Seeing blind

Dear Kaiser Permanente:

It fills me with great disappointment that I am having to pen this letter with regard to what happened today. But first, I find it important to tell you that I am blind - practically. Although my optometrist thinks I'm far from being legally blind, previous experience tells me otherwise. I have poor vision -- and I don't mean in the sense of dreams and resolutions and life goals. I mean, my optical nerves have problems. I'm nearing blindness in the left eye, and the right one is plagued w/ astigmatism. Glasses limit my range of vision, and they slide all over the place. It's not medically proven in my case, but I swear that wearing these particular glasses give me headaches. By the end of the day, I can hardly raise my head b/c of the weighty glasses sitting on my nose. Besides, they look terrible and donning them gives me the look of a 12 year old. Or an 70 year old grandmama, depending on the day of the week.

Therefore, it is terribly, terribly important that my contacts arrive. SOON. I ordered them almost 3 three weeks ago, and your employees at the Oakland Medical Center promised me that within 2-3 days the replacement lenses will be shipped, and in 5-7 business days, they will arrive in my hot little hands.

They have not arrived.

I had to spend working hours from my office to call through your endless menus and be transferred between 3-4 agents before finding out that my 2 boxes of Focus torics and 1 box of Focus monthlies are actually not filled yet and will not be so until next month.

Why did no one tell me this? Why? I know your facilities and employees are busy. The holiday season has not been friendly and has created an overload of prescriptions to be filled. They did not have the time to call me or email me or even write snail mail (there's been enough time for them to pen TWO letters if they wanted to) to inform me that the lenses are on back order. Nor did they tell me that the lenses will arrive IN FEBRUARY.

You will, hopefully, understand my frustration when I tell you that THIS SATURDAY, I will be leaving the country to travel in Southeast Asia for two weeks. Yes, I know that many places in that part of the world are unsanitary and I probably won't need new contact lenses to clearly show me exactly how dirty things are in SE Asia. But, funny thing is, I'd like to see where I'm going. I'd like to actually see the stuff that goes into my bowl of pho and chow mein and spring rolls. I hope you'll understand my predicament. How am I supposed to see anything when my eyes are blind as bats' eyes?

Sure, Angie was a great helpful in dispensing this information (if only she or one of her co-workers had notified me earlier!) when I called earlier today. But, she couldn't do anything with filling another prescription in another brand name. I know this is not her expertise or within her perview, and she did patch me through to Augustine. Need I tell you, though, that Augustine was thoroughly unhelpful? Even after I explained the fact that I can't see and will be traveling, he took my name, number, and then told me to wait.

You might notice, sirs and madames, that when a person's eyesight begins to fail, other faculties also diminish ever so slightly. My patience is wearing thin. My arms have not the capability of matching the expressions of frustration issuing from my lips. My throat is rather parched, it seems, from so many explanations.

Why is it that Augustine was only able to call me back after I finally contacted his supervisor? Perhaps I failed to catch his attention the first time with my urgent need? Perhaps I was less than persuasive. Perhaps it was my mistake.

Oh, but the mistake is not mine alone. Your employees have also erred and erred gravely they did. I left work early in order to pick up the single trial pair of contact lenses Augustine so grudgingly offered, and when I arrived, a young lady by the name of Hoang told me the torics were supposed to arrive on the 28th and the monthlies should have already arrived on the 18th.

Surprised does not sufficiently describe my reaction. The 18th, you say? What, you mean the lab is wrong in saying the lenses are on back order? If so, where, might I ask, are these elusive lenses, these optical illusions for seeing? They were nowhere to be found. Alas, alas... more phone calls will have to be placed tomorrow, more time spent glued to the phone, more energy expended in explaining my problem, more disappointment.

I cannot tell you how disappointed I am in your services. I know Your employees have not had enough time with family and friends, and so they are embittered and tired and unaccommodating. I suggest you offer higher benefits and increase the perks for working in your multiple facilities. Throughout this ordeal, I've tried to remain calm and understanding and friendly. These are not the folks who are responsible for this error. It is not my intention to assign blame. I do not wish to punish anyone. I simply want to inform you of the -- lapse -- in your protocols. Informing your patients would be a great service in fulfilling your responsibilities are our healthcare provider. I also want my contact lenses. I do not think it is an extremely difficult request. I do not want compensation (though I think it isn't too farfetched to give me something for the emotional, physical, and psychological trauma your services -- or lack thereof -- have caused?).

It is my sincere wish that I will not have to write another letter, since I may not be able to see very well without my contacts, and it pains me greatly to be squinting in frustration.

I am bold to request an acknowledgement from you regarding this letter.

Sincerely yours,
HAT