Major setback - April 3, 2014 - Down in the dumpters

Apr 16, 2014

Where do I start…..

After finally getting my clearance from the entire team at the WMC (11 months after deciding to go ahead with the surgery), I finally got the call from the clinic. I nervously picked up the phone at work, anticipating the next words……pre-surgery class is booked for…… BOOM! The voice at the other end of the line mumbled something like “The doctor here at the WMC would like to see again, how about May 22^nd?”. My excitement level totally dropped and turned into a feelings of disappointment and frustration. After realizing that she was waiting for an answer, I started asking questions. “Would you know why I have to see this doctor again?” I asked. She said just a follow up appointment. I proceeded to tell her that I was told by the dietitian that the next step was the pre-surgery class and that I had been cleared by the dietitian (2 appointments), behaviourist (2 appointments), physiologist, and all of the medical tests and scans had been done last summer/fall. She seemed surprised and told me that she would check my file and get back to shortly.

As I sat at work totally unable to concentrate, I asked myself again and again, why this was happening. Why all the delays?

After an hour, the kind receptionist called me back to tell me that the doctor wanted to see me again but she could get me an appointment in three days. I accepted immediately since the previous call couldn’t pencil me in for another month and a half. Try to figure out that one!

That Thursday, I drove in to the clinic for my appointment, anxious and nervous. I walk in to the doctor’s office and made small talk. The doctor had just returned from maternity leave. We went through the same as usual, weighing, measurements, medication etc. The doctor then proceeded to open my file and take out the ECG I had done back in late fall last year. Apparently there was something wrong with the results. Without too much of an explanation, I was told that the doctor would request a PET scan and to book an appointment with this doctor in three months from now. Well from bad to worst in 60 seconds! My whole world pretty much crumble that morning. After waiting for so long and just before I meet with the surgeon, I’m being told that I can’t go ahead.

I have such mixed emotions about the whole thing. First and foremost, disappointment, hopelessness not far behind, then my emotions changed to frustration. It took me a very long time to decide to have this surgery. I did and attended every appointment, test, scan they had told me to without asking any questions. Waiting two months between each appointment without complaints. I know that they are covering every base and that it’s all for my benefit, but after thinking about it for a while, I wonder if my file was just overlooked and just sat there. Seems to me that this doctor left on maternity leave and my file stayed in the cabinet until this doctor returned. The timeline is quite indicative of just that. It’s very disappointing that this just surfaces now after going through the whole shabang.  Good news is that maybe they have prevented some type of heart problem, but then again, this could have been caught 5 months ago after reviewing the results right away.

I’m really down in the dumpers because of this whole ordeal. L

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