(Better grab a snack or a beverage because it's a long one!)
I finally found a specialist locally who realizes the importance of getting me medically cleared and put on the transplant list! I had my first appointment yesterday and now we are just awaiting results so that he can either write his letter clearing me definitively or I'll have to have another preventative medical procedure and then he can clear me to be wait listed. Either way...it's progress! The last doctor I saw for the very same clearance delayed me for 2 months without an explanation (other than she was NEVER in the office when I called) which was the very reason that I contacted the News-Press about my plight in the first place. As a medical assistant myself I know that patient care should ALWAYS come first especially when concerning situations like this that require immediate attention. However, this particular physician obviously felt otherwise and her lackadaisical attempt at providing medical care has cost me dearly.
With an average of 22 people being added to the transplant list daily, her delay resulted in approximately 1320 people being added to the list ahead of me and that number grows by each passing day. I had everything but this clearance in place and my coordinator was prepared to take my case to the medical board for approval (which can take up to another 2 weeks after receipt of said clearance) but she failed to do her job. When Melanie from the News-Press contacted her to find out why she was not returning my calls nor had she even been in contact with the transplant center, she immediately got defensive and called me irate regarding being contacted by the media and then she proceeded to discharge me from her practice. Real professional, right? That brings me to where I am today, with a new doctor and paying for the entire exam out of pocket because Medicare has already been billed once for this exam through her office and they will not pay for another.
This is why I speak up. I know that I am not the only patient who has had to deal with substandard care as I have seen it myself in medical offices I have worked in before. Patients are often treated like financial assets rather than people. They come into the office expecting to receive an adequate amount of time with the doctor to discuss their concerns but instead are often rushed out in order to increase the amount of patients seen in a day. Sadly, more patients "treated" = more money in their pockets. It's unfortunate the medicine has become such big business because I remember when doctors actually cared about their patients and formed long-standing relationships with them. Now personalized patient care has become non-existent and instead it has been replaced with an army of emotionless zombies who are there for a paycheck.
THIS IS WHY WE AS PATIENTS HAVE TO ADVOCATE FOR OURSELVES! We are paying for a service therefore we are entitled to a certain level of quality and satisfaction with said service. Do not be afraid to speak up, get a second opinion, or change doctors altogether. The field of medicine needs to return to a focus on the diagnosis and treatment of the individual rather than what it has evolved to which is the fleecing of patients pockets and insurance benefits. With all that being said, my new doctor appears to have the qualities of a great medical provider and I am praying that he does exactly what he has promised which will result in me getting on that wait list within the next couple of weeks. Lastly, I wish that I could give each and every one of you a great big hug for all of the support, kind words, and AMAZINGLY GENEROUS donations! My journey is just one of the many who travel this same road that I am on. I am truly grateful for each and every one of you. My dream is to establish a non-profit advocacy and fundraising organization of my own so that no patient is left behind and I am currently seeking out interested parties to join me on this wonderful project as I know nothing about starting a non-profit or even building a website without the help of GoDaddy but I am eager and willing to learn!
So in closing, thank you again to all of you who are following my story and if you happen to see me out and about don't be shy! Come on up, introduce yourself (just so it's not weird lol), and get yourself a big ole hug!!
Love, blessings, and my eternal gratitude,
Mel
