November 5, 2009

• it’s not a tuma.

  Well, it looks like a diagnosis of “retinal hemorrhage” was premature as today’s dr. appointment found none of any such thing. So we’re back to the other options: brain tumor or crazypants. Alternatively “migraines” was suggested to me.  I’ll go to my new doctor and find out. Good news, I got a neurologist appointment.  Mid December. Yeah.

  So, Group Health. Weird. They have this fabulous fancy new building in Bellevue. There’s a deep parking garage under ground. First hour of parking is free.  So, after that, you pay. To park. At your doctor’s office. In the suburbs. That’s just wrong. Even the shopping malls will validate your parking if you’re shopping there, right? I guess they’re still paying for the building. And that’s just the beginning of the wrong.  I go up to the third floor for my appointment, and you enter the floor there’s a big long hallway along the window wall on your right. There is seating along the window, and there are cubicle stations set up to your left for receptionists. Behind the receptionists are the doors to the rooms where you are treated.  So everyones sitting in this hallway area, and folks walk up to the reception to check in. And the ladies behind the cubicles take your information.  In the middle of everything.  There were a bunch of elderly folks going up and checking in. From where I sat, it sounded like this:  

  Receptionist: ARE YOU ON MEDICAID?

  Patient: mumble mshmumpble

  R: WAS THIS CAUSED BY A WORKPLACE INJURY?

  P: Msmdmfmsf smfdfas

  R: ARE YOU RECEIVING WORKMAN’S COMPENSATION?

  P: smdfmf mpmble

  R: ARE YOU ENTITLED TO BENEFITS UNDER THE VETERANS AFFAIRS BLAH BLAH BLAH.

  If my eyes weren’t dialated I  might have been able to understand what the patients were saying.  I don’t hear well when I can’t see. So, I guess patient confidentiality wasn’t a consideration when they were designing this joint. Or maybe they just forgot how sound travels? It was really weird and embarrassing.

  I’ll let you know how the brain tumor works out.

  • 9:14 pm
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