Pickles by Brian Crane for September 25, 2022

Rub it in Earl

Hah. I l went to the “Immediate Care” facility once, with symptoms of the flu. They said they’d be with me as soon as possible, but after a couple of folks who came in after me were seen first, I just lay on the floor. “You can’t do that!” from the person manning the desk. I told ‘em that I was too sick to sit up any more. The took me to an examination room, where I waited for another two hours (“Immediate” care. R-I-I-I-I-G-T) before the doc came in, complaining that he’d had to cut his golf game short.

I never went back there again: The ER is faster.

I walked out of a doctor’s examining room after waiting 45 minutes, having let three of his staff how long I had been waiting The last one I said, I was getting dressed and leaving in 10 minutes. I left in 15. He caught up with me in the waiting room where I very distinctly and politely let him and all in the waiting room why I was leaving. Never returned. I hope that some of his patients did the same.

I went to my podiatrist to get some new orthotics. When I approached the receptionist I told her who I was and that I was there to pick up my implants. She laughed and said, “You might want implants Michael but you’re not going to get them here!” Of course I meant to say inserts. Another time I went to my optician to get a screw for the frames of my glasses as one had fallen out. When I opened the door and stepped inside the waiting room the receptionist asked me what could she do for me as I had no appointment. I said, “I need a screw.” She smiled, tried not to laugh and then I said, “I need a screw for my glasses. One fell out.”

Earl must have been a boy scout: he came prepared.

Remember the old days when the doctor came to the house? I do!

He has had a 3 o’clock appointment before!

Oh Sir, We just had a cancellation. He will see you NOW !

another caption: Did you bring your own magazines too?

I was scheduled for surgery and was taken into the operating room and an IV was put in my arm. 45 minutes later the surgeon was still not there. I yelled so a nurse in the hall could hear me and asked her to call the doctor. The phone was in the operating room but I couldn’t hear the conversation. When she hung up she said he would be here in a little while. I asked her to define “little while” and didn’t like the answer so I asked her to remove the IV so I could leave. She said no and then I told her if she didn’t do it that I would. She removed the IV and I climbed off the operating table and went home.

now wait a minute!? for all we know he might not come out for another hour or two doing who knows what! so why not!?

We need this at our local hospital Emergency room. Always have to wait several hours in the waiting room.

I used to make appointments for 8 am and still not see the doctor until almost noon. Then he’d wonder why my blood pressure was so high.

Got that right Earl

A prominent public figure in Chattanooga, TN once beat a doctor up on an elevator for taking his time to finish his golf game before responding to an emergency his son had.

He walks IN with a sleeping bag & a pillow……… and she didn’t think that was strange..????

I waited in a wheelchair for 12 hours..sick and had peritonitis. I almost died from the infection…..the only way to get in fast is to complain you’re having tightness in your chest….off you go! BeIieve it or not, my doc told me this….he wanted me in ASAP….BUT then you’ll have a series of heart tests, which I was glad so I knew what condition my heart was in. They put me on a monster and found I did have a few skips and bumps with my heart, though. Which is not dangerous.

I don’t have a sleeping bag, but I always try to remember to bring a cushion. The chairs in VA waiting rooms are amazingly hard, and after a couple hours of waiting they become world-class torture.

The receptionist looks like a young Opal! Thin and dark hair.

He likes hinting. It, occasionally, seems to be noticed more and heard more than words.

somehow the receptionist looks vaguely familiar

Earl gets it! 45 minute powernap!

My wife had SVT, which made her heart race. Usually it settled down on its own. One day when it didn’t, I drove her to the ER. She told the desk she had a rapid heart rate. They told her to wait. We sat for about 15 minutes, and finally someone came to take her vitals. Her heart rate was 240. THAT got their attention, and we had a bed in a matter of minutes.

I had appendicitis and had to have my appendix removed in July. I am on Medicare with BC/BS supplemental. Recently received some of the EOBs from BC/BS The anesthesiologist billed Medicare $1,548, Medicare allowed $148 (which the DR has to accept) . Earlier this year I paid a plumber $185 for a 20 minute job replacing two outside spigots.

Earl that is too funny and over kill. Most Dr.’s do not run that late. Only place I threaten to bring a sleeping bag was at an auto place, as I was there for 4 hours that was years ago, hubby wanted me to take car in, they wanted to make more money. Most recent I went to ER as I had bad accident, lucky I just had small co-pay told them what happened, the nurse spent 3 to 4 hours on the phone trying to find an Orthopedic Dr. type of injury I had ER could do nothing for, did go to Orthopedic if I had sleeping bag and I could get down on the floor I would had we was there for 3 hours and waited for an hour, I was already told as had CT scan my left lower hip was fractured. The location of the fracture no surgery or cast could be done. Then later it broke. Several months later I am allowed to use both legs with care on bad one. I have to go back in November for another x-ray.

Dr. gave me a referral and said, “Bring a book. He’s consistently behind.” I waited for 2 hours past my scheduled appointment time. Finally got in there. We talked for 15 minutes before we talked about my knee about sports and other things. 5 minutes regarding my knee and I was out of there.

I wouldn’t let my dog lie on a doctor’s waiting room floor.

The voice of experience.

I have been tempted a few times to lie down. The only time I did lie down in the ER reception room was at 2 am in the morning. I had taken some muscle relaxant meds due to a pulled back muscle. It says take with food. I had dinner an hour earlier so I thought I had enough food in my tummy. Well… about 1 AM in the morning my tummy let me know in the most excruciating painful way that the meds were playing havoc with it. Hubby drove me right to the ER entrance. I walked in and promptly laid down on the floor. The nurse said " Honey we can’t treat you here". I replied, “Go for it. I’m not moving. I’m in too much pain” Well, they got the gurney, did a dead lift and got me on the gurney and into the ER room. I never saw the my attending doctor. Turns out he was in in office lying down with sever stomach pains because he had done the exact same thing. Taking a muscle relaxant without food. After doing all the tests ruling out more life threatening illnesses they finally had me take an elixir of lidocane mixed with a mint flavored Mylanta. The excruciating pain dissipated and I went to sleep.I was woken up an hour later so I could go home. The attending nurse who first saw me said my skin color was sooooo much better. It was pink instead of looking green. Lesson learned. ALWAYS, ALWAYS take food with a med that says take with food.

This doesn’t happen where I live anymore. When you make an appointment you wait at most 5 or 10 minutes because doctors will only address one issue per appointment, so you are in their exam room for maybe 15 to 20 minutes

A man who has learned.

After reading all of these real-life comments, I am so glad I live in Mexico! I don’t have private health insurance anymore and the government health system is not good at all. Luckily, though I have a very modest retirement income from the States, I am able to afford private doctors and hospitals, which have always provided me with excellent care, emergencies included. And if I have to wait a bit to be seen, apologies are always given by the receptionist and/or the doctor him or herself.

My cousin is a doctor. She was told by the head doctor she was limited to three minutes with each patient. She didn’t stay long at that practice. Proud of her.

Earl has the right idea.

I know how he feels! I think doctors book 10 appointments for the same time.