MAYBE a light???

susiestar

Roll With It
I just got off the phone with the neurology dept at the children's hospital in OKC. FINALLY, after a MONTH of calls and messages and one spectacularly idiotic young sounding girl who took the calls all last month, I got someone intelligent!!!

The very understanding lady is going to have the nurse practitioner call me this afternoon. To set up an evaluation when we are there this week.

If it is humanly possible they will get us in, according to this lady. It was a HUGE relief to speak to someone who didn't crack gum and say "yeah? So, what do you want?" 10 times in a phone call. The other lady was a temp apparently.

This is the first time I have felt some hope this week. Thank you for the prayers and good thoughts. They mean so much to all of us. I was crying after I hung up, it is just such a relief.

The pain doctor already had notes in the system for the neuros to please get us in sooner. Actually had changed the appointment yesterday - they were going to move it up a month to the end of Jan and call us this am to tell us the new date.

FINALLY my state seems to have a children's hospital that has a clue. We have another one, in Tulsa, but our luck there has not been stellar. Better than the local hospital, but that is praise so faint as to be almost invisible.

Keep the good juju coming, if you can. Please.
 

gcvmom

Here we go again!
That's awesome that they can see her this week!!! I hope they can give you some answers and direction.
 

maril

New Member
Whew - good news! I will keep my fingers crossed things get moving in the right direction for your daughter.
 

Marguerite

Active Member
"Yeah? So what do you want?"

"I want an appointment for my child, for an evaluation. Please refer this call to the intake officer/nurse practitioner."

If they still repeat themselves, you say slowly, "transfer - this - call - to - your - supervisor."

Having had to deal with difficult people on switchboards before, and at times needing to rapidly get past these people in order to wreak havoc within the departments, I've learned several rules:

1) Avoid rising inflections in your voice, even make questions into statements.

2) Lower your pitch as far as you can without it sounding ridiculous.

3) Plan what you're going to say, keep it as brief as possible, make it seem that you know the person you're asking to be referred ro but still keep it fairly formal. Such as "Transfer me to...".

The aim is to sound either like someone official from another department, or alternatively the local congressman making an official query. You need to know, preferably, the name of the person you want. If you want to get your child seen by Professor H, then ask the switch to transfer your call to Professor H's secretary or staff. Chances are, Professor H is fairly useless at making appointments and other work not directly associated with seeing patients. That's why they have staff. Getting in good with the staff is what you want.
When you get trough to the staff, again keep it brief - such people are extremely busy (because to work for someone like that is no sinecure!) but if they say, "You shouldn't have come through to me here," you simply say, "I am at the mercy of the hospital switchboard. You would be AMAZED at the route this call has made. Or maybe ten again - perhaps you wouldn't. My apologies for the inconvenience - can you tell me how it should have gone, and then can we try to make some sense out of this situation? I would be very grateful for your help."

Always be polite, friendly and at least a little respectful of the staff of the professor or whoever it is that you want to get into, because these are the people you really need on side. They are also too often unappreciated.

In other words - the switchboard people, you treat as if you haven't got time for conversation or small talk, you have a destination in mind for your call. But the closer you get to that destination, the more respectful you need to be.

It's a slightly sneaky tactic and almost like playing a complicated chess game, but if you have your script prepared with what you want summarised into one short sentence (as well as a slightly longer script for when you get someone who gives a darn) you have the best chance of success.

This still may not work. But it can be your best shot to slip past the usual long queues and get help, fast.

"Don't mess with me - I have a phone and I'm not afraid to use it!"

Marg
 

susiestar

Roll With It
Marg, I am pretty good at that. The girl simply could not transfer it to anyone with-o hanging up. She was there filling in on a temp basis and I learned today she did this to a number of people, as they are learning now. There was no way to get to anyone in the department - she was answering all the calls from outside numbers. their switchboard is awful.

We could not get worked in for an appointment this week. When we go for the pain appointment on Wed we will go to the ER for a neuro evaluation. husband has a chance to work this week and the next two weeks at the university. It is temp but he hopes it may lead to something else. He did get Wed off as I reminded him that HE made the appointment with me a month ago. We would have to go again to see the pain doctor, so it is easier on Jessie to combine the trips. I just cannot drive that far with my medications.

The doctor we need to see is on call all week in the ER so we will get to see him. We just have to be patient AND insistent. Glad we have some new books!
 

klmno

Active Member
Sending many good thoughts and hopes for you and Jess!

I thought I read a post in response to one of your threads that it's one thing if it is anxiety, but the refusing to test and make sure is the bad part. I agree with that. As I posted before, I obviously have no idea what the cause is but am aware that anxiety can be ONE cause, because I have gone thru it. But that does not excuse any dr for automatically assuming that and finding out for sure and just saying that because they see it as an easy way to ignore anything else. Frankly, it's also de-valuing those with anxiety issues, too.

It reminds me of tdocs who refuse to acknowledge validity and even try the recommendations of experts I've had evaluation difficult child because they are so set in their own typical "treatment".

There are a lot of very closed- minded people in this world who refuse to see anything other than their typical approach to things.

I hope you can get some answers that are verified one way or another.
 

graceupongrace

New Member
So glad to hear some positive news. Jess has suffered so much, for so long, and I can imagine the toll that takes on your mommy heart.

Hugs and prayers that this will get things moving in the right direction.
 

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
It was a HUGE relief to speak to someone who didn't crack gum and say "yeah? So, what do you want?" 10 times in a phone call.

OMG. I would have blown a gasket.

I'm so glad things have improved.
 
Top