Throughout this process things seem to meeting a few bumps in the road, some things seem to be getting done backwards like my appointment with the pulmonologist. It seems inevitable that although I explain why I need the appointment it somehow manages to get screwed up. On that note we all know insurances are about making nothing easy; referral for this, referral for that. My insurance card on the other hand has referral suggested if not pay a higher amount. Well I have gotten tired of fighting with the woman at my primary doctors office who tells me there are no referrals for this insurance so I just pay the higher amount. Yes I am giving up because some things are just not worth my breath anymore.
In any case I called this pulmonologist probably a month ago or so to make an appointment—a woman who very short with me on the phone answered and started arguing with me about what needed to be done first and where I needed to have the pulmonary function test done and this that and another thing. Finally she made me an appointment I show up only to get possibly a new girl tell me she’s never seen my insurance before and I should have had a PFT (pulmonary function test) first.
Although pleasant, the newer girl referred to the more seasoned staff member who told me that yes normally they did the PFT first and you see the doctor second to avoid having to come back again but since I was here there was no reason I could not see the doc and that based upon my insurance it was not necessary to have a referral just recommended.
Every doctors office I have been in on this ride has done a patient history. I have been asked the do I snore or have sleep apnea so much I am ready to wear a sign stating “Yes I snore–How should I know if I have sleep apnea it’s called “sleep” apnea for a reason!” Aside from being tired of hearing that question the doc didn’t tell me anything I already didn’t expect to here, and he was nice enough to tell me I didn’t have to come back a third time to get the PFT results.
For those of you out there that don’t know what pulmonary function tests are you basically sit in a machine and breathe/blow into a mouth piece that measures how well your lungs work. Based upon this they can tell a whole heck of a lot including if you have Asthma. I will let you all know how that goes when it happens. Happy reading 🙂
