The Question of Immigration

I wrote the Dr's office noting the 2 month period seemed a bit too long to me. I asked if there was any possibility of my Dr. scheduling something earlier. If he couldn't I asked would it be possible for another physician at his practice to perform the procedure at an earlier date. I even suggested the name of a physician who had been on call when I landed in the emergency room.

My Dr's assistant came back and let me know that my Dr. was not in the office, but she would check. She then said that my suggestion as to using another surgeon would require something called a "transfer of care." She seemed to imply that such a thing was not done. I immediately wrote back asking was a "transfer of care" something special, as my main concern was to get my kidney stones removed and the catheter out of my back. I didn't mind who did it.

Within the hour, my Dr's scheduler contacted me and told me that my Dr could book an earlier date, Nov 14, if that would be workable for me. I told him that was OK. The Dr's assistant also sent me an email advising that she had heard from the scheduler and that everything was now in order.

I can only see two possible reasons for the change. 1) the Dr. took my complaint to heart and changed the schedule in order to accommodate me. 2) For a patient request and go through with a ''Transfer of Care" protocol is a serious black mark on a Dr's record. I guess changing Drs within the same large practice might look very bad. 

Now let's see if the Dr. maintains the Nov. 14th date and doesn't try to pull a fast one and go back to the Dec. 9th schedule. 

As you may recall, I do not worship the American Medical System as many here seem to do. To my mind, much of it is simply an assembly line at work. Note any time you call your Dr's office, the first thing the recording says is "if this is a medical emergency go to a hospital emergency room." I find this insufferable. If something was a true emergency, the person calling would likely already have contacted an emergency room. However, what is one to do when one feels nauseous, has a high fever and aches all over? Wait three weeks for an appointment? (By the way, I have little doubt that the "go to an emergency room" mantra is, in large part, to cover the practice's ass legally.)

I went to the hospital because it was an emergency. I knew it was an emergency because I have been through this before. I was given several pain killers and anti-inflamatory drugs within 10-20 minutes of my arrival at the hospital. I was on an operating table within about 8-10 hours and that procedure did not work. I then had a second procedure the next day at about 2 pm. No one explained this procedure to me and I told/complained to the anesthetist who was helping to wheel me to the operating room. I was rolled into a waiting cubical and someone came up and said something like "Ok, see you down in the op room." The anesthetist said, "No you won't. Send the surgeon up here to explain to Mr. Kung exactly what this procedure is and the risks."  I think this surprised whoever she was talking to. In any case, the Dr. came up and I had a long discussion with him about the procedure. Although I still had some mental reservations, I decided to go ahead and I was wheeled to the op room. Thank God for the anesthetist. She happened to be from Sherman, where I went to college.

The point is that none of this was "elective" surgery and nobody should have to wait for two months to have the follow up procedure. This procedure might not be completely successful and what am I to do, wait until spring to follow it up? I don't think so.

It is just ridiculous. Call a dentist's office and get a recorded message to go to the emergency room?

Ever-larger practices, ever-expanding hospitals, ever-tightening laws, ever-growing government controls. What's not to like about our medical system?