As Fay Approaches

Last time I posted, Fay was supposed to be here by 8am today, but she's apparently related to me because she's running late. Not going to be here until tomorrow morning and the most recent predicted path has her stopping over at my house for a visit.

Meanwhile, the saga of the biopsies continues. North Florida Dermatology Associates have continued to totally ignore not only my voice mail messages (totaling 3) but also those of my study coordinator. Now, I can understand putting off returning the call of a whiny patient, but a doctor calling? They ignore a DOCTOR telling them the biopsies need to be done STAT so that the schedule of the clinical trial is not disrupted??

I have never seen such incompetence in my life. I found out the original doctor that I saw there last year (who didn't think any of my skin irregularities warranted carving out) is no longer there. I am suspecting he did not meet his required quota of biopsies and was made an example of for all the other dermatologists to see.

The way it works at N. FL Derm. Ass. is this: They have 5 offices scattered around the area. The doctors apparently travel because the one who wants to cut on me is actually from the Orange Park office even though she saw me in Jacksonville. When you call their number, it's a central number that goes to a central switchboard. They can transfer you to scheduling, where you get live people, but only for office visits, not procedures. The individual doctor's nurse is ruler over that domain. And, conveniently, Keesha is always busy and you get her voice mail which I suspect is set to automatically delete the message as soon as it comes in so she isn't bothered with things like patients.

The new plan, about which I'm still awaiting the good word, is one my trial coordinator came up with. She thinks I should have a "second opinion" about the biopsy and go to a totally different dermatologist. One not in that group. I think it's brilliant because a) I should be allowed a second opinion before someone takes a knife to me and b) it will enable us to skirt that group of unresponsive jerks who are possibly compromising my extension phase and c)might mean I don't need biopsies after all.

I'm telling you, these offensive spots are no bigger than fleas and I have had them all my life.

The trial coordinator is supposed to be running it by the lead investigator to see what he thinks. I guess if he feels it's a good plan then perhaps he will have more pull when trying to persuade Novartis.

I have less than 20 pills and only one shot left, and a possible hurricane approaching so they better figure out something quick. Tick, tick, tick...