I am so angry right now!
On September 15, alarmed about my right leg, which had been swollen and painful for 24 hours, I called my primary care physician. I waited on hold for about 10 minutes. Frustrated, I called my rheumatologist, who told me to come over right away.
Unsure whether or not it was a Baker's cyst or a clot, she give me a cortisone injection, and told me to get an ultrasound right away. After speaking with my primary, I was told to go to the ER. My local hospital ER has an online check-in, so I did, arranging to arrive at 5:00 p.m.
Initial triage was outdoors, but the rude young woman didn't care that I had already checked in. She didn't care that I was wearing a mask. She wouldn't take the paper requisition from my rheumatologist.
Eventually, I was seen by the ER physician, had blood work and an ultrasound. It's a small ER, but quite busy that evening. There were only one doctor and two RNs available. There were several other staff people on the floor, but they were all sitting behind the desk and would not make eye contact.
I finally got home around 9:30, after waiting 45 minutes for a nurse to complete my discharge paperwork because the doctor wasn't authorized do it (although he was doing nothing else), and my assigned nurse had taken another patient for an MRI.
My primary asked me to come in on the 18th, a Friday. I was told I should get another ultrasound ASAP. I received requisitions in the mail the a week later, which meant I couldn't call for appointments until Monday.
Thankfully, my leg is feeling better, because three weeks after I saw my doctor in her office, I still haven't been able to get a radiology appointment.
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