(no subject)

[the_rck]

I still can't get the surgeon's office to call my cell phone. I tell them every time they call the land line and every time I visit the office, and they promise me that they will call my cell. And then they don't.

Naturally, the nurse called while I was in the middle of a call. I was going through an automated menu to renew some prescriptions and was almost done. I tried to answer the landline while still keeping going with the pharmacy. Unfortunately, the phone I keep in the living room was almost completely out of charge. It had just enough juice to let me say 'hello' before it cut out and hung up.

The nurse, after hearing me describe what's going on, decided to try to get me in tomorrow. Finding a time for that took considerable effort, not because of anything on my end but because they're pretty much booked solid. My breast is puffier than it was yesterday and noticeably more painful, but I still don't have a fever or any other sign of a serious infection. We're all puzzled by the fact that, while my incision is on the bottom left, the puffiness is on the top right. Even the biopsy wound is on the left, so that shouldn't be a factor.

I very definitely have Cordelia's cold. Hers started with a sore throat, and I haven't gone there yet. I just have a lot of sneezing and a runny nose. That kept me awake pretty much the whole time between when Scott got up and when Cordelia left for school.

I did a little more research into calendula this morning-- The NIH page on it says that people allergic to ragweed, marigolds, or chrysanthemums should not use it. I'm allergic to all three, so I think I probably should avoid it.

In terms of the suggested list, that pretty much leaves me with aloe (unless the radiology folks have other suggestions which is something I'm hoping for). I don't think I've ever had an out and out bad reaction to aloe. It just feels nasty and leaves my skin feeling kind of stiff and tacky. I'm debating following up my email to them with a phone call, but I'm not sure it's urgent enough to overcome my difficulties with making phone calls.

I wish I had a better memory of my skin issues of twenty years ago. I remember that I tried Cetaphil and had problems with it, but I can't remember what those problems were, just that everyone was surprised because Cetaphil is supposed to be completely harmless. I can use many Aveeno products and Vaseline Intensive Care lotion as long as I get fragrance free. I've been okay with 'fruit puree' lotions and, even, one body glitter lotion from The Body Shop. I think I've also been okay with Dove unscented lotions.

I should probably bake a cake today or something. Cordelia wants a treat in the evening, and our fallback for that is ice cream which she really can't have with her sinuses and throat all gloppy. We've got a cake mix, a brownie mix, and a Jell-o mix. I like brownies best, but they tend to vanish really, really rapidly.

I'm trying more music recommended by Amazon. They've now gone in a completely different direction from things like Rainbow and Metallica and are recommending things like Perry Como and Harry Belafonte. I'm surprised-- I actually like what I'm hearing of Perry Como. I already knew that I liked at least some Belafonte.

Comments

[adrian_turtle]

I still can't get the surgeon's office to call my cell phone. I tell them every time they call the land line and every time I visit the office, and they promise me that they will call my cell. And then they don't.

I had this problem with several offices. "Please call me at this number" never worked, if their computer system didn't have a box for "preferred number." Most of them just have boxes for home number, work number, and mobile number. Some call your mobile number if you don't answer at the home number, but a disturbing number are set to just call your home number. Or your work number at some times and your home number at others.

The script that worked for me was, "I'd like to tell you my home phone number has changed. The new one is [cell phone number]." That made them delete the number I didn't want them to call, so they actually stopped calling it.

As an aside, something is seriously wrong with medical records that won't let you specify a preferred number. Lots of people share a home telephone with somebody they don't trust well enough to discuss their medical treatment. Hospitals should KNOW that.

[the_rck]

What gets me is that the U medical system actually does have a field for preferred phone number, and I know that that gives my cell number. I've checked that repeatedly. Every single other office in the system calls my cell. It's just the surgeon's office

My best guess is that the surgeon's office uses a different record when they call me, maybe even a paper record, and default to calling my home number from that.

They do ask, every time they expect to need to call, whether or not it's okay to leave a message on my voice mail/answering machine or with someone who isn't me. If I say no, they won't leave a message or identify themselves. I have no idea how closely they adhere to that, however, and the automated you-have-an-appointment reminders play no matter who or what answers the phone.

[minim_calibre]

This sucks so much. I am so angry for you.

[evalerie.livejournal.com]

That's funny: All of my family's doctors' offices always call on my cell phone, no matter how many times I tell them I would strongly prefer for them to call on my landline. I was thinking that this must be some kind of modern-day medical standard, to always call people's cell phones first. Sigh.

My goal is to just simply be reachable, without people needing to memorize which way they need to reach me. But I usually can't hear my cell phone when it rings, plus I can hear talking much better on the landline, so it works much better when people call the landline -- with the only exception being if there is an urgent reason why they need to reach me right away when I am out.

[the_rck]

The U medical system's central record actually has a field for 'preferred number,' and I've got my cell there. The cell is more likely to be charged and handy than the receiver for the landline (we don't have a place in the living room to put a charging unit, so the receiver out here tends to run down, just sitting there). Apparently, my surgeon's nurses aren't working from that record. Every other office in the U medical system calls my cell. Every single one.

Someone on DW said they've had good luck with telling doctor's offices that their phone has changed and giving them the desired number. That doesn't work if you want the office to be able to try the cell phone if the landline doesn't go through, but... I don't know.

[evalerie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I have put all over my records at U of M that my preferred number is my landline. But they still always call my cell phone. :-P