waiting, waiting, and more waiting!

heidijez
heidijez Member Posts: 441
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
first of all let me say that as of today, i am halfway done with this course of chemo ; )

i got to the hospital in time for my 9:40 lab appointment, and there was a crowd in the waiting area. i asked if there was time for me to walk over to the pharmacy for my anti-nausea meds and only had to wait a couple of minutes before they called my name. so then i go up to my 10:30 appointment with my oncologist - was there at about 10:10, there was one person in the waiting area. as i sit there more people are coming . . . they are being called to go through the double doors and still i sit and wait. . . and wait. . .after about an hour and a half, i have decided that they have forgotten about me, i am the only one sitting there! as i get up to go to the desk, finally, the nurse come out to get me. she weighs me (never any fun there!) and then takes my vitals: temp is normal; blood pressure is high!!!

she looks at me disapprovingly and asks if something is wrong. i burst into tears and said yes, you guys made me wait almost two hours! this is hard enough to deal with, but when you make me sit and wait, i have too much time to think about why i am there, and anxiety sets in.

at that point, my doctor comes in and is so nice and apologetic, but nevertheless, i lost almost two hours that i could have been working (i was at the office before my appointments).

so i am then sent over to the chemo area where they proceed to make me wait once again. now i can sort of understand this, my appointment was for 11:00, and i didn't get there until 12:40. . . but they made me wait almost an hour. so now it's 1:35, and i have 3+ hours of chemo to look forward to which means i haven't eaten anything since 5:30 a.m., my stomach is growling like crazy, and i know that when i finally leave the hospital, i am going to hit rush hour traffic.

this is my second course of chemo - in a different facility due to me having to change my surgeon. i NEVER had to wait even two minutes at the other place, so this is foreign to me. . .all this waiting, waiting, and more waiting!

thanks for letting me get this off my chest!

Comments

  • missrenee
    missrenee Member Posts: 2,136 Member
    #2
    You Poor Dear
    Oh sweetie, that waiting seems so unfair to have to put up with. Chemo is an emotional drain (I went through 6 treatments) and anything anyone can do to make it easier is so nice. However, all that waiting of course would make anyone's BP go sky high. Please take the next few days to try to relax, pamper yourself and unwind. I'm thinking of you today and sending a prayer your way.

    Renee
  • Scotch Freckles
    Scotch Freckles Member Posts: 273 Member
    #3
    I hear you frustration
    I feel for you. Do you not have someone to go with you during chemo that can intervene for you when things are not going as scheduled? That would help keep the frustration at bay to some extent. How about calling the main office when your feeling better and discuss you bad experience. Given a few days helps get your thoughts together too. Wish I could be there to hold your hand on chemo days if you have to go alone.

    Kathryn
  • 2Floridiansisters
    2Floridiansisters Member Posts: 384 Member
    #4
    Scotch Freckles said:

    I hear you frustration
    I feel for you. Do you not have someone to go with you during chemo that can intervene for you when things are not going as scheduled? That would help keep the frustration at bay to some extent. How about calling the main office when your feeling better and discuss you bad experience. Given a few days helps get your thoughts together too. Wish I could be there to hold your hand on chemo days if you have to go alone.

    Kathryn

    awww heidi
    It sounds like you just had a bad day. I'm sorry you were left to wait and wait some more, hopefully next time won't be as cruddy.

    Love Ronda
  • carkris
    carkris Member Posts: 4,553 Member
    #5
    2Floridiansisters said:

    awww heidi
    It sounds like you just had a bad day. I'm sorry you were left to wait and wait some more, hopefully next time won't be as cruddy.

    Love Ronda

    thats a lot to deal with
    thats a lot to deal with especially during chemo, perhaps they have a patient liason person there you can talk to . this should not happen. I sometimes had to wait but that is extreme. I can read your distress coming through loud and clear and I am sorry. hugs you will get through this.
  • SamuraiMom
    SamuraiMom Member Posts: 295
    #6
    tick tock tick tock
    Oh my sweet InvisiSister I wished I'd have been there to keep you company!!!!

    xxoo,
    SamuraiMom
  • camsgram
    camsgram Member Posts: 106
    #7
    I'm so sorry that happened
    I'm so sorry that happened to you. You sound like you were way more patient than I would have been! I hope it doesn't happen again but just in case have some snacks in your purse!!! My last chemo I told my nurses to look for me next week and hook me up as soon as I get to the waiting room! They knew I was kidding but I also HATE to wait. take care
  • Ritzy
    Ritzy Member Posts: 4,381 Member
    #8
    carkris said:

    thats a lot to deal with
    thats a lot to deal with especially during chemo, perhaps they have a patient liason person there you can talk to . this should not happen. I sometimes had to wait but that is extreme. I can read your distress coming through loud and clear and I am sorry. hugs you will get through this.

    I am so sorry Heidi. That
    I am so sorry Heidi. That is really unexcuseable to make you wait like that. What was their excuse? You shouldn't have to go through this. Be sure and let someone in charge know what happened to you. I pray it never happens again.

    And, Congrats on being halfway done with chemo!


    Sue :)
  • MyTurnNow
    MyTurnNow Member Posts: 2,686 Member
    #9
    Heidi, you just vent away!!
    Heidi, you just vent away!! I know I would, too. We hear this all the time but the worst part of this treatment is the WAITING................waiting for dx...........waiting for surgery...........waiting for results...........waiting to start chemo.............you get my drift. I hope you feel better and hopefully your next treatment there is not quite so behind schedule. Do take some snacks along just in case you run into a delay again. I always took grapes, they were juicy and added some bulk to my stomach. Good luck and hoping for a more tolerable timeframe the next time.
  • Kylez
    Kylez Member Posts: 3,761 Member
    #10
    MyTurnNow said:

    Heidi, you just vent away!!
    Heidi, you just vent away!! I know I would, too. We hear this all the time but the worst part of this treatment is the WAITING................waiting for dx...........waiting for surgery...........waiting for results...........waiting to start chemo.............you get my drift. I hope you feel better and hopefully your next treatment there is not quite so behind schedule. Do take some snacks along just in case you run into a delay again. I always took grapes, they were juicy and added some bulk to my stomach. Good luck and hoping for a more tolerable timeframe the next time.

    You do have a right to vent!
    You do have a right to vent! I would be furious! I hope the rest of your treatments will go quickly and you won't have to go through this ever again. So sorry..
  • Jean 0609
    Jean 0609 Member Posts: 2,462
    #11
    I Can Relate
    I am so sorry you had to go through this. Unfortunately, I had the same problem last week for my first treatment. I was already nervous & worked up because I didn't know what to expect. Then after I waited patiently for 30 minutes I went up to the desk. The girl actually told me to go back into the infusion room myself to see what was taking so long! Of course, when I walked in, all the nurses just looked at me like "what are you doing here?" They told me they didn't have my chart and to go back out and have a seat. I went back to the desk and told the girl they didn't have my chart. She just shook her head. By this time I was in tears and just took a seat. My husband went back up to the desk & then they finally called me. Needless to say, during my treatment I was visited by the front desk supervisor, who wasn't very happy how I was treated. She assured me that she would take care of it. She gave me her card and told me to ask for her personally if I ever had any problems. Unfortunately, the administrative help isn't the best there, but I wouldn't trade my Oncologist for anything and she will hear about my experience.

    Hang in there and take it easy for the next few days. Emmotional stress isn't good. Relax and enjoy your weekend. Hugs, Jean
  • GayleMc
    GayleMc Member Posts: 311 Member
    #12
    Jean 0609 said:

    I Can Relate
    I am so sorry you had to go through this. Unfortunately, I had the same problem last week for my first treatment. I was already nervous & worked up because I didn't know what to expect. Then after I waited patiently for 30 minutes I went up to the desk. The girl actually told me to go back into the infusion room myself to see what was taking so long! Of course, when I walked in, all the nurses just looked at me like "what are you doing here?" They told me they didn't have my chart and to go back out and have a seat. I went back to the desk and told the girl they didn't have my chart. She just shook her head. By this time I was in tears and just took a seat. My husband went back up to the desk & then they finally called me. Needless to say, during my treatment I was visited by the front desk supervisor, who wasn't very happy how I was treated. She assured me that she would take care of it. She gave me her card and told me to ask for her personally if I ever had any problems. Unfortunately, the administrative help isn't the best there, but I wouldn't trade my Oncologist for anything and she will hear about my experience.

    Hang in there and take it easy for the next few days. Emmotional stress isn't good. Relax and enjoy your weekend. Hugs, Jean

    That is a terrible way to be
    That is a terrible way to be treated. You have every right to be upset. I know what you mean about your job, and being able to work instead of sitting and waiting. I have had to remind several people in various offices that I need to work as much as they do. Hopefully things will be better next time. All the Best.
  • faith_trust_and_a_little_bit_of_chemotherapy
    faith_trust_and_a_little_bit_of_chemotherapy Member Posts: 319 Member
    #13
    GayleMc said:

    That is a terrible way to be
    That is a terrible way to be treated. You have every right to be upset. I know what you mean about your job, and being able to work instead of sitting and waiting. I have had to remind several people in various offices that I need to work as much as they do. Hopefully things will be better next time. All the Best.

    Awww, Heidi
    What a miserable way to be treated. I had a similar encounter with some passive/aggressive office people at my chemo clinic. I called my surgeon and asked if he would please recommend another site. He called over and squared things away for me.

    Share your experience with your doctors, all of them, and don't be shy about it. Many of us were raised to polite young ladies and to never make a fuss.

    Make the fuss, and blame the steroids if you must.

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