Was I ever wrong.
I just started my TMS treatments under a new psychiatrist not too long ago, as you know. Right before the transition I was switched to a modified cocktail. I told the new shrink this as I needed a new script and he wrote it. I was also having anxiety issues, as you also know, and he wrote a script for another drug for that as well.
Item one. Fast forward a day (to about a week ago). The pharmacy said they needed a prior approval for insurance, because of an overlap of the script. They said they’d fax the request into the shrink and it shouldn’t be a big deal. Almost a week later, after numerous faxes from the pharmacy to the shrink’s office I still had nothing.
Item two. Go back and fast forward 3 days (to about 4 days ago). I realized, the hard way, that the drug he put me on was one I had been on before and had a problem with. I called into his office and left a message on the answering machine saying as much and asking them to call me back if I needed to make an appointment or tell me he’s prescribed something else (I left the pharm number). I heard nothing and went by the office the next day in person and reiterated the message. They told me they’d check into it and get back with me. I heard nothing.
Today I had a scheduled appointment with him. I intended to let him know there was a serious problem with the front office getting faxes and messages to him, but he beat me to the punch. There was no problem with the faxes, he got them and decided to ignore them. He could have called me about them, but no, he implied I might somehow be trying to get extra Geodon for some nefarious purpose. Give me a fucking break. This isn’t a controlled substance with any kind of abuse record. There are no groups of folks out there crushing it for highs. Then he tells me the messages did get through about the problem with the first drug, and now he’d prescribe something else. Guess I had to call it in as an emergency to get earlier consideration. The concept of someone actually responding to my request, as asked, was out of the question.
This is the same son of a bitch I paid over ten thousand dollars for TMS treatment. He couldn’t even call me about a pre-authorization or a problem script.
Deep breath.
The TMS actually seems to be going pretty well. I notice I get a lift from each treatment even though it’s very early in the process. Best of all I found out this loser doesn’t actually own the equipment or provide the treatment – meaning there’s a referral path to the treatment that bypasses him should this really pan out.
Deep breath.
I met with the oncologist about the scans. We decided there was no reason to do the scans at this point in time. Nothing would reasonably be expected to come out of the scans that would change what we’re doing. I actually think he suggested the scans thinking it would ease my mind to see things hadn’t gotten that much worse. Make no mistake, though, even simple scans are invasive in one’s life, add stress and can be very expensive. I do think this exercise has better prepared me for when the next round of scans come along that are necessary.
