I Hate Dialysis Message Board

Dialysis Discussion => Dialysis: General Discussion => Topic started by: kellyt on January 11, 2008, 03:19:43 PM

Title: Tooth pulled today
Post by: kellyt on January 11, 2008, 03:19:43 PM
FINALLY!   What a pain in the azz!  Not the actual tooth pull, but the entire afternoon.

I was scheduled at 2 p.m. and arrived at 1:45 p.m.  Right away I knew there was going to be a problem when she didn't have me on her little list of patients.  Then she asked me to spell my name and she proceeded to look me up in the computer.  "Are you a new patient?" 

Damn it.   "No.  Here is my appointment card".  Without that little card I'm positive she would have rescheduled me, or at least tried.  After I sat down she apparently wrote my name on her paper schedule.  As we sat there (yes, I had to bring someone with me to drive me home and unfortunately it was my husband wasting his afternoon) the entire waiting room was called to the back one at a time over the next hour!!!!!  At about 2:40 p.m. I went up to the desk to ask if I was actually ON the schedule and she said "Oh yes.  There was an unusually long post-op patient ahead of you..."  B.S.!!!!!!!

Anyway, they took me back about 10 minutes later.  About 15 minutes after waiting in the room the doctor comes in and we discuss that I'm doing my transplant eval.  He decides to have me hooked up to every machine in the office to check my heart rate, pulse and blood pressure.  They had to put the BP cuff on my left calf because of my fistula.  Two heart leads on my chest and one on my right leg - all to pull a tooth that literally took 30 seconds after he numbed my up.  He also said that before I transplant it would be good if I had my upper wisdom teeth removed.  They're wedged in there pretty tight.  It was no wonder my BP was elevated on the first test!!!!!!!   We didn't get out of there until 4:30 p.m. !!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

My husband was pissed at the whole process.  I told him he just doesn't go to the doctor enough, because I go through this on a regular basis!  Doctor's are overbooking their schedule because so many people just don't show up or cancel.  Leaving patients like myself to wait forever to be seen.  And you should have seen his face when after an hour and 15 minutes PAST my appointment time the lady comes into the room and says  "After insurance you are responsible for $71.00.  How do you want to take care of that?"  "Check" I said.  Then she stood there until I finally got my checkbook and wrote it out right in the room!  She couldn't even wait until I was seen by the doctor!   Jeeze!!!!!!!!!!!   

And to think I have so many appointments scheduled for the rest of January!  I better get used to it and bring a book!!!!!!!  :rant;
Title: Re: Tooth pulled today
Post by: Deanne on January 11, 2008, 03:42:31 PM
Ouch! The process sounds like it was more painful than the tooth-pulling!  :banghead; Any other dentists in your area or do you think they'd all be the same?  I've been lucky with mine, I guess. My wait time has never been very long and they bill me instead of making me pay before I even see the dentist.
Title: Re: Tooth pulled today
Post by: goofynina on January 11, 2008, 05:12:20 PM
Just look at it as one step closer to getting your transplant :)  :2thumbsup;  Glad you (and your hubby) made it through today, and yes, there are going to be many days like today so tell hubby to be prepared too.  Good luck Kelly  :cuddle;
Title: Re: Tooth pulled today
Post by: Joe Paul on January 11, 2008, 05:57:11 PM
One of the hoops out of the way  :thumbup;
Title: Re: Tooth pulled today
Post by: kellyt on January 11, 2008, 07:41:58 PM
Thanks everyone.  He was a good dentist (oral surgeon, whatever), it was his stupid front desk scheduler who created the problem.  Not entering one appt can really throw the doctor off.  Plus, I was scheduled after lunch and we all know that's a horrible time to go to the doctor.  He or she is ALWAYS running late after lunch.  I try my hardest to get in the the first two hours of the day.

Glad it's over.  Even though I have to go back.  booooooo!