Doctors' receptionists

Warning, there may be some swear words to come.....I needed to make two appointements today - one with the anesthesiologist and the other for the steroataxique wire thingie.  It was a day that ended in floods of tears and much stress unfortunately.

When I asked for an appointment on the phone the anesthesiologist's secretary said 'you're being operated when? when?  really?' well there are no appointments this week, no room at all.'  Full stop.  At this point, what are you actually meant to say?  Oh thanks ok I'll cancel my operation then?  What do they expect?  This often happens in France, people come out with an immediate 'no it's not possible' then they stop speaking whilst you catch your breath and have to think of an appropriate response.  I swear it's done on purpose to push those get angry buttons.

My response today was 'fuck you bitch and your bastard bad Monday attitude, you have a job to do so do it and don't treat me like I have to beg you,  you are not doing me a personal favour, I have breast cancer and I need an appointment to get this frickin tumor out of my breast so I don't die - it is not my pleasure to call your stupid ass, it is something I am obliged to do, so either you make some time in his calendar or I will come round with a machine gun after killing your family and pets and you will find a space for me'

Ha, na, just kidding, I held my ground and repeated my request.  She grudgingly fitted me in on Friday at 18h40.  I asked her where the offices were and she said 'oh the hospital isn't that large, you'll find us.'  So I insisted again and now I know.

Then, onto the second appointment.  I called the place where I had my biopsies done and had another argument with the receptionist when I asked for this particular test, she said ' no you don't tell us what test you want, the doctor examines you and he decides'.  Anyway, after that little argument it turns out the dr isn't even there on a Monday so that was out.  So I called the surgeon's secretary, Nathalie.  She gave me the name of a place not too far from our town.  I called and the receptionist said 'oh we don't do that test here, this the name of another place in 12th that does it'.  Ok, bizzare, so I called that hospital and waited, got transferred to the wrong place, got cut off, called back, waited, transferred to the wrong place and finally spoke to someone who said that they absolutely do not do this test for people outside the hospital and if I wanted the appointment, my surgeon had to call.  This is where the conversation became a little like the imaginary one above with my cutting off before the death threats.

And then my legs started to shake and I sobbed.  Enough already.

This is where dh becomes darling hero not dear husband.  I called him crying, sent him an email with all the details.  He called Nathalie again and he started the same circuit as me getting the 'no we don't do those tests here' so he spoke with Nathalie again and she said she'd call them tomorrow as she was too busy today.   I told dh to call the oncologist, Patrice, who was not impressed and took a trip down the corridor to have a chat with busy Nathalie.

She called me back within 20 minutes and I have an appointment at 11h on Friday at the place that 'doesn't do these tests' not too far from our home.  Result, but with what consequences?  I was seriously knocked out of shape and ended up weeping in front of my kids.  I know this might sound like an over reaction and I didn't realise how strung out and close to the edge I was until today.

Really I think these women (and they are always women) are either incompetent or complete bitches.  Why?

I am longing to meet those dedicated, kind and caring professionals that health care needs, I hope very much I meet them in hospital when I need them most.