topic Re: Does this make sense? in Community Chat

Does this make sense?

Shorty2U — Tue, 22 Apr 2014 17:56:06 GMT

Eye Dr calls me about cataract appt. this morning. Oh we cant see you next week @ 3 at your initial appt. We got your report and you need to see other Dr (not the one you were going to see) and the appts are 2 hours and we close at 5.

So I said then why didn't you tell me that when I made the appt in the first place? I said I have blurred vision, never got new glasses because they sent me to you for cataracts, and said why get glasses when you will need them changed after surgery?

So I said LOOK I cant come before 3 my husband works and I have no one to bring me everyone else works, (I no longer drive due to other health issues).

So anyway she calls back later and says I can come in mid MAY at 3...lol. Makes no sense! She said they cant see me at 3 next week now she gets me in at 3 in MAY. lol.

I took the appt because what choice do I have? But I said now I have to have blurred vision for another month or more!

I have my puter screen blown up to 5X the size it should be. I cant see with my old glasses on to watch tv, or on the puter, and have to take them OFF but must wear glasses to read (that they work for but not distance).

Oh well I have to wait but had I known all this in the first place I would have went someplace ELSE!

More incompetent office people. I deal with this all the time. I feel like opening my own outsourcing business at home. I could set up appts and stuff from home and do a better job then the people I deal with at Dr offices on a daily basis! lol.

Re: Does this make sense?

SeaGal — Tue, 22 Apr 2014 19:08:14 GMT

Yah I would be peaved, 'specially since you probably waited a month for the original appt.

Sometimes they need to schedule a proceedure on someone at the expense of another patient. I wonder if that is what happened. Yah, I would be peaved, did I already say that!

Re: Does this make sense?

stilltamn8r — Tue, 22 Apr 2014 19:21:42 GMT

Its not too late- you can still go somewhere else!

At least she TRIED to accommodate your 3 pm apt even if it meant mid may, look at it that way.. - I am sure that is the way she sees it anyway- Is there some kind of medical transport service that could get you there since your husband is working? Or maybe some type of dial a ride?

Re: Does this make sense?

Shorty2U — Tue, 22 Apr 2014 20:15:55 GMT

On 4/22/2014 stilltamn8r said:
Its not too late- you can still go somewhere else!

At least she TRIED to accommodate your 3 pm apt even if it meant mid may, look at it that way.. - I am sure that is the way she sees it anyway- Is there some kind of medical transport service that could get you there since your husband is working? Or maybe some type of dial a ride?

From the OP- This is true she did accommodate me in the end but I just wish she would have told me when I called the first time. lol. I get wound up because my pain Dr and all (except for my family DR, theyre great) always mess up my appointments and scripts etc. and now it happened at the "new" eye Dr appt. The only service I know around here to take people is the "special" bus service at the next city (25 miles away) and you have to be on Medicare which Im not. We live in the country there are no buses here on a "regular scheduele" or cabs or I would use those. I wanted to go here because my dad and others I know went here. I will wait it out even though it makes no sense to me @ all. Also on their website it states they are open until 7 two nights. But maybe they save those appts for working patients or something? Who knows.

Re: Does this make sense?

chrystaltree — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 01:53:58 GMT

You haven't had the surgery yet, you can still go to another doc.

Re: Does this make sense?

NoelSeven — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 01:58:48 GMT

Maybe you finally got in because someone else canceled.

I can totally understand what you're going through... I've been going though something similar since the end of last December. I had to wait months for an optometry appointment in order to give my eyes time to heal.

It is so frustrating! Hang in there, that's what I'm doing

Re: Does this make sense?

Chalcedony — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 02:03:10 GMT

It sounds like the issue with scheduling may be with the doctor that you now need to see, but perhaps not the original one. Maybe the original doctor could accommodate the requested time slot, but the second doctor could not - and it wasn't known that you needed to see the other doctor until the report came back. Circumstances change and adjustments sometimes need to be made - it doesn't mean everyone is incompetent.

Re: Does this make sense?

Allegheny — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 04:32:05 GMT

On 4/22/2014 Chalcedony said: It sounds like the issue with scheduling may be with the doctor that you now need to see, but perhaps not the original one. Maybe the original doctor could accommodate the requested time slot, but the second doctor could not - and it wasn't known that you needed to see the other doctor until the report came back. Circumstances change and adjustments sometimes need to be made - it doesn't mean everyone is incompetent.

I tend to think this is the situation. The doctor they originally scheduled you with may not be the most appropriate one for your vision issue and they were not aware of this until they got the report from your referring doctor.

I just saw the opthalmologist Monday for cataracts. I called last week highly expecting not to get an appointment for at least six months at the location my husband goes to. I was a self referral and advised them I knew I had cataracts and was starting to have vision issues. When I called the centralized scheduling unit; they told me they could schedule me at a different location if I was willing. Actually the office they scheduled me at was closer to our home. I was there from 9:30am to 12:00pm. I have a dense cataract in my right eye and a moderate level one in the left. My right eye will be done first. I do not know when the surgery will be performed, as I have to be seen again to determine the type of lens that will be placed. After that appointment the surgery will be scheduled. We did not even discuss the status of the left eye, as she wants to see how I recover in the right eye. My biggest frustration will probably be not being able to see until I am able to get new glasses after the surgery.

I am so sorry your appointments are not proceeding as you hoped. I am sure once you get examined things will speed up drastically. Since I have to return again for the lens test, you might want to check with them now to see if they can determine the lens type the same day as your exam.

Re: Does this make sense?

ennui1 — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 06:01:07 GMT

On 4/22/2014 stilltamn8r said:
Its not too late- you can still go somewhere else!

This really depends on where you live ... maybe there isn't anyone else. People in smaller towns and rural areas don't have as many choices.

Re: Does this make sense?

skuggles — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 06:11:12 GMT

That stinks. I'd go nuts. I don't have particularly good vision, and I know what a hardship it can be without correction.

Re: Does this make sense?

VanSleepy — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 06:14:28 GMT

What is it that you think they should have told you ""in the first place""? They got your report and determined you needed to see someone other than you scheduled in the first place. The new Dr. didn't have a 3:00 appt. until May.

Re: Does this make sense?

Shorty2U — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 06:28:07 GMT

On 4/22/2014 VanSleepy said: What is it that you think they should have told you "in the first place"? They got your report and determined you needed to see someone other than you scheduled in the first place. The new Dr. didn't have a 3:00 appt. until May.

They should have told me they needed my records to set up an apt with the appropriate Dr (when I originally made my apt) then set the appt. But they set it up before my records were "faxed"

They said no 3PM appts at ALL, but made the first one @ 3, then argued with me when I wanted the "new" one @ 3. So that's what I meant by does this make sense (the no 3PM appts the 2nd time after originally setting me up @ 3 before they cancelled)

PS I got my papers today to fill out. They have on there prices for lenses when they do the cataracts to pay money to get better lenses that are NOT covered by insurance. The lenses are over 1 grand on up. Yes I can go with just the FREE lenses to fix the cataracts but it says I will still probably need glasses. You learn something new every day. I didn't know their were "choices" so I hope the free lense isn't junk. I will be asking LOTS of questions @ my appt.

Anyway I will stick with them (unless I go and don't like the place) but I hear good things, and my dad went there, thus I picked this place.

Thank you for the replies.

Re: Does this make sense?

VanSleepy — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 06:38:41 GMT

Well good luck, Shorty. I chuckled to myself when you said the appts. are 2 hours. My husband can't get out of the ophthalmologist's office in less than 3 hours! Which, of course, means me too since I have to drive him home.

Re: Does this make sense?

stevieb — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 11:40:18 GMT

It's frustrating, I know, but perhaps that is the only time they could work in a late day appointment.

Re: Does this make sense?

CouponQueen — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 12:44:39 GMT

You don't know they are imcompetent, that is totally unfair.

It sounds like they did not know what you actually needed until they received the actual medical reports and once they did - you could not see the MD you have been scheduled with ..and had to see the other one based on your need and that MD could not accommodate you next week at 3 pm.

The MD you first had an Appt with could meet your schedule..and the 2nd one could not.

Your appt is not until May you have time to find another MD.

They are not incompetent in this case. You can only come at a certain time - that is on you not them.

Re: Does this make sense?

RINGER — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 12:50:53 GMT

Common sense should prevail and for you to take your records when you FIND A NEW DOCTOR who doesn't jerk you around.

Re: Does this make sense?

muttmom — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 13:17:47 GMT

It does sound like the report they received indicated you needed a doctor with a different specialty so it was necessary to change your appointment. Maybe this doctor is already booked, or going on vacation. Because their online add indicates they are open 2 nights, does not mean all doctors work at night. Waiting until mid-May is not all that long for a specialist.

Maybe your husband can leave work early or your son or daughter could drive you. Then they may accommodate you sooner.

Good luck.

Re: Does this make sense?

brii — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 14:01:13 GMT

I don't understand why they were incompetent???

Re: Does this make sense?

Allegheny — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 15:40:26 GMT

On 4/23/2014 RINGER said:
Common sense should prevail and for you to take your records when you FIND A NEW DOCTOR who doesn't jerk you around.

I didn't take my any records with me. My records would have been of no value to them as it was just a standard eye exam by an optometrist. She was interested in seeing records from Lasik procedure done over 10 years back if I could get them, but if I couldn't that was not going to stop progress.

Re: Does this make sense?

Allegheny — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 16:04:32 GMT

On 4/22/2014 Shorty2U said:
On 4/22/2014 VanSleepy said: What is it that you think they should have told you "in the first place"? They got your report and determined you needed to see someone other than you scheduled in the first place. The new Dr. didn't have a 3:00 appt. until May.

They should have told me they needed my records to set up an apt with the appropriate Dr (when I originally made my apt) then set the appt. But they set it up before my records were "faxed"

They said no 3PM appts at ALL, but made the first one @ 3, then argued with me when I wanted the "new" one @ 3. So that's what I meant by does this make sense (the no 3PM appts the 2nd time after originally setting me up @ 3 before they cancelled)

PS I got my papers today to fill out. They have on there prices for lenses when they do the cataracts to pay money to get better lenses that are NOT covered by insurance. The lenses are over 1 grand on up. Yes I can go with just the FREE lenses to fix the cataracts but it says I will still probably need glasses. You learn something new every day. I didn't know their were "choices" so I hope the free lense isn't junk. I will be asking LOTS of questions @ my appt.

Anyway I will stick with them (unless I go and don't like the place) but I hear good things, and my dad went there, thus I picked this place.

Thank you for the replies.

Wow! The doctor told me (because of previous corrective eye surgeries) that I would not have options regarding special lenses, but they would do their best to determine which one would work, hence the upcoming appointment for a lens test. I am not Medicare eligible yet and have no idea what my insurance will cover related to the surgery and lens. I am almost afraid to find out. All I know is I have to proceed regardless of the cost. I will still need to wear glasses, but I don't care I just hope for vision better than it is now.