My insurance coverage with Kaiser started on Nov. 1. I selected Dr. Zhuo as my PCP because I liked her profile on the website. I had a phone visit with her on Nov. 8. She referred me to the oncologist recommended by someone in my support group. I had a video visit with Dr. Chuang on Nov. 17.
That same day I also had a video visit with an endocrinologist, Dr. Vu. Unfortunately I could not get an appointment with Dr. Joan Lo in Oakland, the endocrinologist recommended by my Stanford endocrinologist. Dr. Vu said I could continue with the 3 mg Zometa dosage I received at Stanford.
On Nov. 21 I went to Kaiser Santa Clara for a blood draw. Unlike at Stanford, Kaiser does not do the blood draw on the same day as the infusion. That means I have to get poked with a needle twice as often.
My infusion was the next day. The infusion center has only a few private rooms. Most have beds, but those are given only to patients that need a bed. Only two rooms are available to healthier patients. I was lucky and got a private room, but it was tiny and had a reclining chair instead of a bed. I prefer a bed because it makes it more convenient when applying ice packs to my hands and feet to avoid neuropathy.
Overall the transition to Kaiser went smoothly, and my infusion was delayed by only five days. I was expecting a two-week delay. It's nice that Kaiser is only 5 minutes away, and they don't charge for parking.
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