Confessions of a Waiting Room Gouhl

This item contains Edit Points (EPs). EPs are the red numbers (~#~) that you see within this item. The Author has placed these at various points in order to gain detailed feedback. Readers may click any EP to leave comments about that particular point in the item.

CONFESSIONS OF A WAITING ROOM GOUHL

~0~

         I hate waiting rooms, the medical kind. I began my dislike of this environment many years ago, and it seems to multiply with each incident of repetition.

~1~

         Today I am waiting for a medical procedure to be completed on my husband. I try to look at my situation and analyze why this this is so distasteful. The room is tastefully decorated. After sitting in the chair for a while I wish the designer had considered comfort rather than style. There is a TV at one end of the room. It often has a news program which displays the world news--bomb explosions and body parts are depicted in graphic detail. On another day I was besieged by the gripping story of “As the Stomach Burns.“ I guess that was actually pretty appropriate for the Digestive Disease Center.

~2~

         In some offices the TV plays detailed anatomy lessons and surgery. It is against policy for a family member to accompany the patient, but the family member can be subjected to this punishment without even being consulted.

~3~

         In less affluent offices there is often music playing. It is something offensive to at least half the occupants. Patients may miss their appointment because of this. If so he or she will receive a severe chiding from the nurse for not listening to be called. What ever happened to silence? Perhaps some government office has declared it illegal or at least unethical.

~4~

         In surgery situations it is the policy of most establishments to send a message of encouragement to family members. They say something like this: “Mr. Jones is sedated and the surgery has begun.” About half-way through they send out this one: “He is really doing well. We are so proud of him.” They say this like he had any choice; he is unconscious after all. When it is finished, they report again: “He will be going to recovery where he will stay for 2 or 3 hours of until the next presidential election.”

~5~

         I don’t hang around for this. I usually go eat, or find a place to read, or pay bills. These messages remind me that my loved one is being cut up by people who may be comparing him to the BBQ they cooked last night. Besides, if there was any real information to be presented, it would be done in person by the doctor. I really think that most of this comes from a policy making administrator rather than the doctor.

~6~

         Intellectually, I know that my aversion to waiting rooms is entirely due to my own anxiety. There are always people willing to share their horror stories of failed treatments and botched operations. More often than not someone brings in three unruly kids who use the coffee table for a fort and bombard each other with popcorn. Perhaps they view this as an entertaining place to bring the children.

~7~

         There is one very positive result from my somewhat neurotic behavior. I try to maintain the very best of health and support my family members healthy activities.

~8~