poodle gyno/ switching from depo to patch update

[savestheworld.livejournal.com]

http://www.livejournal.com/community/vaginapagina/5434028.html
so i want to switch from depo to the patch and i'm still having a lot of trouble!
here are the new questions:
-how long after the last depo shot should i consider my bc ineffective. i'm currently in the range where the new shot would happen and i'm stuck letting its effectiveness run out until i can switch
because...
-after i called my current gyno's office and got a call back from someone who wasn't the doctor (possibly a nurse?) i was told that they weren't sure if i could even switch right away from one to the other and that they'd probably have to do blood tests. what's up with this?
so,
-i think i'm going to just start using planned parenthood as my doc because the southeast pa one accepts a lot of health insurance and might accept my new one. (if you don't know about the last post, the problem is i'm between health insurances until the 27th)
also, they're probably open at times when i'm not at work and i don't feel good about leaving my new job in the the first week for a doctor's appointment! unfortunately, i'll have to get ANOTHER exam to be their patient which is really making me crazy! can't they transfer files or something? i've had like.. 5 in the past 3 years and i'm really sick of it.
-should i be concerned that my old family doctor didn't care to check anything before he gave me a depo perscription? i have really bad luck with doctors i think :) another funny poodle-like story: my old family doc said i had FOOT HERPES and had me take valtrex and i didn't realize it was just ATHELETES FOOT for months!!!!!

Comments

[below-the-belt.livejournal.com]

i work in the basement at locust street, in the surgical clinic [if you know what i mean]. i don't think it's hard to get a saturday appt but you gotta call on a friday for that. july 4: they're closed on july 4, we're closed on the 2nd so they might be also. but i get the feeling that we're closed that saturday because our clinic doesn't operate on mondays... aaaaaaah dunno. llook at their website for hours, ppsp.org i think.