Info Desk [Paperwork, ordering, wait times, procedures, booklets, prescriptions...]

There’s some kind of confirmation regarding issued permits, but I guess nobody has ever actually asked me for it.

It seems like some places ask for those official documents while others don't really care. I guess it’s probably safer just to have them on hand. You could potentially just use your health insurance card or supplemental coverage info instead. If they check your records digitally right away, they might not even bother asking for the paperwork. But, if you aren't seeing your doctor in person and they just send over an electronic referral, you won't have that specific confirmation handy. In that case, the booking email usually asks you to enter the member ID number from your insurance card since you lack the actual confirmation.

I’m honestly dreading these mandatory checkups they have coming up, specifically whether they’re going to be poking around in my ears with an otoscope. 😲I was reading about hearing tests, though—does that just mean wearing headphones?
The thought of an otoscope absolutely terrifies me; every single time, I feel like they scratch something, and I actually ended up with a little wound a couple of years back that spiraled into eczema, which didn't clear up until I finally stopped
seeing doctors altogether.

I don't have any issues, but the last time an ENT pushed the wax way too deep with their otoscope, I couldn't hear a thing. Usually, I don't even feel
that sense of congestion, but I simply won't let anyone touch my right ear—not a chance 😁. Once, an ENT scraped everything up with a tool and I ended up with a massive inflammation
of the ear canal with discharge that left me in pain for five months... I suppose I'm one of those rare cases where you can get burned even by a cold breeze, but that's just how it went for me
. Unfortunately, it happened quite a few times. 😢

I have no reason to exaggerate or make things up... I know an otoscope isn't going to cause an infection directly, but it can certainly shove the cerumen deeper, and I just can't risk it.
I won't allow them to flush it out or clean it with instruments; I just won't do it. Ever since I decided to just leave everything alone and live in peace, I haven't had a single infection in two years
, mostly because my issues were always mechanically caused by doctors anyway.

There are bacteria and fungi living in your ears—it's not a sterile environment—so even a tiny scratch is enough for bacteria to get under the skin and trigger an infection, so I'm not letting anyone
poke around in there anymore!!! They don't seem to care; they can be so rough, even though they're the ones telling you not to dig in there yourself. 😢

Both my right and left ears have been perfect ever since I stopped letting people mess with them, and I intend to keep it that way, because I never want to experience that hellish pain ever again.

Hey everyone!

I don't have supplemental insurance. I ended up at the Holy Spirit emergency room yesterday. Once everything was wrapped up, they handed me a bill and told me to head over to the cashier with the paperwork. They charged me 219.18 dollars. It felt a little off to me because, along with the standard stuff like checking my blood pressure and doing an EKG, they drew blood for labs and gave me an IV. Since I was feeling pretty rattled, I just handed them my card so I could get out of there quickly. Later, I realized the main part of the bill was only 19.18 dollars since I don't have extra coverage. Does anyone know what that extra 200 bucks might be for? Is it an error, or is it just because I went to the ER? I didn't go to the emergency room for no reason, so please don't come at me with any judgment! 😁

I’ve been scheduled for oral surgery out in San Diego on June 30th to have a molar pulled, but I’m wondering if I can actually request a new referral right now for an impacted canine?
It’s causing me constant issues, so I’m torn between asking for a new one now or just waiting until this first procedure is wrapped up.

I won't be able to check in with my dentist until tomorrow, but honestly, that canine is throbbing and making everything miserable; since I'm stuck waiting two months for the molar anyway, I might as well deal with this too.
I’ve been waiting ages for this molar extraction—I was already at the oral surgery clinic back at the beginning of May, but they always seem to tell me they're swamped and backed up with work.

I assume it’s possible to request a new referral if there's actual pain, regardless of whether I've finished dealing with the molar, which would mean having two referrals at the same place under
the same surgeon. Regarding that impacted canine, she mentioned a long time ago that it was positioned quite high and she’d try to get to it, but now it’s causing such intense discomfort that I’m almost hesitant to even bring it up to her for the extraction.

I just went through a private full-body dermoscopy checkup, and they flagged two suspicious moles—one on my forearm and one on my back—so I need to get them removed. Does anyone have a rough idea of what the wait times look like in Washington, D.C.? Specifically at places like Rebro, Vineyard, the Institute, or Dubrava? Thanks a million!