Quote:
Originally Posted by Penguin
Hey everyone! Hope everyone is having as good a day as possible.  As some of you may or may not know, I am STILL waiting for my doc to place the referral for pain management.  She was suppose to have done it Aug. 7th. I have called and left message after message after message, and nothing. I was told that if i don't hear back from her by Monday afternoon to call back and ask to talk to the NCOIC (non-commissioned officier in charge).  The past few days the pain has been getting worse and am now experiencing "hot spots" in my right thigh (it's my left leg that's got RSD). When i was Dxed, i was only given Calcium and Vit D. The Tramadol (50mg) does nothing. I only find some relief from the klonopin  that i still have for my anxiety, and it's an old PX. I start my fall semester tomorrow  so i'm excited, but nervous at the sametime. If i were to go to ER or urgent care, the army docs there would only give me 800mg motrin and then tell me to follow up w/ my doctor...that is what the did w/ my knee when i went there and couldn't walk on the freakin' thing...crutches, motrin, and go see your doc.
I need some encouragement and wisdom on how to handle the call that i know i'm gonna have to make tomorrow to the NCOIC. I mean, what do i say other than "where the hell is my referral?"  I don't want to come off as a *****, but i don't want to be a push-over either. Any advice on how to deal with this would be so great 
Hope all the best to everyone and thanks in advance!  |
I was in a conversation on the phone with with my mom when I first read this- she is a retired USMC officer's wife and lived on many US military bases when our family was young. She advised that you call Monday a.m. and if you can, request an appt with a DIFFERENT doc in order to get your referral, since it sounds like the one you are with is not very helpful.
Most of all, she recommended that you TRY not to complain too much, as hard as it might be, especially if you are on a small base, because in the process you may alienate the very people that you need most to help you. That includes NOT calling the NCOIC unless you ABSOLUTELY have to, so that you don't get a reputation as a complainer.
My mom has spinal stenosis and she and my dad still use docs at military bases in Cape May, New Jersey (summer) and Florida (winter) for their medical care. When they are prescribed pain meds, it is usually Ultram (or tramadol). That is all she uses now for her back pain, and in my opinion, her pain is not at all well controlled. It is a good thing that she is a very strong woman and has managed to handle it so far. But I worry about her a lot, I wish they would do more for her.
Please feel free to PM if you need any additional info. My dad was in the Marine Corps for 36 years. They are in NJ right now, and I can call my mom for you and ask her a few more questions. She has had many years of exerience with military bases! I would be happy to help you in any way possible.
Take care and good luck, Sandy