<warning elements: rant, anger;>
So yesterday was a big day. I had a 9am meeting with the VA in Hartford for my current education program then a 3pm followup visit from my kidney stone surgery at the VA in West Haven.
Hartford – disappointing but understandable
I knew the first meeting would probably not go the way I wanted it to, but I was still hopeful. I was asking the VA to continue to fund my education for an additional year or two towards graduate school. The answer was a resounding and unhesitating no, even though I will still have 6 months of approved funding, after my spring graduation. Ok, disappointed a little but it was not entirely unexpected, and it is only one of a variety of funding options. I don’t even need to bring funding to a science graduate program, but it is a help. So on to Plan B. I can get some funding from the state as a combat vet, the rest will have to come from traditional TA’ships etc.
Interlude – New Britain Museum of American Art
Since we were up in the Hartford area we went to the New Britain Museum of American Art to see the current exhibition they have of contemporary glass (Expect a separate entry by Tammy and Johann on that!) and grabbed lunch on the way to New Haven for the afternoon meeting. We could have skipped the museum and gone home but, as soon as e got home we would have to turn right around to go New Haven.
West Haven – Incompetence
We got to New Haven 20 minutes early and checked in to the clinic. My appointment was for 3:15, I was finally seen at 4:15, only to find out that there was absolutely no point to my being there! The doctor apologized and said there must have been some mistake.
He also informed me that the surgeon had not even attempted to do the laser lithoscopy they said they were going to try, but rather decided only to do the stent because I had had motrin 5 days earlier. That was NOT what had been described to me and was NOT what I had agreed on. I was told by the doctor that 1 dose of motrin (600mg) 5 days before the surgery would not be a problem. We agreed that they would try laser litho and then stent for recovery. It was possible they would not be able to effectively do the laser then they would schedule a follow up surgery to do the laser in one month, but they would try the laser. If they had thought that the motrin was a problem I would have MUCH rather scheduled the surgery for 2 or 3 days later when it would NOT have been a problem.
Of course I only found that all out yesterday because no doctor bothered to talk to me or my family after the surgery. The recovery room nurses only knew that they had put in the stent. Nothing else. We were then discharged with little information, we assumed that the surgery had proceeded like the plan said – attempt the laser but it wasn’t working so they did the stent. They gave me some ok pain killers, but only enough for a few days (6 days).
While I am not in constant pain anymore, I am in constant discomfort and about half the time when I pee I get excruciating pain. Let me tell you, every time I feel the pain, it feels like a Clydesdale horse is stepping on my testicle. Every time I feel that, I think about the doctor who told me I would just have to suffer and tough it out, when I called to ask about more pain killers.
So, I am waiting for the person who schedules the surgeries to call me and set up a date for the next surgery. I can’t wait.
Of course they don’t do ESWL or any of the other less invasive and reportedly less expensive treatments. They also have no concern that the pain and discomfort are significantly impacting my education (paid for by VA) since I have missed every class at least once, missed two because of yesterdays crap and will have to miss two or three days when they finally do schedule the surgery, and at least one more when they finally remove the stent. All while I am trying to kick ass at school and get into grad programs. I just don’t have time for their incompetence right now.
Unfortunately Chapter 31 educational support does not pay for the university health care, and I am limited to the VA system. No plan B there…
</warning : we now return you to tales of science, family, knitting and animals>
Update
Of course I was not called by the surgical scheduling person. So I called and got an answering machine. Once everything about phones was sorted out it turns out she was never informed to schedule me for a second surgery and the next opening for surgery in at the end of October. Oh joy. I explained the history of my case and explained that the pain and discomfort were a significant negative impact on my schooling. I admit it made go off a bit when she said that she hears these complaints everyday, but there is nothing she can do about it and she wasn’t going to postpone or cancel someone elses cancer surgery just for my kidney stones.
She agreed that the surgery change should never have happened without my express consent, and that it would have been wiser to schedule me for a few days or even a week later when they could have possibly done it all in one surgery. But… still. Right now I am waiting for her to call back and squeeze me in on the 25th since they are doing another case of kidney stones on that day already, “maybe the doctors can squeeze me in afterward.” If not it will be almost November…
Oh and I have an exam in 1 hour that between yesterday and today dealing with idiots I am totally not ready for. Hell.
