Tuesday, July 5, 2011

PA doctors

I have to write this down because if not, I'm afraid of what I may do. Moved here May 4. Saw Primary care doctor May 6 for initial visit. Covered everything and I asked for a letter so that I could obtain transport instead of having to use public transportation. This transport is called ACCESS. The vans, trucks ride all around the city and every time I see one, they are freakin empty, just like in NY. I wait 3 weeks and call doctors office, leave a message-where is the letter? 2 days letter a piece of incoherent bullshit arrives that says nothing of the draft he asked me to write for him-he has no time to devote to writing letters. I sat in the waiting room after a 2 hour appt and wrote a letter for him. Where that letter went I donno, but it wasnt what he used. No diagnosis, no prognosis, just a mention of comordity limiting my ability to be mobile and he is asking that I please be given ACCESS priviledges-the tone of his letter was as if the ACCESS staff would know who he is and just seeeing his name would be grounds to give me ACCESS. The forms were returned within days, the letter rejected. I called the office again and was put to speak with a woman with an Islamic name, but she's African American, a convert most likely. This was June 25. She said, draft a letter that you want me to type and I'll take care of it. I typed her a letter with diagnosis, prognosis, tying together how they prohibit me from using public transport. Today is July 5 and she calls and says she never received the letter. She only called because I used the hospital intranet system to send the office an email asking why 2 letters drafted leave me with nothing and whether they simply do not want to do this? She asks me to resend the letter. Perhaps she thought I didnt have a copy? I forward it, same email address, she got it in less than a minute so it didnt go to spam. And then the punchline..."I'm going to type this up and have him sign it. I will leave it on his desk, he's on vacation for the next 2 weeks." He returns from vacation week of July 18. I have an appointment to see him for pre op surgery exam on July 19. Surgery is scheduled for August 11. So I will not mail this letter until speaking with ACCESS Director and requesting an urgent appointment to be examined by their doctor and to bring in all the paperwork, because this will be impossible post sugery and post surgery is when I will need an ambulette that can lift me into the vehicle, take me to doctor appointments, bring me to and from shopping etc. But calling ACCESS now I am told every appointment for August is filled. And that I should wait until AFTER surgery to apply because my limitations will be more severe and that helps for the application. So I will have to continue paying out of pocket for car service and ambulette service because a doctor couldnt be bothered writing a letter that responded to what this agency asked-and this, even after I was the one to write a letter for him, and then his secretary. Its the Rebbe's yahrzeit, I really want to hold my tongue and keep the razor in the bathroom. But I'm left wondering if my name was Shaqwinda Washington if the service might have been more responsive.

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