As a reporter I learned pretty quickly that there's a fine line between pestering and pissing off. Although the pissing off part can work to one's advantage. I had a summer job once working at a customer service call center for a major automaker. There was a man who called constantly and always had a problem. Of course his requests were outlandish and we basically had to endure whatever verbal assaults he threw at us. Until one day when one of the big-wig managers was in and the pest called. All it took was one rental car to get this guy off our backs and I don't think we ever heard from him again.
 

What does this have to do with diabetes? Remember Dr. S's office? The office that takes 72 hours to return a patient's phone call. Of course you do, how could you forget. Well, thankfully I didn't tell them to shove it where the sun don't shine because I need an in-network doctor to sign off on my CGMS and since Mayo is out of network and Dr. S and Mayo are the only places I've been since moving here I'm officially sucking up to Dr. S's office. OK, not really, but I am thankful that I didn't cancel my appointment.
 

Yes, I'm getting to the point. So, I've been leaving messages for S from Dexcom for close to a month now. The poor guy has a territory that's three states big (seriously, Utah, Nevada and Arizona), so I try to cut him a little slack when it comes to returning my phone calls, but I have called him enough that he finally answered today instead of letting my call go straight to voicemail.
 

I was hoping to have an answer by now. But so far we haven't even gotten the paperwork together to be submitted to the insurance. Part of the problem, apparently, is that S faxed the certificate of medical necessity to Dr. S's office and they claim they didn't get it. So he faxed it again this morning.
 

"If we don't hear in another day or two, I might have you call them because doctor's offices sometimes respond better when the patient gets involved," S said.
 

"Would it help if I call today," I said, trying to conceal my exasperation.
 

"You know, yes it would," he said. "I hate to pester doctor's offices, but this might help get things moving."
 

I'm debating whether or not to talk to someone at the front desk, who I know I can actually speak to today, or if I should leave a message for the nurse, who will take three days to get back to me. If the greasy wheel truly does get the oil, I should do both. And call tomorrow and the next day until I know the doctor has signed the form and faxed it back.