Healthcare Management: My Other Job

There are multiple reasons the phrase "on a daily basis" is included in the sub-head of my blog title. Cancer isn't just with me every day because it is, well, with me every day. The f-ing disease (Yay! I've been dying for a good opportunity to use that term again for weeks!) demands daily attention on some level. Okay, so the brain met thing elevates activity above baseline administration. But, still. Here's what's happened this past week:

• Called Rad-Onc #1 as recommended by My Oncologist only to learn he doesn't accept my insurance.
• Researched gamma knife facilities in New Jersey. Found a place only a short 40 minutes from home. Spoke at length with a member of the staff to find out what is needed from me to get on the books and move things forward. Called My Oncologist to have said things faxed to the facility. Called to follow up to confirm receipt of fax and heard nothing for three days.
• Called My Oncologist again to get another recommendation for a gamma knife facility. Called Rad-Onc #2 and spoke at length with... see above. However, this time I got a call back within a day-and-half with an appointment for consult this Friday.
• Received call back from the New Jersey site after booking the consult with Rad-Onc #2. They had an appointment for me on Friday. Imagine the staff member's surprise when I told her that they didn't move quickly enough for me and I have moved on to a more responsive facility.
• Called hospital where scans were done to request disk of brain MRI to bring to Rad-Onc #2 for viewing at consult.
• Drove an hour-and-a-half to hospital during rush hour(s) to pick up disk of MRI images.
• Had STAT CBC drawn this morning before going into the office. I'm eager to take another step down on the steroid and My Healthcare Team is interested to know if my platelets are holding following infusion of Avastin last Friday.
• Having not heard from My Healthcare Team about the previously mentioned STAT CBC, I follow-up via phone this afternoon and find that they haven't received the results of my STAT CBC. My Healthcare Team says they will follow up with the hospital and get back to me.
• I missed a phone call from THE Head Nurse because I was in a meeting. She leaves a cryptic message saying I should call her back in the morning to talk about "what to do with the prednisone." On the up side, she didn't say, "Get your ass up here for a platelet infusion or more IV Ig."
• What? Isn't that enough?