You may have noticed that I posted a lot of Backstory blog posts last week. I was trying to complete the Backstory, because I had a feeling that I was going to get test results back this week that would be significant in some way. I wanted to be ready to move forward in the story. I was also working ahead on my job-related work last week as much as possible, so that I had some extra time this week in case I needed some space for any emotions that would be coming up after receiving these test results. I also did a lot of work on our taxes to get that out of the way. I was preparing for the change that I could feel was probably coming our way. Somehow, I just knew.
I even told my husband this morning that we should be getting results back “this week.” He knows me well enough to know that I actually meant that I had a feeling the results would be back today, but I didn’t want to be a show off. 🤣
Well, I was correct. I was on a video call for work with my cousin and closest teammates this morning, and I had my cell phone on Do Not Disturb. For some unknown reason, I looked down at my phone, and I saw that I was getting a phone call from the doctor’s office who ordered the 5 tests I recently completed. I muted my microphone and turned off my video feed. I answered the phone call from the doctor’s office just as the person on the other end hung up. I immediately tried to call back, but the message said that the office was not open on Mondays. Then, I noticed that the same person left me a voicemail, and also immediately sent me a message via their patient portal. I quickly listened to the voicemail, and it stated that they had received the results to the last 2 tests, and they had an opening for an appointment this week instead of next week (as originally scheduled). If I wanted the appointment, I needed to call them back.
Even though I had a feeling that my final test results would be back today, I didn’t think I needed to be ready for a phone call. The previous test results from this office that included a few abnormalities were uploaded to the patient portal without an accompanying phone call, so I didn’t have any reason to believe that I would be getting a phone call from them today even if the results were abnormal.
Yes, I wanted the appointment. I didn’t even care when it was; we would make it work. I called them back again, but I got the same message about the office not being open on Mondays. I then checked the message they sent via the patient portal phone app, and it said that they received my final results, and they put me on the waitlist in case an appointment opened up this week.
I want the appointment this week that was offered in the voicemail. Please don’t give it to someone else just because I missed your call by 1 second. I replied to the patient portal message using the phone app, and told them that I did want the appointment that was available this week, and to please call me as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, they had also uploaded my results to the patient portal. I quickly found the results using the phone app and tried to see if I could interpret them. As I suspected, there are some results that seem significant, but I don’t know how to interpret them all. And, the results are best interpreted by looking at all 5 test results together as a whole. As I have said for 20+ years, it is all connected. Reading individual results without taking into account the rest of the results is a bad idea, and it is especially a bad idea for someone without training in reading these results. So, now we wait some more.
I had done all of this in the span of about 5 minutes, so I was flustered. I was trying to organize my thoughts and actions, but my mind was jumbled. I needed to try make sure I had done everything I could to get back in touch with them about the potential appointment this week. I needed to call my husband. I needed to view the results on a bigger screen and review them in greater detail and with more focus.
I rejoined my video call for work and apologized for the sudden departure. I knew that my cousin and closest teammates would understand. I told them with tears in my eyes that I needed to go. I wasn’t sure what was going on, and I needed to go in order to organize my thoughts. They are used to seeing me maintain my composure in most professional settings, so I am sure they were confused and worried. I said goodbye and hung up.
My cousin immediately called me privately to see what she could do to support me in that moment. I told her what had happened in the previous 5 minutes, and that I was flustered more than anything else. I told her that I wasn’t sure what I needed from her, so she proceeded to do what she does best which is to listen and let me process what just happened. Then, I told her that I needed to call my husband, so her and I quickly disconnected.
I was able to get in touch with my husband. I explained what just happened and provided my at-a-glance interpretation of the test results. He listened and let me process. I was frustrated that the doctor’s office called me and offered the appointment, but then couldn’t be reached the rest of the day using the number they provided. I was hoping that I was wrong, but I felt like I had missed my chance by a second.
Later in the day, the person from the doctor’s office messaged me back via the patient portal and told me that the appointment was given to someone else.
Let me get this straight. You called me and told me to call you back if I wanted the appointment on a day your office was closed? And, then you gave the appointment to someone else even though I called the office (that was closed) back in less than 1-minute from the original call? If I wasn’t going to actually be given a chance to call back and make the appointment before it was going to be offered to someone else, then leave a more accurate voicemail message, or better yet, no message at all. Sheesh.
I immediately relayed the message to my husband . . .
Me: That appointment was given to someone else.
Husband: Fuck!
Brutal. Missing a phone call by 1 second.
Beautiful. Some potential answers. Love and support from my cousin, work teammates, and husband.
Just another day of . . . This Brutiful Life: The Brutal & Beautiful Moments of My Life.
This Brutiful Life 