Friday, January 28, 2005
I forgot to mention...
...lab test results for the draw taken on 1/21/05 are up. The results exhibit a hint of 'better' than her last results in September of 2004.
There was an extended end to the playlet I published on 1/26/05 about getting copies of test results from our local lab. So, today's Friday, the lab is within our main zip code, forchrissakes, how long does it take for 1 page mailed on a Wednesday to travel 3 miles to our house? I call the lab.
"Oh, yes m'am. We mailed that out on January 24th."
"Hmmm...well, considering that I didn't call until January 26th, I certainly should have had 'it' by now. What, exactly, was sent out on Monday, and to whom?"
"We don't have a record of that, m'am. It just shows 'Hudson' and 'send'."
"Could it have been a fax?"
"Yes."
"Okay." I go through a repetition of Wednesday's story, replete with names and times of day. "I haven't received a copy of the lab test results. Has anything been sent out under 'Hudson' since about three o'clock Wednesday?"
"No m'am."
"Okay. What time does the lab close, today?"
"5:30."
"What if I just show up with my mother's card, my ID, and pick up a copy?"
"Sure!"
When I arrived, my mother's copy was taped up on the wall, I asked for it, offered ID and POA's, all of which were refused, and was on my way in about a minute and a half.
I truly believe that the more stringent HIPPA regulations are not in place just to protect our medical information from intruders, but I think the bureaucracy is also designed to make timely access to medical records harder for patients so they don't develop enough of an interest to seek out information and make decisions in cooperation with but independent of doctors.
Mom has spent most of the day sleeping, but, then, I did little better. Despite awakening very early this morning, I sacked out with my nausea from 0900 or so until 1420. I was surprised that Mom "took a nap" between 1630 and 1800 or so but I didn't stop her. I had a day piled on me that I had to negotiate. When I don't spread my chores out throughout the day it surprises me how much time they take at a clip.
No, I don't think my nausea was related to Mom's nausea on the evening of the 24th.
Later.
There was an extended end to the playlet I published on 1/26/05 about getting copies of test results from our local lab. So, today's Friday, the lab is within our main zip code, forchrissakes, how long does it take for 1 page mailed on a Wednesday to travel 3 miles to our house? I call the lab.
"Oh, yes m'am. We mailed that out on January 24th."
"Hmmm...well, considering that I didn't call until January 26th, I certainly should have had 'it' by now. What, exactly, was sent out on Monday, and to whom?"
"We don't have a record of that, m'am. It just shows 'Hudson' and 'send'."
"Could it have been a fax?"
"Yes."
"Okay." I go through a repetition of Wednesday's story, replete with names and times of day. "I haven't received a copy of the lab test results. Has anything been sent out under 'Hudson' since about three o'clock Wednesday?"
"No m'am."
"Okay. What time does the lab close, today?"
"5:30."
"What if I just show up with my mother's card, my ID, and pick up a copy?"
"Sure!"
When I arrived, my mother's copy was taped up on the wall, I asked for it, offered ID and POA's, all of which were refused, and was on my way in about a minute and a half.
I truly believe that the more stringent HIPPA regulations are not in place just to protect our medical information from intruders, but I think the bureaucracy is also designed to make timely access to medical records harder for patients so they don't develop enough of an interest to seek out information and make decisions in cooperation with but independent of doctors.
Mom has spent most of the day sleeping, but, then, I did little better. Despite awakening very early this morning, I sacked out with my nausea from 0900 or so until 1420. I was surprised that Mom "took a nap" between 1630 and 1800 or so but I didn't stop her. I had a day piled on me that I had to negotiate. When I don't spread my chores out throughout the day it surprises me how much time they take at a clip.
No, I don't think my nausea was related to Mom's nausea on the evening of the 24th.
Later.
