As promised, my little communication rant

Frustration: I haz it

Fair warning: I'm PMSing and frustrated. Anything remotely drama-queeny is not my fault. 


I am getting frustrated with the communication issue with our clinic. Have done enough research to know that our doctor is super-duper busy, but that begs the question: why doesn't she hire additional staff? A case manager would be fantastic. 

The doctor uses a yahoo email account, and from what my hubby says, yahoo doesn't give the thread of all back and forth emails. Essentially that means I am emailing the same information multiple times, even though I can see (with gmail) that the information is all there. 


Her: "Send me your results"
Me: "They are at the bottom of this thread."
Her: "Ok. Then please send me your results" 
Me: Sigh. "Ok. Here you go. Can you answer these 15 questions for me."
Her: "Yes, but only after a few days and only with one or two words answers."


2 weeks later...
Me: I have a couple of quick questions.
Her: "Ok. Send me your results."
Me:  "Ok. Let me go stab my eyes first." 


Is this going into a case file? Maybe she just doesn't have time to look at everyone's file when responding to the hundreds of email she gets (she personally responds to all emails herself). Again, this is where a case manager would be prime. Or Sharepoint. Or somethin. I hate to be the spoiled American, but jeez. 

Actually it wouldn't have even bothered me except some important information almost slipped through the cracks about when I am supposed to start BCP and our arrival date. At least it seems important. After a few unclear emails, where I literally wrote "just to clarify" on each one, it was discovered that we would need to take BCP for an extra day to be in sync for my arrival. I have no idea what the consequences would have been with me being off sync with the surrogate by 1 day or starting the IVF cycle a day later. Maybe nothing, but maybe something. 

When I don't get a exact details and clarity up front, I get super anxious. Like super-duper anxious. More than the average person. I have to keep important information in an easily accessible digital format (thank you Evernote) that I can access no matter where I am, as I sometimes have what I like to call "processing issues" (don't ask). This make me prone to be an "annoying patient" because I need uber clarity and a high level of granularity.  Had I started this "clarity" routine earlier in life, I would have saved myself tons of money and a big chunk of my sanity. Let's just call it "lessons learned". On the flip side, it make me wonder if hyperventilating is a good relief option when I don't get it. "Paper or plastic ma'am?"


I've had to reign these OCD eccentrics waaaaaaaay back based on my husband's advice, so as not to offend. Something about doctors getting offended when patients questions them or something; I don't remember because I didn't write it down. "Make sure you write things like this...." OMG A SHINY BUNNY! That's like a double rainbow!

My in-laws repeatedly tell me on the phone "take no tension!!!" I wish it were that easy. Things like this make me go bonkers. Bonkers is not good. I'm PMSing and the weight of everything that is going on is ringing the doorbell. I don't even have my pants on. Or coffee. I'm not even making sense now. 


At least her email didn't bounce back again today like it did yesterday. A month from now I will be in India again. Holy crap. 


UPDATE: Crisis averted. She has responded and now I feel much better.