Due to all the bitching and moaning about the VA being slow, they were forced to start a new program. If they can't get you in for an appointment within 90 days, you have the choice of going to a civilian doctor and the VA will pay for it. I've normally had a colonoscopy every 5 years, but last year they found polyps, so it's an annual thing now. This year, I went into the VA and had the pre-surgery consultation, then they went to make an appointment for the procedure, only to find the earliest they could get me in was January 4, 2016, due to the fact the snowbirds are here for the winter and the VA is backed up. So, they said I had the right to request a civilian doctor if wanted. Heck, I called around and the civilian docs were as backed up as the VA, but I did find a local medical center that gave me an appointment for the last week of November. They sent me a letter with the procedure for "cleansing/prepping" and gave me an appointment date of 11/23 (Monday), so I went through the torture they prescribed (the VA had already mailed me the "meds") and ruined a good weekend.
Ok, I'm "cleansed", Lynn took the day off work to drive me and we showed up bright and early Monday morning. I went into an exam room, the nurse took my temp, b/p, weighed me ... then instructed me to wait for the doctor. After 15 mins. or so, the doc walks in, asks me if I have any questions, I informed him this isn't my first rodeo and told him I'm just ready to get it over with. He shook my hand and told me to see the nurse on the way out and she'd set up an appointment. Huh? "Appointment for WHAT?", I asked.
He said, "For the procedure!" WTF, why was I there now? He said that was just for the "consultation"! (like asking me if I have any questions was a frigging "consultation"!) I told him I'd already had the consultation and I spent the whole weekend on the crapper to have the procedure done TODAY! He looked through the file the VA had sent him and noticed, yes ... I had already had a consultation. Sorry, see the nurse at the desk for an appointment. I was pissed, but what can I do? I went to the desk and the nurse was a snotty little bitch since I'd complained to the doc that the paperwork they sent me mentioned NOTHING about a consultation, it just had the prep instructions and said to come in on that date. How was I supposed to know? Seems she was the one who sent me the paperwork. She gave me a date of December 23 for the procedure. WTF? Two days before frigging Christmas? We have a big party planned for Christmas Eve. In her bitchy tone, I was told to "take it or leave it" so to speak. (she actually told me that's my date, I can cancel if I want)
I came home, called the VA and asked if my Jan. 4 appointment was still available. They said they didn't cancel it in case there was a problem. I told them I'd be there on the 4th and to please send me a replacement prep kit as I used the other one for "practice"! They actually over-nighted the prep kit! I called the civilian doc's bitch receptionist, accused them of duplicating the bogus "consultation" just so they could bill the VA for their "services", and cancelled my 12/23 appointment!
Again I say, for those who bitch about government fuck-ups, the civilian arm ain't any better! Ain't much difference between December 23 and January 4, so I took it! PLUS, the VA has their shit together and knows WTF is going on.
That said, tomorrow (Saturday) lunch will be my last meal until lunch on Monday.
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