Doctors Need to Learn Customer Service

I'll start by apologizing for being long-winded and whiny, but I need to vent. I have been dealing with random hair issues on and off since I was a teenager, and they have flared up over the past year. Since it didn't work itself out, I figured it was time to see a doctor to make sure there weren't any underlying issues. Thinking I needed a referral (which it turns out I didn't, but oh well), I went to my primary care physician. Now I am bad about going to the doctors, and I hadn't had blood work in too many years (and I know the importance of knowing your numbers - I do at least track my blood pressure). It was a big step for me to make the appointment, but I did it.

My doctor did have blood work done and gave me a referral to a dermatologist. He gave me the choice of 2 dermatologists - one would take a few months to get into and the other was a little rough around the edges, but he would be able to treat me sooner and my doctor had faith he would do a good job, so I decided to go with the second doctor.

At this point, I was feeling good about my effort to at least go to the doctor, and I felt optimistic that maybe I would be able to get some help. And then it all went downhill... I told my mom about the dermatologist I was going to, and she groaned and stated she didn't like him when she saw him. Now this should have been a real red flag for me - my mom and I are pretty easy going and have similar tolerance levels for people. Still, I moved forward and had an appointment.

My primary asked me to call him back in 4-5 days for the results of my blood work. Tip #1 for doctors - you should take the initiative to call your patients with this info when you receive it and not expect them to have to call you. Anyways - I called 4 business days later and the receptionist told me the doctor wasn't in - please call back the next day. Again, my number should have been written down and the doctor should have called me, but oh well. At this point I'm still feeling optimistic...

The next day, I call my doctor, and the receptionist asks me to "please hold" and places me on hold - for 12 minutes (without any on hold music, so I had to keep checking that I hadn't accidentally hung up). She then returns and asks why I'm calling - I give her my name and tell her I am calling for blood work results. "OK, please hold for a moment..." 15 minutes later I hang up the phone and try to call her back to give her my number to have the doctor call me when he is available. When she answers she doesn't ask who I am, why I am calling, or any of that - she says "Can you please hold?" and, without waiting for an answer to her question, puts me back on hold - so I hung up again. I again stand by the idea that my number should have been taken and the doctor should have called me back when he was available. What if I had serious symptoms? What if something was wrong? Isn't your doctor supposed to care about you and your time? Isn't his staff supposed to care?

So about 20 minutes later, my mom calls to tell me the doctor just called her with results (which they couldn't give her, because she is not me). Now about a year ago, I dealt with some serious trauma, so I was living at my parents house for a month, but I know they have my cell phone number. If they had asked for it the first 3 times I called, this never would have happened. So, I call them back (again), and my favorite receptionist answers. I explain she called the wrong number, so she says "We should update that" - when I give her my number, she states "Oh, that is the number we have in the computer, I must have gotten the other number from an old chart" (grrrr) "Please hold and I'll get the doctor for you..." (Grrrr again) - 15 minutes of silent on hold, I hang up. The doctor never called me back - I had to call him another day for the results (which were all good, so at least there is happy news there).

I know I'm being long winded, but I'm not done. Now that I know my thyroid is all good and my numbers are good, I am prepared for the dermatologist appointment, still feeling optimistic. I went yesterday, and I was not impressed. The initial office staff was good, but when I got back into the exam room, the doctor entered without knocking, asked a rapid fire set of questions, responded to my answers by talking medical speak to the assistant with him, who was entering it in the computer, told me things I already knew about my hair, and decided I needed monthly cortisone shots in my scalp... Ouch! OK, this is fine - I can handle this. He then told me, again, things I already knew about my hair and proceeded to prick me with needles (at this point, he thought he would start asking about my work and me as a person - too late!) It hurt, and I really disliked him, and I was feeling really disheartened by the whole thing, and I just wanted to cry. He left by saying "see you in 4 weeks" (no "have a nice day" "it was nice meeting you" or even "thanks for coming in, we can help you with this"). I doubt he even remembers me today - he never took any time to get to know who I was beyond my hair issues.

Anyone who knows me, knows I am a super emotional person, and I wanted to curl up in a ball and cry. I know I had visible tears in my eyes, but the assistant in the office just said "exit is to the left." I feel like a more appropriate answer would have been "we can help with this, take a moment to relax and then you can head out to check out. The door is on your left." Basic courtesy is the start of customer service, and, again, doctors and their staff are supposed to care about their patients...

The receptionist didn't acknowledge my level of distraught either - she just made my appointment for 4 weeks later and handed me my receipt (they had taken payment before I even saw the doctor). I then proceeded to walk to my car and cry for most of the 45 minute ride back to work. Needless to say, I am calling to cancel the follow up appointment in four weeks and I will never go back to that office again.

Anyone know of a good doctor and/or dermatologist I could go see?

How do I help?

It's been a wild ride here in upstate NY. The weather has been unpredictable, and people's lives have been changed forever. Hurricane Irene caused flooding, and now we are dealing with rivers and creeks rising again due to the rain we have gotten today. I cannot even fathom what the people are dealing with who have lost their homes, livelihoods, and other possessions that are irreplaceable. How can we help? How can we comfort them? What can we do?

There are a lot of different ways we can help, and the real issue is how do we find what is right for each individual? I'll admit, I am afraid to venture to the flood ravished areas, and I'm not sure how effective I would be volunteering directly there. Maybe that makes me a coward; maybe it makes me a realist; it definitely makes me a person who refuses to go somewhere just to see the damage. The idea that mother nature can have that power, and that people are helpless at this time, is a bit too much for me to handle. Still, I need to do something. I am donating food and other goods where I can. I'm collecting for others to donate for them. Still, we need to band together and help these victims. We need to rebuild like the strong American people we are. I'm sure the people effected will do just that; I just hope they get a break soon to start rebuilding.

Outlook

I am happy to be starting a new week! I could do a run down of something not so good that happened every day last week, Monday - Friday, which left me feeling emotional and raw. It didn't, however, stop me from having a blast this weekend with family and friends. Life truly is about your outlook, and I managed to prove that to myself. Things turn around and get better - you just need to know when to take a break and step back from the craziness that is your day to day life. So, even though I'm feeling better overall about life, here goes a rehashing of some of the events and emotions that were last week for me.

Even when things look grim, family is there to pull you out and save you, whether with a well placed phone call, a hug, or even providing the resources to make something work out. I am blessed to have the family I do to help me through anything that comes up.

I'm worried that my back has been hurting for almost 3 weeks now, and my high heals may be part of the issue. I am going to drag myself to the doctor, though, and let him tell me how to fix it and what not to do. Hopefully the heals are fine :-)

I'm sad I wasn't able to join my friends for a wild ride at the Warrior Dash this weekend, but I had to realize that I can't push myself right now (which actually gets me mad). They did keep me posted with awesome stories, so next year I can take on that challenge.

A round of golf with a friend you haven't seen in years is a great way to relieve stress. It's even better when other friends are able to join you.

A lesson reinforced (because I have learned it many times): Your hair can be your best friend or your worst enemy - make the most out of what you have.

There are some things out of your control - it's OK to feel upset about them, but it isn't OK to dwell on these feelings or let them manifest into a negative outlook. Worry about your loved one who has to have a small procedure done - send some love and prayers their way and trust they will be ok.

Biggest trend from last week for me: Stay positive and keep moving - good things will come your way. And when all else fails, buy yourself some fabulous new shoes (which I have amazingly been able to avoid doing this past week).

Best Laid Plans

We spend so much time planning life - planning our careers, weekend getaways, weekly meal plans, you name it. I am a planner. I like to know when I am supposed to be certain places, what is expected of me, etc. Still, this weekend reminded me how much fun things going against the meticulous plan can be a true blessing in disguise.

The plan - I would head down to the Culinary Institute of America with three friends for a fun filled day of good food and great company. I had looked at the website many times to prepare, and I was excited for the day. The one thing I didn't do (the one thing none of us going on this adventure did) was click on the link that listed the closings for the CIA. We drove almost 2 hours to see a barrier across the entry way and a sign saying they would open up August 3rd. We drove around a bit (until the security guard asked us to leave) and then needed to find a new adventure.

If I had been with other people, with other personalities, this would have been a disaster. It wasn't, though. We stopped at a historical site and a facebook update helped me connect with a friend I hadn't seen in over 10 years who was nearby, and we met up for lunch. We all laughed a lot. After lunch, we did some shopping, found a great Mexican restaurant where they made the guacamole at the table for you, and did some more shopping. It was a great day, and I think I can speak for everyone involved that we had a blast.

Sometimes, planning is overrated!

Self Help Books

As many of you know, Borders is closing. This is very sad for me - I love a good book, and spending some time searching for my next treasure in a bookstore is a favorite activity of mine. I know, I should be supporting local bookstores (which I do), but Borders has been my go-to large bookstore for years, and I'm sad to see it go. (I'm also an avid kindle user, which I also know is one of the things that has made Borders a soon to be thing of the past).

Anyways, where I am going with this is actually a rant about self help books. I decided to hit up my local Borders to check out their deals as they go out of business (I am sad to see them go, but I'm a sucker for a good deal). They have bargain books in front, and one of them was a self help "find your inner and outer beauty" book/manual/guide/faithful companion, etc. And... It was only $3.99 (plus 10% off that!!!)

So I bought the book. On the way home, though, I started thinking about all the money I have spent on books to better myself, even though I have to say I really like who I am. I'm know there are things I would like to change - I could lose a few pounds, I could drink less caffeine, I could learn to be a little less stubborn and independent, blah blah blah. The key is, I know what I would like to change, and I also know how to change these things through determination, but I'm overall happy with my life and who I am, so I don't bother. So why do I keep buying books that have quick fixes in them (that never work)? Maybe that is what I need to change about myself - stop spending money on self help books!

I may read through this book, or I may add it to the pile on my coffee table (right on top of a weight loss book for busy professionals I bought at Marshall's for $3.99) and forget about it until I make room for it on my book case. I'll let you know how I make out.

In the meantime, I was able to resist a 2012 calendar full of pictures of shoes (it wasn't a great deal), so if anyone wants to pick that up for me feel free.

Happy weekend!

Parking Lot Madness

I went to the ballet last night (which was amazing by the way - if you get a chance to see Jewels go). The company was great, the dancing was breathtaking, and once it stopped raining the night was gorgeous (if a little chilly and buggy). Overall, successful evening. Until I got in my car to leave...

People tend to complain about "younger drivers" being overly aggressive, not knowing how to drive, and so forth. Well, the majority of the drivers in the parking lot were not "younger" (not that they were old), and they did not know basic concert parking lot etiquette (let one car out, go a ways, and possibly let another car come out, and so forth). If everyone is courteous and calm, the cars will easily get out with minimal waiting. This did not happen last night. There were cars right on other car's bumpers, and no one wanted to let others out. There were cars trying to back out of spots. It was overall a mess.

So, although the "younger drivers" may have some bad habits - we can learn from their concert parking lot exit etiquette.

Birthday Gifts

It's my birthday month! Birthdays are an awesome time to celebrate everything that is exciting about life, and I find there is more and more to be thankful for each year. Yes, there are things I would like to change about my life, and things I wish I had already done, but I am genuinely happy with where I am in life, and I'm excited for what the next year will bring. So I'm not going to let any regrets or thoughts about what I have yet to do get me down at all.

Besides, how can you be at all down when your favorite stores are sending you amazing gift certificates to entice you in (where you will spend more than the certificate is for, but you have the joy of shopping). I received my Starbucks drink card in the mail today - that is definitely a favorite of mine. All of the love coming my way from people who don't even know me - it rocks!

So I bought myself my first birthday present today - which was (of course) shoes. They are adorable and comfortable, and I can't wait to wear them to my friend's wedding this Friday. Life is good and I am thankful for so much. What do you think about my new shoes?