I just had to start another thread when I read this post.
Hi everybody, long time, no see. :-)
I personally dealt with my own dragon a week ago.  Or should I say
"office Nazi".  BTW, thank you all for your prayers...they are being
answered magnificently.

   A bit of background for the newbies:  On June 3, my husband had a
very bad motorcycle accident.  He was only going 30 mph, but he was
not wearing a helmet (yeah, we've had that fight 1000 times) and he
split his head open on a wooden post.  He was Life Flighted to Hermann
Hospital where they took him straight to OR and removed a clot from
his brain and stopped several bleeds.  Two days later, they did facial
surgery to repair fractures in his right orbital and temporal bone.
He also broke the bones in his right ear that tore the cochlea, so he
lost hearing in that ear.  BUT, he sustained no brain damage that we
can tell, and his long term memory and short term memory are both
fine.  However, he did get a very, very severe whiplash. I am so
thankful for all the prayers and good thoughts because I believe it is
just a miracle that he escaped a much worse fate.
   He was released from the hospital on June 12, and after being on
Percocet and Morphine in the hospital, they sent him home with plain
Vicodin; enough for *3 days only*.  After 3 days, I got the refill,
but called the office to see if they could give him more days supply
since I have to pay the copay every time.  I called at 10 am and the
girl said she'd have the nurse call me back.  At 4:45 pm, I called
back to see if they had called it in.  The dragon said, "We only do
refills between 9 and 3, you'll have to call back tomorrow".  I said,
I called this morning at 10:00 and didn't get a return call, and my
husband would be running out of medicine at 1:30 am.  She said,
"You'll have to call back tomorrow, it's office policy that we only do
refills between 9 and 3". Again I said that I HAD called between those
hours.  She said she couldn't do anything about that!
   So, I got him through the night with my meds.  The next morning
(Friday) at 9:00 sharp, I called, and the girl said, "All the doctors
are out of the office today, it'll be Monday before we can get it".  I
told her that wasn't acceptable.  She said if he was that bad, I could
take him to the emergency room!  Like I'm going to take a man in agony
that just had BRAIN SURGERY to sit for 6 hours in a room full of folks
who have kids with colds and flu all around.  I DON'T THINK SO!
   So, I called my angel of a PCP, and the secretary said she'd only
be in until noon.  It was already 10:00 by this time.  I explained the
situation, and she said, "Bring him in NOW and we'll put him straight
in a room".  I did, and she checked him over and sent him home with
plenty of medication and told me to call her that weekend if there was
any problem.
   Well, I took him back to her today for follow-up so she could
adjust his pain meds, and she was very pleased with his progress.  I
can promise you that when we see the neurosurgeon, he WILL get a large
piece of my mind.  I had considered having him do my spinal fusion
surgery (which is put off until Duane can care for me) but now,
there's no way in Hell that I would risk having to deal with the
b*tches in that office.  Keepers of the Gate.  Perfect description,
Duckie.  Glad you got past yours.
   As for me, I'm getting by okay right now.  The steroid shots in my
back still help tremendously and I'll just have to continue them a bit
longer as long as my renal disease holds out, then hopefully I can
have my back surgery and be kicking up my heels again. (well, as much
as a 46 yr old can) LOL
   I love you all and still pray for my ASA family every day even
though I haven't had time to pop in lately.  Thanks to everyone that
has kept my inbox cheerful and my spirits up.
Mag
maggiemod [at] houston [dot] rr [dot] com