I'll spare you some of the details, but I thought I would let you visualize Helen Kirkwood marching around the halls of Madigan Medical Mall with fire in her eyes.
After waiting a total of 1 1/2 hours, encountering an assistant who could neither make the scale work nor read the answers on my questionnaire and not having laid eyes on my caregiver, Ms. DelaRosa, I grabbed up my handbag, opened the door of the examining room and marched out!! I lurched to a stop at the receptionist's desk long enought to learn that I could find the chief of the Internal Medicine Clinic on the second floor. So up the stairs I went in search of Col. McGuire whose name was on the letter I had received directing me to make today's appointment.
Not knowing where I might find the elusive Col. McGuire, I decided to enter through the double glass doors identified as "Command something" and trod upon the flowers of the carpeted hallway looking for directions (remember this is the U.S. Army and there aren't many flowers so you know I was on hallowed ground). I stopped two young women, one in uniform and the other a civilian employee, for directions to Col. McGuire, and with a panicked look on their faces said they didn't know but they would take me down the hall to the secretary who would surely know. So they escorted me through some more glass doors to inquire as to the location of the colonel. Either the look on my face or the steel in my voice seemed to get everyone's attention and I think they were thinking to themselves they really wanted to get me out of there before I accosted some general. The nearest woman picked up the phone and quickly dialed the patient ombudsman, Ernestine, and handed the phone to me. I only got through about two sentences when Ernestine said she would come up and get me!!
All the while as we walked back downstairs, Ernestine was telling me how they want all their patients to be happy!! And it seems Col. McGuire was just the acting chief, and Col. Vilner was the current chief.............but he was in a meeting.
After speaking with Ernestine, and she in turn talking to her boss (who is one level down from the chief), the second in command said she was going out to the clinic to talk to Ms DelaRosa. She then returned to say both Ms DelaRosa, AND HER SUPERVISOR, Dr. Bales were in an office and invited me to go with her to speak to the two of them.
With some profuse apologies from my caregiver, and some further explanations from her supervisor, Dr. Bales (who had been my previous caregiver, and I LOVED him), I pretty much accepted apologies and explanations and returned to the clinic with the caregiver to proceed with the appointment that was to have taken place two hours earlier. Even at that, it wasn't a particularly stellar encounter, but it will suffice for now.
I understand all about busy doctors and clinics, but there had been some other poor communication prior to my appointment so I went into today's appointment already loaded for bear so as the clock kept ticking away, my blood pressure kept rising until I decided to take it upon myself to do some marching!
Fortunately, I had "dressed" for this appointment so looked pretty no-nonsense in black pants and shirt and aqua blue silk jacket. I would like to think that helped my credibility, and I thought it might be fun to put on the same outfit and walk down those same halls tomorrow to watch the looks on faces!!! Ciao
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Beautiful fall
I love this time of year, and the last few days have been beautiful with blue sky, sunshine, and turning leaves. But this afternoon it is back to reality..........rain. That just gives a reason to turn the lamps on low, build a fire in the fireplace and snuggle up with a quilt and a book.
Ken is continuing to improve with a final diagnosis of amyotrophy (caused by the diabetes) as evidenced by a sudden onset of pain in the hip and thigh. But he continues to improve and has completed a month's worth of PT. We have charged headlong into the diabetic diet routine and all is working well. He is at the very low end of the scale, and a few years ago he would not have even been considered to be diabetic.
This past Monday was Colleen's birthday which we celebrated on Saturday with her requestd menu of stew, bread and apple crisp. A pretty easy meal from my perspective. Craig, Cassie and Greta joined us as well as three new faces; Jim and his daughters Noa and Ani.
Colleen and Jim have been a twosome since summer, but I have tried to mind my own business and not get too involved:)!! He lives in Seattle and lost his wife about 3 1/2 years ago so he has been a (super) single parent to the girls who are ten and twelves. We have known Jim for ages as he was Brian's best friend when they were in college at UW and we have always been very fond of him.
Jim has included Colleen in several recent social events where she has met his friends and the folks from his office. In August they spent four days in San Francisco, and this coming weekend they are going to one of the San Juan islands for an annual get-together with friends of his. We are very happy for both of them and are thrilled to have him and his girls be a part of our lives.
Ken is keeping himself occupied by shopping for a new-to-us used diesel-pusher. I am still very content with our current coach, but he would really like the diesel engine. With the wonder of the internet, he has been shopping the entire country, and I see a real possibility of our making a quick trip to Iowa or Minnesota or some other far-flung state should the right rig become available.
I mentioned in a previous blog that we had not seen the Schulers since last Christmas, so they are coming on Saturday for a short two-day visit. She and I use our October birthdays as an excuse to get together this time of year, and we are looking forward to seeing them.
Our friends the Ouseys have been threatening to come and see us, and I think I have convinced them that they need to act on their threats. We are hoping they will come for a visit later on this month. And then we will see them again when we all get to the desert in January (although we hope to leave here right after Thanksgiving).
We had a good time in Prosser on our little mini-vacation last month, and the wine cellar is replenished. I love that part of the state with all the green fields and vineyards. We stopped in Kennewick to visit with my cousin, Ellen Jean, who is about 90 years old and cute as can be. She has had two broken wrists and a broken hip, but she is on her feet and perky as can be. She can't be bothered with staying down.
Happy Halloween. Ciao
Ken is continuing to improve with a final diagnosis of amyotrophy (caused by the diabetes) as evidenced by a sudden onset of pain in the hip and thigh. But he continues to improve and has completed a month's worth of PT. We have charged headlong into the diabetic diet routine and all is working well. He is at the very low end of the scale, and a few years ago he would not have even been considered to be diabetic.
This past Monday was Colleen's birthday which we celebrated on Saturday with her requestd menu of stew, bread and apple crisp. A pretty easy meal from my perspective. Craig, Cassie and Greta joined us as well as three new faces; Jim and his daughters Noa and Ani.
Colleen and Jim have been a twosome since summer, but I have tried to mind my own business and not get too involved:)!! He lives in Seattle and lost his wife about 3 1/2 years ago so he has been a (super) single parent to the girls who are ten and twelves. We have known Jim for ages as he was Brian's best friend when they were in college at UW and we have always been very fond of him.
Jim has included Colleen in several recent social events where she has met his friends and the folks from his office. In August they spent four days in San Francisco, and this coming weekend they are going to one of the San Juan islands for an annual get-together with friends of his. We are very happy for both of them and are thrilled to have him and his girls be a part of our lives.
Ken is keeping himself occupied by shopping for a new-to-us used diesel-pusher. I am still very content with our current coach, but he would really like the diesel engine. With the wonder of the internet, he has been shopping the entire country, and I see a real possibility of our making a quick trip to Iowa or Minnesota or some other far-flung state should the right rig become available.
I mentioned in a previous blog that we had not seen the Schulers since last Christmas, so they are coming on Saturday for a short two-day visit. She and I use our October birthdays as an excuse to get together this time of year, and we are looking forward to seeing them.
Our friends the Ouseys have been threatening to come and see us, and I think I have convinced them that they need to act on their threats. We are hoping they will come for a visit later on this month. And then we will see them again when we all get to the desert in January (although we hope to leave here right after Thanksgiving).
We had a good time in Prosser on our little mini-vacation last month, and the wine cellar is replenished. I love that part of the state with all the green fields and vineyards. We stopped in Kennewick to visit with my cousin, Ellen Jean, who is about 90 years old and cute as can be. She has had two broken wrists and a broken hip, but she is on her feet and perky as can be. She can't be bothered with staying down.
Happy Halloween. Ciao
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