Frustrations mount…

The days continue to tick away, yet we have no news from the transplant administrator’s about Shirley officially being listed. Based upon the last few conversations Shirley has had with the transplant coordinator, she is no longer waiting for a full committee review. Instead, it’s only the cardiologist’ review of the follow-up stress test results that needs to be signed off.

The follow-up test that was ordered was completed in early July. But as has become the theme of this saga, the CD with the test results was not sent to the Medical School by the staff of the Oregon Clinic. Two weeks after the testing, Shirley learned that the results hadn’t been forwarded to Seattle. She then went down and picked up the disk and shipped it herself via next day air.

And one might assume that next day shipment would put something in the hands of the recipient the next day—but this isn’t the case when shipping to a big university. It made it to the campus mail room, but took another couple of days to reach the transplant program office.

From there, the disk was delivered to the cardiologist’s office. But when the cardiologist went looking for it, no one could find it. Apparently a temp took possession of the disk when it was transferred, and no one has seen it since. Now Shirley is trying to find out if another disk needs to be sent up or if the missing disk has been found. It’s vacation season and we’re having troubles getting people to return calls.

This was not the first time test results didn’t make it to Seattle in a timely fashion. Previously, a whole battery of tests results were never shipped up (after over two months) and Shirley had to scramble and run over and pick up copies to hand-deliver when we went up to Seattle in June.

Who knew there would be so much waiting just to get ON the waiting list.

Until next time,
Greg