Mad as hell

OK, now I'm pissed.

I had a couple of PT appointments scheduled this week. PT had been going OK and I was anticipating making some good, if painful, progress.

Monday I showed up only to learn that my appointments for this week had been canceled - the tech was 'out this week' - and the other providers were booked solid. I was invited to keep calling the appointment desk to see if there were any cancellations.

I called Monday afternoon. I called Tuesday afternoon. I called this morning and was told that I had been marked as a 'No Show' for my 8:30 appointment.

Whaaa-HUH?

I called the clinic directly and learned that just because they told me the tech was out all week and both my appointments were canceled in no way implied that I should believe them. He was in today after all, and it was apparently my fault that I didn't know that.

I've been a participant in the military health care system for a long time -- almost 30 years now -- with mostly satisfactory results, but I think I've finally reached my limit. It's been very difficult to schedule the appointments I need for this course of treatment, and facing untold months of less-than-pleasant PT is hard enough without having to stress over whether I can even get in to be treated. Losing my only chance at an appointment this week was just too much.

I'm, old, tired, cranky, stressed, and can't raise my right arm high enough to shave my armpit. I don't appreciate being jerked around by a twelve-year-old Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class who has been at his post at the front desk a whole month and is apparently incapable of forming the words "Call the clinic Wednesday morning to see whether your provider is available."

I may actually have to consider Plan B, an option that would cost me out of pocket but would give me access to civilian providers. Providers who, from what I hear, rarely cancel all of your appointments then blame you for not showing up for them.

Grrr.