Random thoughts: The doctor’s office (true story)

 

It’s hard to find a smile at the doctor office. Everyone there has something bad going on or they wouldn’t be there. Any medical exam can be a source of fear. Questions of uncertainty is on every face; fear of more tests, fear of the loss of body parts or fear about his or hers mortality. These situations are a sense of concern for everyone involved: the patient’s driver if there is one, the doctor and of course the patient.

 

At the age of sixty two, I’m often at the doctors’ office for my own tests. I have noticed even the receptionist doesn’t smile unless I pull one out of her by saying something funny. Patients come and go as I sit and watch their fear routinely get worse. If I can say something funny or stupid and it takes the frown off their face for a moment, then my task is done. However, it’s not really a task at all; it’s a desire.

 

This morning I took my friend, Matt, to his doctor’s appointment and I saw many frowns. The biggest one was on his face. He was there to see his heart doctor because of a scare he had Sunday. I was at his home Sunday, when he had what I thought was a stroke I called 911 and he was taken to the local hospital. The Emergency Room doctors eliminated several possibilities; but could not determine what had happened to him. Hence the doctor’s appointment this morning.

 

Doctors can’t be pleased giving bad news to their patients, when they have too, but they must have some way of dealing with it. Maybe it’s the money

 

As I was waiting for Matt to return, a woman came out with a really big smile on her face. I said, “You must have gotten some good news.”

 

She nodded her head and said, “Yes!”

 

“That’s good! Congratulations!”

 

Matt came out and said, “He thinks I had a small stroke. I have had several in the past and he believes this was one, too.”

 

“So what now?

 

“Another test next week.”