Mark's Notebook

Radiology at Regional Medical Center

On Thursday Dec. 30, I had new x-rays taken at Regional Medical Center (the former Alexian Brothers Hospital). Since Regional is owned by the same company as now-closed San Jose Medical Center, I figured the experience there would be similar.

At San Jose, I could walk into Radiology with an order form, sign in, and wait only a short time before having the work done.

At Regional, I walked into the entrance nearest the parking lot. First mistake. Apparently this is not the front entrance at all. I asked for Radiology, and they directed me. I asked whether I needed to sign in. No. Well, OK. Here we go.

At Radiology, they told me I needed to sign in at Admitting first. Where is that? Back down another hallway. Apparently I'd come in the wrong front entrance. Admitting is not the one with the fountains and all in front. It is the other more nondescript entrance. Sigh.

At Admitting, I waited for my number to be called, not long. Then they had to double-check my insurance. Everything was in order, but the DOS (?!?) computer screen was so long it took quite a while for them to check it all.

(What is this deal with DOS in the medical, insurance, banking, and tax industries? DOS is so, well, 1981. No Macs? Well, I can understand that. But not even Windows 95? Doh! Let's get with the program here!)

Anyway, they finally sent me back to Radiology. It wasn't long before I was on the table. They made be change because there was a button on my boxer shorts. There had never been a problem with buttons at San Jose Medical Center. I had always gone there in sweats. I hadn't worn these hospital pants since Oct. 15, when I was discharged after surgery and came home.

After they take the x-rays they check everything before they let you off the table. That way, if they have to take more pictures you don't have to hop onto the table again. For about 20 minutes, I lay down under this huge x-ray machine. It didn't make me feel any safer to realize that the world had just experienced a magnitude 9.0 earthquake a few days before.

After I got dressed again, they asked me to wait while my x-rays were packaged up. My doctor wanted me to hand-carry them to him, so they gave me the originals. After waiting through almost two full episodes of "Roseanne", I was feeling queasy and asked where my x-rays were. (In my opinion, "Roseanne" is even more disgusting than "Married with Children.") Finally, after two hours altogether, I was on the road again. Two hours! Ridiculous.

This made me late for my physical therapy appointment. The physical therapist, having no other appointments that day, and having tired of waiting for me, closed up. To their credit, they had tried to reach me at home. If only the hospital had allowed me to use my cell phone.

(What is this deal with not being allowed to use cell phones in a doctor's office or hospital? Hello?! This is 2005. Let's get with the program. Aren't medical personnel supposed to be, well, intelligent people? So why can't they learn a little bit about technology? I think I now know more about medicine than they know about technology.)

I'll deliver the x-rays to the surgeon later this week. Hopefully all is in order and my PT program will continue until my gait is a little less penguin-like.

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Last updated Tuesday 13 May 2008