Medical malfunction

Every time I deal with the health care system, I come away frustrated and convinced that the medical establishment is a mess.

This morning at 7:00 a.m., I had an appointment for a follow-up blood test to make sure my hormone levels had dropped back to normal following my miscarriage last month. It should have been a super-quick stop. In fact, T just circled the block in the car with the boys while I ran in.

I stopped at the front desk to ask where the lab was, since I had forgotten since my visit four months ago. The information person assured me I had to go across the street and commented she was not even sure if the small lab in that part of the hospital even existed. I assured her that it had been in existence just a month ago. She sent me on to patient registration, where I sat impatiently while the workers chatted amongst themselves.

When I was finally summoned, the woman seemed very confused about why I was there and surprised even when my appointment did in fact show up in the computer. She also asked me if I should be going across the street. "I am pretty sure I am supposed to just go to the same lab I did last time," I said. She typed away, copied my insurance card again, printed out paperwork including some sort of plastic card and finally sent me on to the lab.

Once again the lab workers were confused about who I was and why I was there. Did I mention I did have an appointment? They shuffled through my papers, looked at my chart on the computer, and called someone. They said I needed to go up two floors to get a lab order from the OB clinic. Grr.

I walked up two floors, waited while the receptionist printed out a small sticker, and then went back down to the lab. Finally, finally, the drew my blood and that took about 30 seconds. Then it was back down four floors to call T who had been waiting for half an hour. So frustrating. I seriously considered just leaving since it was a minor test, and I am reasonably sure things are back to normal.

Isn't there an easier way? Imagine what goes on during complicated procedures. Scary thought.

--MM