Can't seem to get any answers or help?

Posted by tfoley1104 @tfoley1104, Dec 16, 2019

For the last 6 weeks my dad has been traveling to and from Mayo to get his diagnosis and pretesting all done - it's 1200 miles from his home and he's almost 80. Every time he goes, he's given a schedule for his treatment and by the time he gets home, it's been totally canceled except for his next appointment - they usually can't even give him a time until he's less than 24 hours out. Is this normal??? He just can't afford to sit in a hotel 4-5-6 days between treatments. Today, we managed to get through to the Doctor's assistant who told us "if he doesn't like it, we can push him out until February". It felt like a threat!

We were told the doctor alone can schedule him - and cancel his appointments. Why would the doctor make an appointment, then cancel it without talking to us first??

Is there any kind of patient advocate or someone who can help us navigate this problem or explain to us why he can't get scheduled?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Cancer Support Group.

kathleenkin | @kathleenkin | Dec 16, 2019

I am sorry. That is unacceptable and rude

Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Dec 16, 2019

Hi @tfoley1104
I strongly encourage you to contact the Office of Patient Experience at Mayo Clinic. You'll find the contact information for all 3 Mayo campuses on this webpage: https://www.mayoclinic.org/about-mayo-clinic/patient-experience
They will mediate with you and your father with the care team and help rectify this situation.

This must be very stressful him, you and the whole family. Do you travel with him to the appointments?

tfoley1104 | @tfoley1104 | Dec 16, 2019

In reply to @colleenyoung "Hi @tfoley1104 I strongly encourage you to contact the Office of Patient Experience at Mayo Clinic...." + (show)

Thank you that's exactly what I was looking for. I can't travel with him, I'm a full time teacher and frankly, without a schedule knowing when this is going to happen.. it's just turned our lives upside down and then for the doctor's assistant to say 'well If you don't like it we *might* be able to get you in around the end of February' after being told his cancer is extremely aggressive just makes me sick.