I asked, "Well, what exactly is she about to have done?" to which she replied, "Ummm....I don't know. They just told me to call you. Let me get someone else."
The next girl who came on the line told me that Dr. Kennedy was unavailable to speak because he was in surgery, but asked if she could help me. Oooooohhhhh.....that poor girl. I basically WENT OFF. I will spare you all the minute details of my psychotic rant, but here is a run-down of some of my major speaking points:
- The doctors knew that Lexie's wounds were infected the day they performed her surgery.
- The doctors know that an infection can sometimes cause an incision to pull open.
- The doctors had not yet received the results of Lexie's bacterial cultures the day after her surgery, so they were not aware at that point that she actually had both staph and serratia infections, which were quite extensive, and yet the doctors told me that Lexie was "stable" and ready to go home when she clearly was not.
- The doctors sent us home with Cephalexin, an antibiotic to which staph and serratia infections are resistant.
- Lexie's stitches pulled open just approximately 14 hours after she was discharged from MedVet, and now she has had to stay there for another seven nights and have another surgery as a result.
I told that girl that I did nothing wrong. I simply came and picked Lexie up when the doctors told me she was stable and cleared to go home, which was obviously too soon. I felt like I was having to pay for THEIR mistake. I also launched into a big rant about how I've been told by five different doctors all week long not to worry about the cost of this visit because they were "doing all they could to keep the costs minimal," so I honestly wasn't expecting to pay more than $1500 TOTAL. I told her I was perfectly fine with the fact that I would have to pay full price for Lexie's mastectomy IF I was actually being cut a break on everything else. I even went so far as to say, "I'm even willing to pay the $1800 that I was quoted for this surgery if that's ALL I have to pay."
She put me on hold for about 20 minutes while she spoke with Dr. So-and-So, who apparently has the ability to approve or deny discounts. Finally, she came back on the line and told me that my total bill for Lexie's stay and surgery, including the mastectomy, would be $1800. I said, "That's all I wanted. Thank you."
Lexie is in surgery as we speak.
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Don't mess with mama!!! Good job, standing up for yourself, getting what you deserved. I was without internet for a while, not checking your blog since the 4th, and when I got back, all this! I hope everything comes together. I wish I'd checked your blog while on my wi-fi hunts...
ReplyDeleteYeah, believe me, I wish you had come back to my blog and found nothing but happy tales of how well Lexie has been adjusting, but alas.... At least she comes home tomorrow, hopefully for good!
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