Stupid PA

I called to schedule an appointment with my PCP about getting tested for Cushings. He wasn't available but the Physician's Assistant, Sandra (the witch) was.

After the usual weight, BP, and temp check, the MA brought me to the room and started asking why I was there. I told her everything from the beginning. At my doctor's office they do everything on a laptop, so the MA just puts down that I'm there for a "Pre-Diabetic check".

She pricks my finger and fills up two of those little glass straw looking things. She also makes the comment that I'm on way more than the 81mg baby aspirin because I kept bleeding. Umm, no you stupid bish. I think that I would know what I take and don't need any lip from you.

Anyways, the witch comes in and looks at the notes on the laptop. She then says that from my weight I "must be eating a lot of fast food". At this time, I'm starting to get mad. My blood tests then come back, and my cholesterol is a tad high. She does say that my diabetes test came back at 4.9, which is good. I ask her if this means if I'm still pre-diabetic (what my OB said). She then goes on to draw a diagram and then talk to me like I'm stupid and can't understand what she is saying. At this point, I'm literally rolling my eyes at her.

So after she gets done giving me a lesson that 4.9 is less than 6.5, she starts to get up and pack up the laptop. I then said that I was there to get tested for Cushing's, which the bish of the MA never put in the notes. She stops and says what makes me think that I need that test since a person would need to be exposed to steroids. I flat out told her that I am exposed EVERY SINGLE MONTH!

She grabs a lab sheet, and literally scribbles on it and hands it to me, and with that she left.

Do I even have to tell you that I hate this person???

So now I'm at Quest Diagnostics to get my labs done. I ask the lab tech (Julie) if I needed to do anything special before the test. She says that she doesn't know, she just does what the sheet tells her.

I call back the doctor's office and get Joanna. I tell her what's going on. She says that she'll have the witch call me back with better instructions. I tell Julie that I'm waiting for her to call me back so I sit and read a magazine. Forty minutes later, still no phone call, so I call back. I get Joanna again, and she gives me attitude. "I told you that she'll call you back but I didn't say that she'll call you back right away." I told her that I'm still at Quest and they are closing. She tells me to hold on and she's going to see if she can find the witch.

I'm on hold for a few minutes, and when she gets back on, the attitude continues. She tells me, "that whatever the lab slip says is right and that since I was already exposed to the steroids I wouldn't need to do a steroid suppression test". I told her that nothing was marked on the lab sheet, any of the boxes were not checked off. Joanna then told me that the labs were electronic and that the lab tech will know. So I said that the paper that I have in my hand is pointless?

Joanna then starts to speak to me in a really loud voice asking if the form that I have in my hand says Quest in the top left corner. I say yes. She then says, still talking really loudly, "Then yes, that is the form!"

At this point, I'm trying to hold back the tears. Why are they being so mean to me? I have questions that nobody is answering directly.

I walk back up to Julie and tell her what they told me, and I start crying. Julie then lets me in the back to talk so I'm not in front of the people that are still in the waiting room. She looks over my lab slip and she even says that it's not filled out right and she can't even read what the scribbles say on the bottom.

She tells me that she is going to call them back tomorrow and will personally call me and let me know what I need to do for the test. Finally, someone nice!

At about 5:45pm, the witch calls me back and leaves a voice message. She says that she talked to my actual doctor (Dr. W) and he says that I need to get referred out to an Endocrinologist, but due to the holidays I wouldn't be getting a phone call for at least 2 weeks.

Julie did call me back the next day and told me that all of the doctor's are out for the holidays, but she did get to speak with Joanna. I told Julie that they're sending me to an Endo and I'm going to be putting the test on hold until my appointment. She said that she'll file my lab order if I ever need it in the future.

After all of this, I can tell you that I will be looking for a different PCP!