Open heart surgery Wednesday...

[Phil_S]

...PCP not willing to send me to a neurologist yet...

Bob, it is good to hear you are recovering. 7 weeks is a reasonable amount of time to wait. I'd tell the PCP that I'm disabled by the problem and it is having a serious effect on quality of life. Today is the day to get the referral.

[Structo]

Bob, good to hear from you.

You and your wife are your best advocate for your health care.

You have to be a squeaky wheel to pursue other tests or diagnosis and treatment.

My wife works for a major HMO and that's what she has told me.

If you feel you are not getting the best treatment for your care, call the
company membership services, they take it serious.

Praying that the right arm improves, nerves are funny things.
Takes a while for the conduits to heal.

[Bob S]

Be well Bob. I hope that arm heals soon.
God Bless.

[Teleguy61]

Bob, good to hear from you.

You and your wife are your best advocate for your health care.

You have to be a squeaky wheel to pursue other tests or diagnosis and treatment.

My wife works for a major HMO and that's what she has told me.

If you feel you are not getting the best treatment for your care, call the
company membership services, they take it serious.

Praying that the right arm improves, nerves are funny things.
Takes a while for the conduits to heal.

This is excellent advice Bob.
You MUST be your own advocate.
Good luck.

[dkochan]

This is absolutely true. I had the worst care and hospital experience of my life when I was 500 miles from home, hospitalized for ten days, drugged up with nobody around to advocate for me. If you let the system take the path of least resistance, you are going to have a mediocre (or worse) outcome.

It's unfortunate that we have to fight for our own best interests in this system, but we do. Like the guys are saying, you and your wife are the only ones that you can count on to be 100% on your team. Be the squeaky wheel and fight for what you know is right.

Heal quickly!

Dave