8/9/22

 I got the call to schedule Ethan’s annual heart catheterization. When we were visiting NYC in July, we had discussed having a specific doctor do Ethan’s annual exam. The reason for this is because this particular doctor does the heart cath through radial access or access through the wrist. He is the only doctor that does it that way.

We wanted to use the wrist access because the recovery time is far less than through the leg. He would have to lay flat for 4 hours if they use his leg.

When I spoke to the lady in charge of scheduling, she told me we had to schedule on a Monday or Friday. Ugh! Ok….

I asked for her to note that we needed to be the first case of the day.  She then told me that Ethan would not be the first case of the day because kids on Mondays and Fridays typically get anesthesia. That means the anesthesia team determines that all the anesthesia patients go first. Ethan’s procedure may not start until 10:30, or 1:00 or 4:00? What? And that it would interrupt our pattern of coming the day before, being the first case of the day and driving home afterward. We wouldn’t actually get the time of the “appointment” until the afternoon before.

What a mess.

I asked if we could schedule it in a Wednesday like we normally do. Wednesdays the cath’s are done without anesthesia. We get them done early, then we get the heck out of there. The doctor that does the wrist access doesn’t work on Wednesdays. Ugh! Of course he doesn’t.

I was frustrated. Another hurdle. I know it’s not a huge deal but it is incredibly annoying. The lady coordinating the schedule said she was going to talk to the doctor and we hung up. I promptly sent an email to the transplant team. It was begging them to help. It was kind.

Spending two nights as well as Ethan missing two days of work/school as well as me missing work and paying for two nights in the hotel….these can be expensive trips so I was just trying to make it all work.

I got a call a while later and it was the scheduling lady. She was able to move us to a Wednesday, first case she of the day, with the doctor…..it’s like we won the lotto. Yeah!

We had a crazy incident at work with a client and had to call the sheriff….so this is a reminder to all to be kind to all workers. Especially the ones trying to help like the lady I spoke with today. 

After work, we had to go for the X-ray. It didn’t take nearly as long as I guess it would have. We are ready for the MRI of Ethan’s brain tomorrow morning. Hopefully they find one in there.