Diaster Strikes Part III

The day after The Great Break I woke to find my fingers swollen and discolored. They felt tingly. I read the hospital instructions. They seemed quite clear. If my fingers were swollen, discolored, as in purplish, and tingly I should return so that they could help me.

Joel drove me back to the ER. After a slight wait I felt rather foolish when all I needed was to have the bandages on the splint loosened.

The holiday weekend passed slowly, painfully, and very stressful.

On Tuesday morning, bright and early, I called the doctors' offices and got a delightful young woman on the phone. I explained to her that my instructions from the hospital said to call and make an appointment for Wednesday. She blithely ignored all I had to say and asked if I was a new patient. When I told her I was she said I could have an appointment on June 16th.

I attempted to explain that I had been told that I might require surgery and my discharge papers from the ER specifically said to make an appointment for Wednesday. She continued to tell me the earliest appointment that I could have was on June 16th. After several more failed attempts at communication, I lost my temper entirely, at which point she enquired quite calmly as to whether I had been to the ER. When I said yes, she informed me that, in that case my arm had been stabilized and I could go as long as four weeks without seeing anyone.

I hung up without thanking her and called the nurse at my school. She listened quietly to my rantings. When I had finally disintegrated into tears and sobs she suggested that I call back and ask for a supervisor.

I called back and got a different voice on the line, but the message remained the same, June 16th. I asked for the voice's supervisor. After several minutes a woman came on the line. This time I read the discharge papers to her and then I tried to explain about the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund. At the end of the conversation I still didn't have an appointment.

Bordering on hysterics, I called the school nurse back. She took the name and number of the woman I had just spoken to and told me she would call me right back.

Five minutes passed and my phone rang. The school nurse told me that she had spoken with the supervisor and explained, one medical person to the other, why I was so distraught. She suggested that I call her back.

When I called I requested the supervisor by name. she was very kind and gentle with me and by the end of the conversation I had an appointment for 8:15 Wednesday morning.

There was still a possibility that I would be going to Japan!