2 weeks later....Memorial 0, Ochsner 4
Well, while I would love to regale you with tales of
great healing and a miraculous return to my prior self, that is not the case. I
had my follow up with Memorial’s “transitional care management (TCM)” doctor a
week after I got home. It was beyond useless. When I brought up my concern
about the right occipital headache that has lingered since May 27th,
telling her it feels like someone slammed a brick into the back of my head and
I vomit every damn day, she stated “that is
not related to your issue" -- even though they occurred at the same damn
time as the celiac artery dissection with splenic infarction as well as
the dissection of the entire course of the left common iliac artery!! She did
tell me I was welcome to go to ER if I thought it necessary. Or make an
appointment with a primary care doctor (which I tried but he can’t see me until
September 7th!). I actually thought Laureli was gonna punch her in
the face.
We went home and I promptly called Memorial’s vascular
surgeon, only to be told she would call me if she needs to actually see me
AFTER my scan (which was scheduled for 6/26). Since my Eastern Medicine
Practitioner found a connection between right occipital headaches and left side
vascular pain, I moved my scan with Memorial up to the 15th of June. Seems the
vertebral artery crosses over at C2. But hey, who cares? My next call was to my
Ochsner PCP, and they made me a 9am appt for the very next day to
address the lingering headaches that make me vomit. They scheduled a head CT
scan for June 14th! Someone finally hears my concern…wow! I also
then called Memorial because I did not have one of the drugs I needed but was
told the Hospitalist can’t assist if I have been discharged and to (once again)
call my PCP. I did… with Ochsner, who had it ready at Walgreens by 9am the next
day. If I were keeping score, that is Memorial 0, Ochsner 3.
Add to that, earlier this week, Ochsner called to confirm my
head CTA for 6.14 and told me there was no payment due as I have met my out-of-pocket
max. Memorial called the same afternoon to let me know my coinsurance for my chest
CTA on 6.15 was $1000, but that they were willing to accept $100 the day of and
bill me the remaining $900. Ummm…what!?!? . When I explained I had met my out-of-pocket
max already, she said her system showed me $75 short of meeting it. My next (I thought
logical) question was “So, why are you asking for $100 now instead of $75?” She
said she'd call me back and hung up on me. Really? So, it seems Memorial’s
billing department cannot do math. Memorial 0, Ochsner 4.
All complaining aside,
I am feeling better every day, little by little. I do not have my stamina back, I sleep like
crap, I am still not allowed to cough or sneeze (you try that and lemme know
how it goes), and I get winded easily. The good news is that the FMC recruiter
called the day after I got home from my “vacation” in Memorial <eyeroll> to
say my requested compensation package had been accepted and then offered me
employment!! I start June 26th. I have enjoyed {most of} my 3 months
off, but now it is time to go be gainfully employed once again…. Just in time
to take a month off and travel for Laureli’s big 65th Birthday Trip!!
Stay strong, Protect
your Peace, and stay tuned!
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