The saga continues. The situation with Fresenius and my cycler replacement is getting worse than any soap opera you could imagine.
The latest go-around yesterday unfolded like this: after being informed by tech support that a replacement cycler would be in my hands within 24 hours and it didn’t happen, I sent a text to my dialysis nurse pleading for insight into what was going on. She called tech support and got me on a three-way phone call with her and tech and me. Turns out tech support DID recommend the replacement of my cycler but the next and last gatekeeper based totally on a paper audit still held out in the face of insurmountable evidence to the contrary that the new cycler was NOT merited and denied the request. Her retort seemed to be that although xrays had been taken and cleared by my nephrologist and dialysis team, there still could be “positional blockage” that was causing my consistent and incessant and obscene alarms. What BS!!!
The tech support person on line with us, Amy, reworked the request and somehow behind closed curtains, my request for a replacement cycler was again granted. Wednesday morning I received a call from Fresenius stating that a replacement cycler would be delivered to our home on Thursday, 8/18/23 with the return of the junk one I am currently “blessed with” on 8/20/23.
Once again, I will believe Fresenius when a replacement AND TOTALLY OPERATIONAL cycler is in use by me.
Thus far there is one lesson to be learned from all of this. In the case of Fresenius, don’t try to fight city hall or think that they care, have any responsibility to patients, or even have hearts. They do not. Every time I had an alarm, regardless of the hour, Fresenius expected me to get on the phone with tech support to document whatever they are filling out on the other end. They would not accept my verbal input on how many drain alarms etc. I had been experiencing, would not accept my doctor’s input on xrays, nor my Fresenius dialysis nurses’ input. It is a one-way street and they maintain all traffic flow and access.
Fresenius is the epidemy of a for-profit at all costs capitalistic company that cares less about patients in pursuit of their bottom line. I’m glad I sold my stock in Fresenius.
Having said all of the above, I want to make it abundantly clear that my local Fresenius group here in Granbury, TX could not be more dedicated to patient care! They are a loving, caring, hard-working group that is my pleasure to deal with! None of the above ventings applies to them; only kudos!
Leave a Reply