Taking matters into my own hands

I don't even know how to articulate the day's events or my emotions and reactions to them.  I can tell you that I broke down and cried in my doctor's office.  I can tell you that I cried even more in my car.  And somewhere between the clinic and my house, I got a little pissed.  No, I got a lot pissed. 

So here's how it played out:

 First thing this morning, I called the clinic and took the only appointment my Dr had available.  Now, I love my doctor.  I really do.  But he really ticked me off today.  He met me in the room, looked at my knee, poked around a little "yes, ouch, that's where it hurts" and sent me off to X-Ray.  After the X-Ray, I am back in the room and looking at it with him.  Nothing there to indicate a problem.  So he tells me that he is sending me to physical therapy and to take two Aleve twice a day.  Wait a mnute.....I have been training since April.  I didn't just start this thing.  I DON"T HAVE 6 WEEKS, I am screaming in my head.  I ask him if he can't do an MRI and he tells me that the insurance companies won't pay for them until after 6 weeks of physical therapy.  So this is when I tear up, he hands me a kleenex and tells me "I want you to know it is awesome what you  are doing.  Even if you can't walk the 3 day."  And his nurse says "yes, I second that!" 

WHAT??????????????  Just like that?  So I leave and I can't even talk, the tears are pouring and I struggle for my sunglasses.  It's embarassing to leave Everett clinic crying.  I get in my car and really lose it.  LOSE it with a capital L.  If someone walked by my car and saw me, they would think I had just received a terminal diagnosis.  No, this isn't cancer.  Thank GOD.  But I am still really upset.  I stop at the drug store and pick up more Aleve and while I am driving home, I just get more and more angry.  I grab my insurance card and dial.  20 minutes later, after phone menus of " hit this number, birthday?  no I need all 4 digits of the year", yada yada yada and I get a live person.

Now Quirdita (yes I made her spell it for me) is super nice while I explain my issue.  Will the insurance pay for an MRI if a Dr orders it?  Well, she needs the procedure code so I'll need to get that from the doctor and then call her back.  Of course.  But while I have her on the phone, I have her check to see if I need a referral to go to the sports medicine doctor that Tath goes to.  The answer is nope.  No referral needed.  Excellent!  After a call back to the clinic for the code and redialing Blue Cross, I get another person, Tenisia.  Yes, I made her spell that too.  I give Tenisia the procedure code and nope, it's not a procedure code.  But she can look it up for me (why couldn't Quirdita do that)???   Anyway, she tells me that I have a 20% co-pay but all I need is a doctor to order it.  Really.  Reeeaaalllly.  Now I am really pissed at my Dr.!!

I call the sports medicine clinic and get the nicest girl ever on the phone.  Super nice.  I don't know why I didn't get her name!  I tell her the problem and that I need help fast because the 3 day is coming up!  She said "we have to get you in here now!"  She started to make an appointment with the first doctor I mentioned (Tath's doctor) and then I said "well, I should ask you who you would go to, since I don't know any of the doctors"  And she tells me that Dr Mitch Story is her doctor.  He's been the Mariners doctor for 20 years and he only treats injuries and is very results oriented.  And he's at Northgate, not Ballard, so way closer for me.  Bingo!  She told me to bring my X-Ray with me, so when we hung up I emailed the Dr to have it ready for me at the front desk so that I can pick it up tomorrow. 

My appointment is Wednesday morning.  I don't know what is going to happen.  I have no idea of the outcome.  But I know that I didn't work this hard, to get this far, without giving it every ounce of my energy to figure it out.  We have to be our own advocate.  We have to take matters into our own hands every now and then. 

And I promise you this.  I am not going to give up without a fight.