Surgery Eve

What a day!

I like knowing that everything is set, ready to go, pre-authorized, and prepared. I called LAST WEEK to make sure that our insurance had Kira's surgery and the procedure preceding it pre-authorized. They had the surgery pre-authorized, but not the procedure. I called the doctor and told them, and they said the doctor in charge of the procedure (a radiologist) was supposed to do it. I told the surgeon's office that the radiology procedure hadn't been pre-authorized and asked if they would check on that for me. They said they would.

Today, in an effort to double check, I called the insurance again today. They were having technical difficulties with their phone system and I was disconnected about 6 times and never got through. So I called the surgeon's office again and asked them about the pre-authorization and they said that they would check. (Apparently they didn't check when I called last week.) I called back later to see how things were going and she told me that she found out that the referring surgeon's office was supposed to get preauthorization for the radiology procedure, not the radiologist. Yes, today is one day before the procedure is supposed to happen. She had to fax the information over to my insurance and it is currently before a review board.

Did I mention this procedure is supposed to happen tomorrow? And it's supposed to be followed by an overnight stay in the hospital that the radiology department apparently knows nothing about?

I got to 4:30 and didn't know anything about what was going on, since no one had returned my calls--was I supposed to have Kira fast? What time is she supposed to be there tomorrow? Where do I go? Etc. So I made a few phone calls before 5:00 hit. I know a little more--radiology, 1:00--but if the pre-authorization doesn't go through, we have to reschedule, or pay for it all out of pocket and I guarantee that's not going to happen. After all we've gone through to get this scheduled with my job, Jason's job, school, carpools, etc! GRR!

Arranging this whole thing has been one headache after another. I've had to be the pushy mother--and I hate being pushy--in order to get things done and find things out, from test results to insurance matters. I can't believe what a pain in the butt it has been, or what a pain in the butt I have been--to get this to happen, and there are still no guarantees that I won't call at noon tomorrow only to find out it has to be rescheduled. I think I will freak out if that happens!

I hope the procedure and surgery go infinitely better than the planning has gone! And I hope Kira is happy with the results! I hope the problem will really be solved and she won't get an infection or anything! I hope she isn't scarred afterwards! Argh, the anxiety!