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Janet L's Diary Entries Diary Navigation: Choose A Diary Entry -------------------- Latest Entry: 11/7/00 -------------------- 10/30/00 10/24/00 10/18/00 10/10/00 10/3/00 9/26/00 9/19/00 9/9/00 9/5/00 8/29/00 8/23/00 8/15/00 8/8/00 8/1/00 7/23/00 7/14/00 7/8/00 -------------------- Janet L's Introduction

July 14, 2000

Hi Everyone,
I hope you all had a great week! Mine has been a little frustrating because of the problems I have had changing doctors. Let me explain. I have had the same doctor for the last five years. When I first chose this doctor I was living in another city and his office was located about five minutes from my apartment. Well, since then I have moved twice, each time getting farther and farther away from my doctor. I kept my doctor because I liked him and did not have to make trips out to see him often, so it seemed worth the drive. DH and I bought a house last year, so we plan on staying put for many years. I decided a few months ago that now would be a good time to make the change. I want to do it now before I get pregnant so I don't have to worry about making the change in the middle of my pregnancy or driving over an hour to see him for prenatal care.

Anyway, my best friend lives very close to me and she told me her OB/GYN is great and I should see if I could get a referral to see her. I called her office and was pleased to find out that she does accept my insurance and she was accepting new patients. All I had to do was get a referral from a primary care physician in her medical group (I have an HMO). I was so relieved that this was all working out! I called my insurance carrier and changed my primary care physician to one within the same medical group as the recommended OB/GYN. This all happened in the middle of May this year and I was told the change would be effective June 1.

Well, the first week of June came and I called my new primary physician to see how I go about getting a referral for my requested OB. I was told that the doctor would have to examine me first before he could provide me with a referral, which was fine with me. I was then told that the first available appointment was Aug. 28!!! Almost three months away!!! I was shocked! Three months before I could even get a referral for an OB and then possibly a month or so before I would be able to get in to see her! I am sure all you ladies out there TTC can understand how impossible this situation was. We have been TTC for nine months now and I was hoping to get some advice about fertility testing.

I begged the doctor's office to get me an earlier appointment. I asked them to call me if there were any cancellations, that I would take anything. Well, things started to look up when they called back and I was able to get an appointment with a nurse practitioner on July 25 and she could give me the referral for my OB.

As anxious as I was, I decided to contact my new OB's office and see if I could set an appointment for a date later than July 25th when I would have the referral. When I called the office, I was told that the OB I wanted was no longer taking new patients! I told the receptionist that she must be mistaken -- that I had called in May and was told that she was accepting new patients. I was informed that the information I was given in May was accurate, but she just changed her policy and would make no exceptions.

So, it's back to the drawing board! I'll talk to the nurse at my primary physician's office and see if she can recommend anyone to me. What a frustration this whole process has been! I'll be glad when I have the doctor issue settled and can move on!

On the TTC front, today is cycle day 23 so I am in the waiting game. My temps have been a little out of whack, but my sleeping schedule has been different than usual so I am not sure what to make of it. I'll just have to wait and see.

Positive thoughts out to all of you ++++++++
Janet