Is That Too Much to Ask?!

Okay, I'll warn you in advance. I'm annoyed and I'll probably curse, which may be funny, but I'm serious as a heart attack (which may also be funny, or not, given the circumstances). I mentioned a few weeks ago that I ended up in the hospital for a heart issue after going to the ER for something unrelated. I was supposed to follow up with the cardiologist, but I didn't get an actual diagnosis. Because of my stupid insurance -- never sign up for an HMO! -- I have to get a referral from my primary care doctor. I dutifully called him the day after I got out of the hospital and asked for a referral. His assistant called me back the same day and said she would "put in" for the referral. So I figured I'd have it within a few days.

Last Monday, a full week after my call for the referral, I went to my doctor for a check-up and he wanted to quiz me about the whole hospital thing. That's fine; I understand he needs to update my chart. I asked HIM about the referral and he assured me it would be ready by the time I left the office. In the meantime, during my check-up, I asked what my diagnosis had been from the cardiologist I saw in the hospital. (He didn't offer it up, but I wanted to know.) He said I have LVH, left ventricular hypertrophy. Of course, you know the first thing I did when I got home was look it up on the internet. It doesn't look like a good thing to have. I assume there are degrees of how not-a-good-thing it is, but I don't know much about that yet because I still haven't gotten my fucking referral to the cardiologist! I did learn that the condition is caused by high blood pressure, which I've had for one year. That doesn't seem to be enough time to develop such a condition. I don't know. Is it just starting? Is it bad? Someday I suppose I'll find out. And I haven't said anything about any of this to anyone except my sons. No need worrying everyone, especially when I don't how worried anyone should be, including me. Oh, and do you think all this waiting and worrying is doing my blood pressure any favors? Probably not.

Lest you're thinking, "Damn, I'd be on the phone every minute calling that office!" keep in mind that I've been working every day and my hours are about the same as the doctor's office's. Yesterday I called my primary care doctor's office and left a message with the "referrers". They didn't call back. Today I called the cardiologist's office and the staff person I spoke with was very nice and sympathetic. While I was on the phone with her, she sent an email to the "referrers" trying to light a fire under them. That was around 1:00 this afternoon. I still haven't gotten the referral. I'm pretty pissed. I'm working all day again tomorrow (with my scoring job, I have to have the phone line free while I'm on the clock), but if I don't hear anything by noon, I'm going to call my doctor's assistant again and tell her what's going on. I'm off on Thursday, although I do have a midday engagement. If I don't have my referral by then I swear I will go into the office and bother them until I get it. Motherfuckers. Sorry, and thanks. I feel better now.