First doctor's appointment

So yesterday, I went to the long-awaited doctor's appointment.  The one I went to on the 27th of July, but the doctor had an emergency, so got rescheduled again. Grrr.

I am now plugged into the California health system.  I heard several people in the waiting room talk about how much they liked Dr. D, so I was looking forward to liking my doctor for a change.  After being shuffled around between the receptionist, intake worker, nurse, another nurse, and finally the doctor, she asked why I was there.  I said "to establish care for my MS, and to renew pain medications.  She asked "Why?"....

I didn't think that bode well at all.  So I repeated myself, and added that I had just moved from Idaho.  She asked what I meant by "establish care for MS".  ???  Ummm.  "I have MS and need medical care?".

She shrugged her shoulders and started typing something into the computer.  I am now plugged into their Women's Clinic (yea pap smears!!!), and she referred me to one of two MS clinics - the one for poor people, at San Francisco General.  The MS clinic will send me a letter when there is room for me.  I asked her if she had any guesstimate as to how long that might be, and she said it depended on how busy they were.  Duh.  Thanks a bunch!

When she typed in my prescriptions, she mumbled to herself that I wouldn't be able to get them "here".  Since I have 4 refills left on my pain meds, I decided not to question her at this point.  I am scheduled for another appointment for blood work in September, and another one in October to discuss the results of the blood work.  She will be testing for "normal" things, like cholesterol, and whatever else "normal" people of my age get tested for. 

I have to say that I expected California to be rude.  My first experience with people here was with the Housing Authority starting 5 years ago.  They were rude.  But once I got my letter, and actually talking face to face with them, when I moved here, I have to say they are very, very nice people.  As are the social workers at Heath & Welfare and at the prescription place where I had to apply for the prescription card, and the staff at the doctor's office.  Everyone seems to love their jobs, and are so nice and happy, and friendly and considerate.  It really is a noticeable difference from Idaho, and I can't put a finger on why that would be. 

This doctor is the only one who seemed ... less that thrilled to be working.  I decided to cut her some slack cause it's the end of the week, and she did look tired.  Plus, being in "the Castro" area of San Francisco, I'm sure she gets alot of HIV/AIDS patients on the lower end of the pay scale, shall we say?  There were several suspicous looking patients in the waiting room, and they smelled, mumbled, couldn't hold still, etc., and that's got to wear on a person... specially a doctor, I would imagine. 

So there ya have it.  It might be state of the art medical care but you have to wait for it!
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Posted in: MS