4-16-09

A quick trip to the doctor’s office; how to get in and out STAT

I recently told you about my long overdue, run-in with pink eye. It lasted about a week and was a pretty bad case. I had to see my family doctor to get a prescription for some eye drops that would knock out the infection.
I waited until 8:30 a.m. before I called my doctor’s office. Calling first thing in the morning would assure me the first open slot that they might have free.
Fran, at the front desk, answered the phone and told me, “Your doctor is off today. I can get you in to see another one at 10:45.”
“I’ll take it,” I quickly responded and made a mental note of the time knowing that I would forget and have to call back about an hour and a half later to confirm.
Now for the record, I love my doctor. Not in the run off and elope kind of way, I just mean that she is a great person who I feel comfortable talking to and not only trust, but also value her opinions and suggestions.
So, I didn’t really want to see another doctor, but this was something that was textbook so I didn’t care too much.
While I was waiting for the “new” doctor to come into my room, I thought this would be a great time to catch up on some rest. My eyes were sore and felt like they would enjoy being shut for ten or fifteen minutes.
Reclining back onto the crinkly white paper that covered my exam bed and airline style pillow, I quickly found myself drifting off into a nice little nap.
Some time must have passed because I was awakened by another patient opening his exam room door and calling down the hallway. “Mam, how much longer is it going to be until the doctor comes in?”
A nurse answered back, ”Sir, when was your appointment?”
“11:30,” The male patient quickly barked.
What the what? I shook the cobwebs out of my head and I realized that I had been waiting for at least 45 minutes! Now, I might be from out of town, but that seems a little long.
There wasn’t much that I could do. I had to get my eye drops and they did squeeze me in. All I could do is sit and wait... and think up funny scenarios about people waiting for their doctor to see them.
Imagine this. Doctor comes in the door, “How are you doing, Mr. Pinkey?”
“Good, but something doesn’t taste right with those marshmellows over there in the jar on your counter.”
I thought about running out of my door and screaming that I used my cell phone and it caused a pacemaker explosion in the exam room next to me.... Get the doctor here STAT.
How about this, Simply call the front desk and ask them if they have forgot about you. I am sure they would find that real funny.
I was thinking about ripping off a piece of the crinkly white paper from the table that I was resting on and writing out a bill for the doctor for every fifteen minutes that I had been waiting past my appointment time. After all, I did take off from work.
Now I know my doctor is reading this right now and picking up her cell phone to call the head doctor. “Tomorrow, can I drop Mr. Pinkey as my patient?”
So, in all fairness, the “new” doctor did apologize and told me that they were trying some new set-up or something and that he appreciated my patience.
Doesn’t mean that I can’t think up great ways to laugh about the situation.
Next time you find yourself waiting for a long time, try this.
Lean your head out the door and loudly ask “The bottle of pills and the morphine drip bag in here, are they free samples?” I bet that “The doctor will be right in.”
Bryan Pinkey can be found picking his medical file up off of the ground outside of his doctor’s office or at bpinkey@nccox.com.