BLOOD TEST

If you were wondering, the lemon pie didn’t turn out too well. Everyone thought it tasted okay but no-one was willing to say they’d have more of it!! So, I guess I’ll stick to cooking on the grill and leave the finer culinary arts to others.

I was scheduled to get my blood tested at my family doctor today (Tuesday). For the twenty years that I’ve been going there, blood tests were by appointment. Now there are no appointments. I showed up for my fasting blood test a little before eight in the morning. After signing in, I asked how many people were ahead of me. She said several. For fifty minutes I sat there waiting my turn to get my blood tested. It was ridiculous. For all these years I’ve never waited nearly that long under their appointment system. One guy, who came after me, only waited about fifteen minutes before “throwing down” and saying that he was going to leave. They took him right away. When I finally got called back, I informed them that I had been waiting fifty minutes. She apologized. I asked why they don’t do it by appointment anymore. She said that the medical clinic operates under a new computer software program and the program doesn’t allow them to make appointments. I then said, “So the only way to not have to wait nearly an hour is to throw a fit like the one fellow did, since you took him ahead of the rest of us.” She again said that she was sorry.

Well, I didn’t want to push it much farther than that because I don’t like to upset someone who is about to stick me with a needle!! Besides, the new system was not their fault; someone in management needs to become a patient in their own clinic. Having operated a clinic before, it amazes me that these clinics I encounter have so many practices that are so unfriendly and unhelpful to patients. The bureaucracy of these clinics is way too encumbering for quality patient care.

There’s another aspect to this. I have a lowered immunity; my resistance is quite a bit lower than normal. Dr. Tan (my oncologist) reminds me to be careful about my exposure to germs. The last place I want to be sitting for nearly an hour is a doctor’s office full of sick people. I cringed at every cough and sniffle. I was uncomfortable the whole time I was sitting there and I bet my blood pressure was spiking too!! Although I feel fine right now, I commonly contract something from even short visits to doctor’s offices. The whole fifty minutes waiting time is just an unnecessary process and exposure, especially when they had a better system. To think that this all because of the computer program they purchased. Nevertheless, I did notice that people come early for their blood tests since they are fasting. Next time I will go later in the morning, hopefully after the big rush. I don’t mind waiting to eat breakfast but I do mind sitting in a doctor’s office for that long.