HAVE WE WON A BATTLE? I'M NOT SO SURE

I'm beginning to think that Craig and I are players in someones sick game to see how much we can take before we just go postal. Monday rolls around and I'm on the phone calling our Workman's Comp Ins. contact person who tells me that as suspected, the doctor's office did not call her until after work hours on Friday evening. She informs me that she has all the authorizations ready to go and that she will be faxing them to the doctor. I in turn contact the doctor's office, only to find out that for some reason their office is closed. I check my calender, yes, it's Monday, no official holiday, and wait for the call to be directed to the answering service. When they answer I politely inquire, "Is the doctor's office closed today for some reason?" Yes, I am told, they are getting new carpeting installed and won't be in the office until 1:30pm. Well Whoopee Do ! You would think that could have been done on a Saturday.

I wait until 1:30pm and start my calling, and continue to call until 3:15pm when they finally answer the phone. I tell them that the insurance company has faxed the authorization to which they say, they have just now turned on the fax machine and are receiving items now. I ask to be called before the end of the business day with some information as to a doctor we can be referred to for the epidural shot. About 6:15pm I receive said phone call. I am informed that the paperwork has been faxed to a orthopedic surgeon in Visalia and that we should know in a couple of days if he will take the case. That is unacceptable to me, so I ask for the doctor's name and phone number so that I can call first thing Tuesday morning.

Fast forward to Tuesday morning, I make the phone call to the doctor, talk to the receptionist and find out that the doctor does not take workman comp cases. Feeling like Custer at the last stand, I make a phone call to the doctor again, only to get the dreaded answering machine to which I tell it that the doctor they want us to see, won't see us, and please call as soon as possible so we can find a solution. I also contact our insurance contact person to relay the latest details, and call a spine center the the Bay Area which would be happy to see Craig if the doctor would fax the information.

I'll cut to the chase here. I can not say enough about our insurance contact person, Sandra Parker. She took the bull by the horns and started calling the doctors office giving them direction and complete authorization for whatever it takes to get Craig into a doctor as soon as possible not only for a consultation, but to make an appointment for the epidural treatment at the same time. I was also in contact with the doctor's office, which by the way, I have not told you yet, the doctor is on vacation for a week, that the medication presently prescribed for Craig is not helping him. In fact, his pain was getting worse. Within a half hour I had a new prescription and the assurance that they were working on getting us an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon who would take a workman comp case. They said I should know something Wednesday.

With the way things have been going.......I'm not so sure.