I found out why you have go in person the hard way.
You have to be able to defend yourself against 2 totally unsympathetic appointments clerks who all but tell you that they do not care what the doctor has written on the request for an early appointment you will get what they have got. I was given January for the mamo and February for the CAT scan.
I pointed out that there was a big stamped box stating I was back with the oncologist on the 14th and need to be see well before then. I can not tell you how offhand and almost rude they were. I stood my ground and said the doctor has requested an early date as it is urgent. I was told to go to Assistencia al Paciente, I think in England it is called PAL ?
The young chap in there could not have been kinder or nicer , he saved the day for me, I was very close to tears by this time.
He has assured me he will phone me Monday or Tuesday morning with an appointment, hopefully for next week.
I do understand it must be difficult for them when the doctors request something that is impossible to find but I do not understand why they have to be bad mannered and unsympathetic. After all they are dealing with people who are either sick or worried to death.
I feel quite exhausted with it all.
We made the most of the trip by stopping of on the way there at a boot sale where I found a very nice Georgian Silver Plate teapot.
and a silver plate cruet set with blue glass liners and consisting of a salt, mustard pot, pepper pot and tray.
On the way back after I had a little weep to Paul, poor patient man, we stopped off at a big shopping center on the outskirts of Valencia and shopped in Carrefour.........oh bliss.............in our little village we have nothing, Iceland is exciting for us. We bought a new Dremel for Paul for less than half of what we would have to pay in the village. We got him 2 pairs of good trainers reduced from a ridiculous price to a stunning 6€ as a blue cross item. Of the 4 pairs they had left 2 were Paul's size, so one pair to wear and one pair to store.
I called in at the Vodafone shop and got some credit for my pay as you go phone and they were giving 50% more free. We also transferred Paul's number to Vodafone. So all in all a good days shopping and the cost of the journey well covered.
hugs xxxx