15 December 2011

Strange Dreams & Phone Frustration

I have to admit that since going off of Lo.w D.ose Nal.trexone my dreams have been less vivid, but last night I had a doozy. It wasn't the strangest dream I've ever had (I regularly surprise Mr. JB with my crazy dreams), but I felt so weird when I woke up.

I dreamt that I was shopping (something that I've been doing to get myself out of the house -- I went to the mall two days in a row! Yay!). I went into a shoe store and while I was browsing I picked up a really cute and comfortable pair. For those of you that spend a lot of time on your feet, cute and comfortable shoes are hard to find (I am not ready to wear grandma shoes!). When I examined the shoes closer there was a label inside that said, "For pregnant women only."

In my dream I walked out of the store all shaken up and that's when I woke up.

What's up with that?

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So I know that I need to learn more lessons on patience and waiting. In retrospect what happened yesterday was not that big of a deal, but at the time it felt earth shattering.

You see, I was told to call PPVI this week for my six-week post-op follow-up. So I did what I was told and I called at 9am CST (I am very good at following directions). I figured that the call would come later on in the day so I was able to go to the chiropractor and then I did some Christmas shopping. When I didn't get a call back Monday evening I figured that I would get a call the next day.

When lunch time rolled around on Tuesday I decided to call to see where I was in the queue. The receptionist apologized and said that she had seen my file and that I would be called some time that day. And guess who didn't get called?

So Wednesday rolled around and I had to attend a funeral mass for the mother-in-law of a friend, so I called again to see where I was in the queue before I left the house. I was relieved that when I got home that they hadn't called (if you miss a call from the nurses you go to the bottom of the list, strange system since it isn't a new call, but a call back -- really, don't get me started). I had to leave my house for another chiropractor appointment so I called PPVI again to leave them my cell phone number, just in case.

And guess what happened. I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth and they called. I left my phone unattended for two minutes and they called.

What???

I immediately called back. This time I was desperate. I told the woman on the phone that I had been waiting for THREE days for a call back and I had missed the call by TWO minutes. I was almost in tears, which is not the norm for me. I pretty much begged for mercy for a call back. I really didn't want to have to wait THREE more days for a call back. I was also stressed because I had to leave to go to the chiropractor. It was raining pretty heavily and I knew that my twenty minute drive was going to be much longer.

I guess my "patience" was rewarded because the nurse called me back in fifteen minutes. Although I'm not allowed to talk and drive, I broke the law for a good cause. I asked if I could go back on LDN (and I was told that I would get a call back, hahahaha).

I said to Mr. JB that if it wasn't PPVI I would've yelled at someone. I have no patience at all for being given the runaround. I know that PPVI is understaffed and that their client base is growing which is a good thing in the grand scheme of things.

The Lord is reminding me to be patient. My journey is not over, not by a long shot.
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I am finally done my Christmas cards. I did finally find my groove and was able to finish. I tried to put love and good intentions into each card. My big outing today is the post office and I'm so excited about that! I love having the energy to get out by myself. Thank you all for your kind comments. Btw, I can't count, this is year seven of the Christmas cards.

[sigh]

Prayer buddy, I've been offering up so much for you! I hope you're feeling it!

17 comments:

  1. I swear, sometimes it's like they KNOW when you set the phone down for 10 seconds to go do something else really fast.

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  2. Oh I would have been in tears too! So glad the nurse called back asap.

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  3. Oh those waiting return call moments can ignite me like a keg of dynamite!

    Your dream probably happened because you have so much IF on your plate lately. Go find a chapel on your spare time and just rest in the presence of the Holy Eucharist. you may not receive the answers you are looking for, but you will find peace.

    BTW, when I taught in traditional schools, I was all about comfort. Bad veins!

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  4. That is too funny about the dream. So Freudian, I guess. That frustrates me too about PPVI. I wish they could hire another nurse so we can get called back quicker. There is usually a delay every month in getting my chart review. Sigh

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  5. That ALWAYS happens to me when I call PPVI. I carry the darn phone around with me everywhere and the 35 seconds it takes to go to the bathroom is when they call. Blerg!

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  6. I read your blog often but don't comment, but this one has me coming out of the woodwork! I swear that the devil lives in the phone network at PPVI. I think he loves to sabotage God's good works by messing with the timing of those phone calls! It's such a consistent problem with all PPVI patients, it just has to be the work of the devil. Anyway, just wanted to let you know you're not alone and to pray against that!

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  7. I hate waiting around for phone calls! They always seem to like to call when I'm in the powder room, haha. :)

    Glad you got your cards done - that's my project today! :)

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  8. I think I know the Serenity prayer by heart now. Yeah, had to call my REI nurse today get the results that I should have had a month ago because the lab still hadn't put them in the computer. Grrr...I totally understand how you feel.

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  9. OK, maybe this is me, but I don't give PPVI (or anybody) a pass. The logic of that seems to be, "It's wrong to be angry with them, because their work is so charitable. So if they behave uncharitably (or unjustly) in their dealings with individuals, that doesn't count, we have to say 'They're good people' and ignore it." This makes no sense. That's like saying that if Mother Theresa took care of the dying but cursed out people in front of her in line at the store, we have to ignore the latter because of the former - "She's so saintly." Catholics are always invoking the sanctity of others inappropriately, IMHO. The evidentiary requirements for canonization are based on the theory that if you have any virtue PERFECTLY then you have all virtues perfectly. Obviously, if you can prove that a candidate was really falling down on any virtue, then you know he was no saint, and the same is true of living people. (This principle would obviously put me in the non-saint category.) If PPVI wants a sterling reputation for goodness, they don't just have to avoid offering IVF, which, in the grander scheme of things, is NOT THAT HARD. (Think how much less business the clinic would have if it were just one more local place that offered ART.) Virtue requires treating people well in ALL aspects of their care - being polite to them on the phone, being respectful of their time, and not holding PATIENTS to a totally unreasonable phone-call-returning standard when the STAFF is held to no standard at all.

    Now, if everyone else would like to put PPVI on a pedestal regardless, it's a free country - that's just my opinion.

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  10. I agree with Second Chances, it has to be the work of the devil - it always happens to me too! And right before a weekend argh!

    Anyway I'm so glad you got a call back in 15 and you were around to get it!

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  11. Your dream is horrid and unfair! Poor JB! Aren't vivid dreams a bad sign for TCM? I have them too sometimes. Glad it worked out with PPVI in the end. And glad to hear you're feeling better and better! :)

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  12. Weird dream...waaay weird!

    And GRR for the phone tag situation!! I'll pray for you that they actually call you back tomorrow (and that you get to it on time)...who knows, when I call, I'll mention that they need to take care of calling you back! ;)

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  13. Misfit-totally agree with you. If you are in the business of dealing with patients that are out of town, that is the responsibility you take on. Being available and getting back to them before end of business is at least appropriate or beginning of next business day. I mean you did just drop several "grands". :)

    Okay, your dream was nuts, JB!!! You can not even shoe shop in your dreams! :(

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  14. I hate pregnancy dreams. (kind of, but not really ... its nice to dream, but you wake up and then ... Poof!)
    I really hear you about PPVI. Ordinarily I don't have much of a problem. I call on CD1 and they call back maybe late on CD3. This month, it was late on CD 7! I'm not sure what happened up there but it seemed like a horrible snag somewhere that caused a pileup of impatient patients. I wish they could be better staffed too.

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  15. Oh geez, I am totally frustrated on your behalf!!!!

    I think the one major downside of getting treated by PPVI is exactly this. It is difficult to provide the post operative care and treatment to so many patients long distance and give them the care they truly need. Surgery is only the beginning of healing, usually, so it is critical to be able to have your dr.'s attention. Ugh!!! I truly hope you don't continue to have these kinds of experiences but they are common. That being said, hopefully things will be better from here on out.

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  16. If it makes you feel any better, I actually bought a pregnancy shirt by mistake. Noticed it on the tag once I got home, haha...not funny at the time though! I'm so glad the nurse called you back- I can't imagine the stress you felt over that, ugh! Glad you did the cards...Prayers!

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