July 13, 2009

The task begins of scheduling appointments for Mom with the doctors now involved in her care.  I feel the most important ones are Dr. Powell, the oncologist, and Dr. Moser, the nephrologist.  Dr. Moser is a partner with Dr. Imler, the kidney physician she has been seeing for the past several years.  She respects and likes Dr. Imler, however, at the hospital, Dr. Moser said he would be caring for her from here on.

I call the office of Imler/Moser and I get the nastiest, most unkind secretary I've ever spoken with.  I am aware that my nerves are frazzled and that I'm very much on edge, so I try harder to be calm and nice.  She tells me that I have to decide between Imler and Moser.  I explain what Dr. Moser said at the hospital, but I also tell her that Mom has always had Dr. Imler as her physician and likes him.  She tells me it's either 'one or the other' and to decide.  I, very calmly and fighting tears, tell her that I feel the doctors should make that decision.  She argues and says very rudely that both doctors are very seldom in the office together and that would be difficult to do so it would be quite awhile until she could get me the answer.   Then I begin to cry.  I tell her that obviously she has never dealt with anyone that is dealing with a loved one with cancer or she would be kinder.  She informs me her mother died of cancer.  I just hang up, feeling a tiny bit guilty that I didn't tell her I was sorry about her mother.  Her poor mother.