Wait, what? And more waiting.

Dr 8(a) gave me an order for a blood test for standard counts when I saw him early January.  He wanted to check the counts a little earlier, and of course the treatment lasted a little later (and was more spread out).  I got the blood work done yesterday but no one called.  I called this morning and one nurse couldn’t get in the system.  They had the admin person call me back.  The first this she told me was my counts were fine - and why shouldn’t they be, they were fine the day before treatment!  Yikes. They weren’t fine at this point in the chemo cycle the last two cycles, in fact they were so bad they immediately started treatment with packed red blood cells once and immunity boosting shots - and wanted to (but waited too late) the other time.  But not to worry the admin tells me she will ask the new temp Dr if I need another blood test this cycle or not.  That gives me such confidence!  NOT.

I wrote that 10 days ago.  Yesterday I saw a new Dr (let's call him 8c) and was seriously disappointed that it took an hour until I got vitals taken, and was reseated in the main waiting room.  Usually it's on to an exam room.  So I went and talked to the admin person and she said there were still two ahead of me.  So another hour wait?  Seriously?  I asked her if she ever called patients to tell them the Dr was behind and she said no.  Yikes.  She asked if I wanted to see a supervisor. Stupid question.

So the supervisor came over to talk to me and offered to jump me in line!  How does that fix the issue?  If the temporary Dr needs half hour appointments instead of twenty minute appointments they should increase appointment lengths, if he's staying until 7 to finish appointments that would stop patients from waiting for hours to see a Dr.  Same amount of time, same number of appointments.  She said she needed all the appointment slots.  I said same number of appointments, less time waiting for the Dr for the patients.  All she did was maintain party line.  So they kept telling me "Miss Liz" would come talk to me.  Whoever that is, she never did.

I liked Dr. 8c a lot.  We talked about a lot of options and got the schedule down for the next month.  I won't go to see another temp Dr without calling in first.  DHR admin has never showed that they care one whit about patients.  The Drs and nurses are awesome, but the admin sucks.  Fix the problem.  It's costing you Drs.

Round 3 - Ding Ding Ding!

I made it through round 3 of the 3rd chemo drug last week with little problem.  Dr 8(a) had reduced the treatments from 5 (daily M-F) to 3 days, and listened to my request for MWF treatment.  So far so good, no fever unlike past rounds with this drug.  That could still change though last cycle I was already feeling the effects of fever every afternoon and that treatment ended on a Thursday.  Here's hoping my counts stay up, but from the bruises blossoming on my left arm I don't think that's likely to happen.  Stay tuned.

The plan was to take it easy today since I made the trek to Estero Llano Grande State Park yesterday.  That plan went out the door when a Fork-tailed Flycatcher was found in Hidalgo Co. about 45 min drive away.  I headed out the door shortly after 3 PM and enjoyed good looks at this sometimes cooperative and sometimes almost roadkill bird.  Thanks to JY for finding it and HH for keeping an eye on it until I got there.  A new Hidalgo bird is hard come to by for me! 

Happy New Year!

Good news on 1/2, all counts are up.   Finally. 

I did the Bentsen CBC in the morning on 1/3, flushing a boat load of Sprague's Pipits with the help of Laura, Rick, May, Tom and and Connie at Anzalduas before more CBC birding and of course lunch at Taco Express.  Then it was off to my Drs appointment.  Thanks to Rick and May for coming over before their (finally) sunny Butterfly Hike, and Tom, Connie and Laura for finishing off the afternoon! 

I went in and saw Dr 8(a) again, evidently his last day as a temporary doctor in the practice.  The continuity helped and our discussion was good.  We've got a plan to go ahead with treatment and try to avoid the crashing blood counts  that could make an infection all but inevitable with time.  The best thing for me was while I was checking with the chemo scheduler about the changes (warning her of the Dr orders to come) chemo nurse Jocelyn came out and talked to me about the changes and how we will monitor my blood counts for the inevitable decline afterwards.  It is great to have her looking out for me. She's awesome!

My next appointment is with yet another new temporary Dr. And I've had appointments with a couple other new Drs that got moved up or changed.   The revolving door of temporary Drs is frustrating, it's a difficult situation for the patients and the Drs.  I have to start at square one (see, I've had this fever for 3 years now so that's nothing new...) and they have to scroll  through pages of medical history to catch up (in a 20 minute appointment slot). 

Onwards.