Take a Number

There are pros and cons when it comes to growing up in a small town versus a bigger city. One of the pros is when you go the doctor, he knows you by name. Especially mine since I was good friends with his son. It was nice to be able to walk in, chat a bit, talk about what’s bothering you, get a shot or prescription and then walk out in less than an hour. This isn’t so in the city. Today my appointment was at 8:30am, wasn’t in the room until 9:30 and wasn’t out until almost 11:00. No one likes to wait around, but I feel like what should have been a 20 minute procedure today took the majority of my morning and precious time out of the office.

In small towns, not only do you get that one-on-one interaction with a doctor that knows you well, but you also get top notch service. If you have a question you can call in, ask it and have an answer in 10 minutes. Not so in the city. It took almost three weeks to schedule my ultra sound today. I also had to call multiple times to get my first and second round of blood work results, and I had to call twice to request the appointment for my ultra sound they said they would schedule for me. I would think they’d have your information readily available instead of putting you on hold for 20 minutes to find your file. They must still use cuneiform on stone tablets or else they don't know how to opperate a computer. Having said that, I envision monkeys poking and prodding a comuter with a stick.

The good thing is when the doctor called to inform me I have a scheduled appointment, they have an opening the next morning and I am able to get in quicker than I expected. I just had to wait, and wait, and wait once I got there. After ages pass in the waiting room, they move you into another, drastically smaller room and make you wait just as long. I wonder if they recieved the memo that TV’s are small enough these days that they can fit nicely in that little cell of a consultation room they stuff you into while you wait for the doctor to show up.

Longing for the days when I coudl walk in and walk out of a doctor's office, I finally leave today knowing that my liver, gall bladder and pancreas are healthy. It is good to know that my college days didn't take as much of a toll as I feared. yet the nurse did point out that although my liver appears to be in great shape, it doesn't explain why my enzyme levels are elevated. She stopped short of saying whether or not I actually have Fatty Liver Disease, but she is only allowed to say so much since she isn't the rediologist or the doctor. Even with the great news, it doesn't answer the questions my doctors are asking, so I have a feeling more test are in my future. I have always prided myself on how patient I can be, but I'm really over this waiting game. On second thought, maybe I'm actually becoming a pro. Either way it isn't a fun game to play. I guess I need to hurry up and take my number and get in line.