't need to go into my eldest son (17) and I had a huge argument while I was getting ready, leading to him throwing himself down onto his bed causing the huge mirror above his bed to fall on top of him.

His knuckle bleeding, I sent him to the local NHS Walk In Centre and left to take Paige for scan. An hour after getting home from the hospital I get a phonecall from youngest childs school "Ethan has fallen over and has had a rather nasty bump to his head can we please collect him (we did).

Next is a message from Jack he has been sent to Southport Hospital as what looked like 'a small cut' was turning out to be a whole lot more serious.  When the nurse examined his fnger a piece of cartlidge was 'just there hanging' so she removed it, there was also damage to the tendon and glass deep in the wound.

Soooooooo my pain that the Oramorph hadn't been dealing to well with, was off the wall, my spine felt like it was on fire spreading out into both scapula regions, into my shoulders, collar bone and both pectoral muscles - I describe this kind of pain as acid running through my bones and leaking into my muscles, a deep burning, radiating pain that STAYS no matter what I do or take.

Even though I felt calm my body was responding to everything going on, I sat clutching my chest with silent tears rolling down my cheeks (the pain was making me cry not what had happened).  I wrote in my pain diary I would be calling my doc first thing Friday to arrange an appointment and take the pain dary she had asked me to keep, due to lack of relief on Oramorph.

I went to work on Thursday, the woman I work with helped with set up of room etc as physically there was no way I could help her.  My phone is always turned off when I am working - I switched it on as soon as I'd left work and got a text from Jack "mom the hospital have rang, you need to have me at Whiston Hospital Plastic Surgery Unit for 7am tomorrow".

It clicked with me instantly I won't be able to see the doctor, shit what am I gona do so I rang there and then !  This is what hppened.

Me - hi  I need an urgent call back with doc please.

R - what for ?

Me - I need more morphine or run out over the weekend, my son has to be at Whiston for emergency plastic surgery on his hand for 7am tomorrow.

R - prescription requests take 48hrs, you can't just expect to phone a hour before we close and speak to doctor.

Me - iv jst explained its an emergency, I was meant to b calling tomorrow anyway as doctor wants to see me, but I wll be at Whiston Hospital. If I don't get more morphine I will run out of it.

R - you only had x amount on x dates

Me - not that its any of your business but doc gave me 3 bottles which equals 6 days so if I don't get anymore I am going to run out, I wouldn't of rang if not an urgent situation.

R - Ill book you in for call back tomorrow.

Me - I have just told you I cannot see her tomorrow I have to be at Whistom at 7am.

R - so what time do you have to leave (a totally stupid question as surgery only opens at 08.30 and I had already said I needed to be at Whiston FOR 07.00)

Me - 06.15

R - iv booked you in for between 10-11 am tomorrow for a call back.

Me - I wll b at Whiston hospital the doc wants to see my pain diary so she can work out my new morphine dose.

R - she can send the prescriptiom to a pharmacy near Whiston.

Me - your obviously not hearing m she wants to SEE my pain diary

R - like I said you can't call an hour before surgery ends and expect to see a doctor, Your surgery contact  IS booked for tomorrow morning !.

Me - (in my most sarcastic tone) thank you for ALL your help, I really appreciate that you have managed to offer me an appointment. I greatly appreciate that you listened to me !!!

At which point she mumbled something and then put the phone down.

And so we arise at 0515 leave at 06.15 and Jack is at Whiston hospital on time.  At 08.30 I receive a text from the surgery my telephone contact is at 10.25am.

My doc rang on time, I explained the whole situation to her - she asked questions about my pain diary, how much  relief was I getting from the Oramorph etc etc. I told the truth hoping she would believe me about how bad things had been.

At the end of the call she decided I was to go on slow release morphine tablets and only to use Oramorph for breakthrough pain.  I can't describe the relief I felt that she believed me without seeing the diary. I feel so lucky to have such an awesome doctor.

She could of refused to change or up dosage because the agreement had been I saw her in person with the diary to explain. it was a mssive relief to be believed.

I apologised for not being able to see her, her answer "being with your son while he has emergency surgery is understandable, accidents happen. You should of called as soon as you knew about his surgery"

Me - I found out at 16.30 yesterday and rang immediately (then explained what had hppened) !

What my doc said next surprised me " I am going to put a RED note on your notes saying if you phone and say its an emergency then you MUST be called back the same day as you rarely if ever call saying you need same day treatment"

What does that say to you, because I know what it said to me !?!