A much-awaited post....

So thanks to about ten AIM messages from a very good friend of mine {wink if it is you} , here I am trying to recapture the last month of my life. So please bear with me, for this post might... No wait, will be rather long.
One thing that I realized recently is that I still hate doctors. And not only because they are eager to prescribe you some unnecessary medication before they even heard why you came in to see them in the first place or totally ignore your questions thinking since you don't have an MD you know nothing about medicine. No, the best part is when they are basically doing you a favor by simply seeing you - if it ever goes that far. Seems a bit harsh? Maybe. But I am speaking from my own very recent experience that left me with no desire whatsoever to ever go there again. So here is the thing: I finally decided to take off work so I can see a few doctors on the same day therefore saving myself from pain of having to take off work consistently or wasting my lunch hour sitting in doctor's office. My last appointment was scheduled for 3p.m. but since I had some extra time I decided to show up a bit early to fill out those painfully long forms which (I noticed earlier that day) they don't even bother to read afterwards. SO by exactly 3 p.m. -- and I checked my watch-- the nurse had all papers necessary and made copies of all my insurance information. Basically, everything was done so I was sitting there reading some magazine awaiting until they call me in.... After finishing my forth article in that magazine and learning how to deal with annoying roommates and whatnot I got suspicious and checked my watch again -- 3:20. Let me remind you that the waiting room was completely empty so I do not think they were so overwhelmed with patients that they could not see me for 20 minutes. But just when I thought that, the stars were good to me and the nurse finally called me inside. oh, the much awaited moment! Not quite so... She showed me to the room and told me the doctor will be in momentarily. Fine with me. Apparently, momentarily equals 15 minutes in their language. I finally heard the door opening, but when I saw the person who came in, it was definitely not the one I was here to see (in case you don't know, when I called to make an appointment, I specifically asked to be seen by that doctor and was told it wouldn't be a problem). So the one who walked in couldn't have looked more different. Yes, you guessed correctly, it was not the one I made an appointment for. After introducing himself he informed me that my doctor was unavailable to see me right now, but that he would be happy to substitute.... Hello!!! Didn't I just say I had an appointment with someone else, and when I do that there is probably a reason I want to see a specific person. When I said no, he looked surprised (as in why do you care who you talk to anyway), and told me I had to wait for about 15 minutes until his colleague, and I quote "finishes stitching someone else up". At this point I didn't really want to hear any additional details, so I simply nodded and he walked out. Too much information here, anyone? A simple "they are busy" would suffice, thank you. And this is where my phenomenal math skills came to the rescue - 3:20 plus another 15 of waiting plus another 15 to "stitch someone up" equals 3:50 - you can check my math, I guarantee the answer will be the same. Another flashback - my appointment was at three. Well, it would have started at three if we lived in a perfect world, in reality I expected to be seen by 3:10 - 3:15 max. But 3:50? No thanks, that was a bit too much. If you also take into attention the constant the sit-tight-I-will- be-back-in-a-minute 5 minutes-long departures during the visit, I figured I would be stuck there until around 5 p.m. - once again thanks to my fabulous math teacher, it took me less than two minutes to figure it all out. And at this point I was just pissed beyond control. I figured I definitely deserve someone better who wouldn't make me wait for an hour before they show up and who would send a substitute doctor thinking I would just agree to be seen by him because ... oh, I don't know, because they are doing me such a huge favor agreeing to see me in the first place. So I just walked out. I took my chart from that box on the door and went back to the waiting room. While I walked I also reminded myself that it wasn't a nurse's fault that the doctors she works with are simply condescending bastards... Although it did take her 20 minutes to invite me to the room. So I went straight up to the nurse ( who was very surprised to see me out -- did she think it was too early?), and with "I don't have time for this" took out my personal and insurance information papers from inside a folder and handed her a folder - hey, I didn't want to take anything that didn't belong to me or that I didn't come with. At this point, her eyes were a size of a quarter..... I still find it funny when I think about it. And then I walked outside. That's it, no yelling, no throwing things, no drama. Actually, I think I even said my good byes. And I drove away.... And you know what? I haven't felt better in a long time. Not taking shit from people theory not only applies to bars, and clubs, and streets, but also to everyone else who think they are doing you a favor by dedicating their time to you (even though you pay them for it! Big money, too) - only without name calling or finger gestures...
Of course, just as I expected it, once I got home, my dad bitched at me for not staying there, saying that now I have to take another day off work to see this specialist. But you know what, I don't care... Maybe I'll go on my lunch hour after all - how bad could it be? My friends that I told this story to, totally support me....