I was hesitant about writing a review this early, but I feel my experience so far needs to be shared. I will also come back and update this review once my treatment is completed.
On September 2nd, I suddenly experienced excruciating pain in my right lower back--pain unlike anything I had ever felt before. Since then, I have been to urgent care once and the ER three times.
On September 5th, I had a CT scan at Kaiser Riverside ER, which showed a 5.3 mm right kidney stone that had moved from inside my kidney toward the area just outside the kidney. Since then, I have experienced severe pain and discomfort on and off. Honestly, I would describe the pain as worse than labor pain.
I finally got an appointment with Access Urology in Riverside. Unfortunately, my first impression was not a good one. The office appeared to be very new, and the receptionists seemed unsure about some of the procedures. I provided a urine sample, and then a receptionist performed what appeared to be a brief ultrasound exam while I was standing, which made me uncomfortable.
When the provider came in, I honestly wasn't sure of her name or exactly what her role was. More importantly, I didn't feel heard, understood, or cared for. I explained that I had been dealing with this for 14 days, including multiple urgent care and ER visits and significant ongoing pain. I was told that my situation was not considered an emergency.
The provider said she would order a STAT CT scan and prescribe more Flomax, even though I had already explained that I had a 30-day supply. I later discovered that an antibiotic had also been sent to my pharmacy.
I was told to schedule a follow-up appointment in TWO weeks. The receptionist told me the referral for the CT would be entered and that I should call the next day to schedule it.
That's exactly what I did. I called RadNet myself and advocated for my care, and thankfully, I was able to get a CT appointment that same day.
However, when I contacted my insurance to expedite the authorization, I was told that the urology office had submitted the CT as ROUTINE rather than STAT. I was told authorization could take 5-7 business days.
I called the urology office again and asked them to resubmit the referral as STAT. Thankfully, it was approved in time for my 6:30 PM appointment, and I was able to get the CT scan done.
Now I am praying that the provider will make the right decision regarding my care. It may not be considered an emergency from her perspective, but after 15 days of dealing with unbearable pain and discomfort, it certainly feels like an emergency to me.
At this point, I am not happy with the patient care or the lack of urgency I have experienced. I truly hope things improve from here, and I will update this review once I know what happens with my treatment.
P.S. The CT scan technician told me the radiologist would read the results tonight and that the results would be sent to my referring provider tomorrow morning. So now, I'm waiting to see what the findings are and what the next steps will be.
Please keep me in your prayers. I'm praying for answers, relief, and the right treatment moving forward. read more