Many of you know that my 3-year-old Chip was born with a cataract in his right eye, and we had the cataract removed about a year ago. Apparently, most people have a complication where their vision clouds over at some point after the surgery, and there is a simple laser procedure they can do to clear it up.
Chip sees his eye doc every couple of months, and last August he noticed some clouding in Chip’s eye and said it was time for the laser zap. Quick, easy, and then he’d be all set.
Nope
We have now been waiting for FIVE MONTHS for the rocket scientists in charge of doling out time on the laser to schedule this surgery. In this time, Chip hasn’t been able to see much out of that eye and I’ve been worried about that causing problems for him later on. You know, because of brain development at this age, it is important for his eyes to be working if that can be managed.
I got a call from the scheduling nurse saying they finally had gotten a spot on the schedule for Chip. And it was going to be this Monday. No, they can’t tell me the time until the Friday before. No, I can’t bring my other kids along. No, it can’t happen in the morning when my other kids are in school.
No, it doesn’t matter that my husband will be out of town that day. No, they can’t reschedule it!
I shit you not, the person on the phone actually told me to just have my nanny watch my other kids. Like everyone has a nanny. I really didn’t know what to say, other than “Um, we don’t have a nanny.”
And she was surprised!
Craig goes out of town on business fewer than 10 days a year, and this Monday just happens to be one of those days. I am so furious that there is no way for me to get another appointment.
Fortunately, my mom can hang out with Mike and Robbie while I’m with Chip, but she had her shoulder replaced a few months ago and has physical therapy that afternoon. Which cannot be rescheduled. Because they don’t reschedule, you just have to miss a session. Because apparently this is another area of medicine where we work for them, not the other way around.
We’re lucky
If we didn’t live near my family we would be so screwed, because while my mom is at physical therapy, my step-mom is going to leave work to watch Mike & Robbie. But what about people who don’t have this kind of support? I’m starting to understand why people are tempted to leave their kids home alone. I don’t agree with it, and I would never do it, but I can totally see how someone could feel like their back is against the wall.
I swear to god I am going to have a stroke thinking about this. I haven’t even gotten around to being nervous about the fact that they’re going to be putting him completely out to do the laser zap. I remember what coming out of anesthesia was like when he had his surgery last year. Hell! And since these fucking people are so inflexible I won’t even be able to have Craig there to help me when Chip is thrashing around screaming.
I am so mad. I am livid. I am so grateful to my family for helping me make this work, but I SO RESENT the fact that there is NO FLEXIBILITY in this system. Who are these fuckers, anyway?
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