A lady called me on Tuesday to confirm my 8:30am mental health appointment for this morning. She verified that I was going to building number 2200.
I went to 2200. It was the administration offices. They told me the behavioral health department wasn’t there. I asked for directions and she said to go back outside, walk down past the parking ramp and into the emergency entrance to ask the guy there at the front desk. Too bad the lady’s directions were messed up…because the emergency entrance was actually to the right of the parking ramp, not down and around. So, in my 4 inch heels, I circled the entire parking ramp.
I found said emergency entrance. The guy at the front desk said to go up to the 2nd floor, suite 275. On the outside of the door, it said “MENTAL HEALTH.” I waited patiently in line to be checked in – by this time, it was 8:30 already. I tried to check in but they couldn’t find me in their system. And then the guy asked what doctor I was seeing. I told him and he said:
“YOU’RE IN THE WRONG PLACE.”
He told me to go back out and across to the parking lot to the building NEXT to 2200 and up to the 3rd floor. I smiled and said thank you. I trudged back downstairs, outside and across the parking lot. Up to the 3rd floor, I walked in 10 minutes late. I checked in and felt relieved that they found me in their system and that I had finally made it.
The doctor called me in and we sat down. He quickly skimmed my intake documents. He looked up and we started. His first question was “So…tell me about why your here.” I gave him as brief of a summary as possible, probably about 5 minutes long. And when I paused, he sighed and said:
“YOU’RE IN THE WRONG PLACE.”
HOLY MOTHER OF JESUS. He continued talking, explaining that he was a medical doctor who basically prescribes mental behavior medicine and that I would need to find a therapist but frankly, all I could do was cry.
“ALL I COULD DO WAS CRY.”
I think he felt bad because he started to apologize. I explained how I had been around and around and couldn’t believe how hard it was to get an appointment with someone who could help me. I left feeling frustrated and like I wasted not only the past 4 weeks, but my morning and the $20 flippin’ co-pay. (damn insurance!) His parting words were…
“Here is the name of
someone you should be with.”
I confirmed a bazillion times she was accepting new patients, even telling him that I had called that specific clinic and they told me all of their therapists weren’t accepting new patients. The doctor smiled and said he was sure of it, she was taking new patients. With all my might, I drove past every freakin’ McDonalds on my way into work. With all of my will power, I fought off every urge to stop and just binge.
I made it back to my desk and, over my lunch, decided I would call the number he gave me. I mentioned to the lady on the phone that I had a referral and gave her the doctor name. Her response:
I’m sorry, we don’t have
any appointments for 4 weeks.
I thanked her for her time and hung up. I need to take a deep breath. Be patience. Breath. In and out. Breath. I really can not believe this. Maybe I’ll just wait for some therapist to come find me. I get that places are busy. I get that they can only handle so many patients at a time. But another 4 weeks? Holy flippin’ Moses! What’s a gal gotta do to find some help ’round here!?? I’ll try again next week, when my fight comes back. For this week, for this holiday weekend, I give up.
P.S., Some of you have emailed me offering to help navigate the system – I appreciate you reaching out to me and am trying to sort through the emails & navigate what next step I should take. I’ll figure it out next week. Until then, I’m taking this weekend to just be.
Happy Memorial Day Weekend everyone!
I’ll be back on Monday!
I’ll be back on Monday!
(or before then if I find time!)
{ 42 comments }
i hate sounding like a pouty baby when things could be MUCH worse. i’d still appreciate your feedback, though 
