Red Raskin and The Waiting Continues

Upon leaving the mall, the same day of the CT Scan, we head back to Dr. Kalter's office with the intent of picking up the order for the next set of more detailed tests (an MRI). While driving the 3 or 4 miles to the doctor's office, I realize fully what is happening. We are checking to see how serious this thing in Jack's head really is. I also began to think about how Kalter went about giving us the news. It read like a really bad joke, one of those, "I've got good news and I've got bad news..." jokes. In reality, he only had bad news. We didn't know what they were looking for originally because we were never overtly told. Therefore, finding out they didn't find fluid in the brain was like finding out Jack wasn't a girl.

Susie and I discussed switching pediatricians once this whole drama is over. Susie at this point appeared stunned and I felt as if I was suddenly getting energy from a different place. It was as if adrenaline had taken over. I actually felt like running with Jack and Susie and hiding from all that had transpired.

Finally, we got to Kalter's office. I went in while Susie stayed in the car with Jack. The receptionist greeted me as I went in. I told her I was there to pick up an order for an MRI. She handed me the order and told me to call and set the appointment. I asked if we needed a reference number which the receptionist deferred to another woman who said quickly, "no, you shouldn't". I said, "Are you sure?" and preceded to tell her about Susie's struggles in getting the CT scan set up. I didn't realize it, but, these women had joined the conspiracy unbeknownst to me.

I need to back up. When Susie attempted to schedule the initial CT scan a week before the MRI, she was run around from hospital to doctor's office several times before actually being able to set an appointment. In fact, she was told our insurance required a reference number by the hospital, then told by the doctor's office they would call her back, was never called back after several attempts to get this done, and finally was called back after I spoke with someone at Kalter's office. Not until after several phone calls was Susie able to get the CT scheduled; all of this while being worried as hell about what was wrong with Jack in the first place.

This next time, I recapped the incident with the CT and my wife being run around. Even the receptionist echoed my wifes experience to the other staff members. The mysterious woman who obtains reference numbers assured me that we could either use the old reference number or at the very least I could call back and she would get a new one for me if requested by the hospital. For some reason I left. I guess I wanted to trust someone and had forgotten my own theory about people and their selfish/evil ways.

I got back out to the car, Susie was walking Jack in the parking lot as he was hungry at this point and crying. She strapped him back in and we headed home. I called to schedule the MRI as I was driving and Susie was attempting to console our baby in the backseat. Quickly, I found my way to the hospital scheduling guru who indicated that the next MRI would not be available until APRIL!!! Just before I had time to completely flip out as it was only the middle of February, she said that there was one space that had just opened up for Monday, 3 days from then. I said, "we want that, whatever time, we want it!" She then uttered the words, "reference number". I informed her of what my doctor's office had informed me. She said, "no, sorry we need the number". I very assertively said, "I will call you right back, I promise; I'm calling our doctor's office and I will call you back with the number; my baby can't wait until April to find out what is growing on his head". The faceless woman which held my emotionally state in the palms of her hands said, "okay, but, if I don't hear back from you shortly I will have to give the appointment away to someone else".

I called Kalter's office back and asked to speak with the reference number oficianado. The receptionist said, "sorry she just left for lunch". I lost it. I told her who I was, as if she didn't already know by my sense of urgency, and preceded to tell her I needed someone to get me the reference number, "now!!!". She said, "Sorry, there's nothing I can do for she is the only one that handles that". I then launched into our predicament and told her, "that's not good enough, I need the reference number or we will be waiting until April to find out what is growing in our baby's head". She said I understand, "please hold". In the meantime, I turned the car around and was headed back to Kalter's office. She got back on the phone and apologized once again. I told her to tell me where the woman I needed so desperately went to lunch. She asked me to hold again. By the time she came back on the phone I was standing at her desk. She smiled at me and asked for the hospital number. I gave it to her. She called and told them our situation. After speaking to 3 different people she hung up and told me the hospital agreed to hold the appointment for us until the reference number goddess called.

By this point, I had learned my lesson. I told her to have someone call me as soon as the appointment was confirmed and the almighty number relayed. She agreed. I still didn't trust her and asked at what time she felt this would be done. She said it would be finished no later than 3pm adding that the office closed at 4pm. I told her I would wait until 3 and then I would be calling if I hadn't heard back.

By 3pm noone had called. I called the office and found out the number was given and the appointment was confirmed. The hospital also called to confirm our appointment for the next test on our 5 month old baby's head. We would need to wait through the weekend until Monday.