Lets see....I had yet another appointment with the medical professionals at St. Elizaberth's yesterday as well as this morning. Showed up to the Specialty Dept. yesterday and couldn't really be sure what kind of specialist I was sent to see; just couldn't remember.

This isn't so much an indicator of poor memory, maybe a little, but a meet half-way between my memory and the intricate inner workings of St. E's. Anytime I'm scheduled for an appointment, which has been a lot lately, I get a card that just has the doctor's last name and the scheduled time. It doesn't say what kind of specialist the doctor is, just the bare minimum. I take these cards and dutifully enter them in the computer calendar.

The specialist I see yesterday is an Ear/Nose/Throat guy. He also has a young, asian intern/student observe the examination. This doctor tells me that my neuro scheduled the consult because I told him I heard ringing in my ears (very infrequently); the neuro is trying to rule out hearing loss perhaps. He does a thorough exam, including the nose and throat and during which he asks me if I ever used cocaine.

I told the doctor I never have. Which is the truth. I never did anything more elicit than marijuana. I ask him what he saw in there to prompt such a question. What he told me was that I had a deviated, no, perforated septum? Something like that. The doctor asks me if I ever broke my nose; a no, but also suggested it could have been done with some kind of breathing tube you'd find in an er. He also wanted to schedule yet another consult with a surgeon for my nose.

I mean, I just cant take this anymore. Every time I walk into this place I feel like I'm driving into a Mercedes dealership with a 15 year-old car.

This breathing through my nose has always been a problem; as far back as I can remember. I can start the day breathing well through my right nostril only, for example, and by the time I'm eating dinner I could be breathing well out of my left nostril only. Maybe I can try that dental floss trick that coke-users can do....more tools for the repertoire.

I slow this ENT doctor-guy down. This surgical consult is going to have to go on the shelf, the neuro is my priority, I tell him. He agrees. He recommends that I have a hearing test the next day at the Audiology Lab. During the exam he had asked what kind of work I do, I tell him and then asking questions about his mini-dv edit project for his practice. Everyone's got an angle.

So that was yesterday, this morning I go to work and do my thing until I walk down the hill to St. E's for this audiology appointment at 11. After the various hearing tests and after paying full price for it, thank you Neighborhood Heath Plan we'll talk later, she tells me I have "perfect hearing".

I don't know where this puts me. Personally, I don't think the infrequent ringing is epilepsy related and is probably a low-level tinnitus they can't test for maybe? I don't know. I think the Neuro is just being thorough.

When I get home, I find a crappy letter from St. E's saying "It has come to our attention that you unable to keep your appt. on 4/6/2007...".

4/6? Who was that for? I never got a card for that, right? I would have put it into the computer right? To refer to an earlier point, does the appointment card they hand out tell you what kind of doctor youre seeing? No.

What about the crappy letter? This thing doesn't even say the name of the doctor. It is utterly useless. I hate this place....but I like that its close to home and work. Still, it sucks. St. Elizabeth's, PLEASE GET LIKE EVERY OTHER HOSPITAL IN BOSTON AND PRE-REGISTER PATIENTS AND TELL THEM WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THEIR CARE.

Please someone tell me I'm not being crazy. I work, I walk everywhere, I'm busy and people at St. E's seem more doped up than me. And that's a lot to the average viewer.