Wednesday, July 28, 2021

Medical Appointment on Tuesday

Squill (Drimia maritima) Flower Stalk

It feels like all I did today was drive to the clinic, wait to receive my injection, and drive back!  But, I did manage to get a few other things done, too.  My appointment at the clinic was for 1:00 p.m. and I was asked arrive 15 minutes early.  The drive usually takes about one hour, depending on traffic.  At 11:40 a.m., I pulled the car out of the garage and noticed the tire pressure gauge light was on!  I walked around the car and noticed that the right front tire looked a bit deflated.  I was so glad I decided to leave a little bit earlier than I had to!  I drove to a tire shop/service center that I've been to before and they checked the tire pressures and inflated the right front tire.  I was glad it was not a puncture.

Even with the slight delay to get the tire pressure checked, I arrived at the clinic at 12:45 p.m.  The waiting room was practically full (only every other chair was available for seating), but, I was able to get the last available seat.  There was a short wait and I was called in to be weighed, my pressure taken, etc.  Then, I was asked to go back to the waiting room until an examination room was available.  I explained that I had been seen by the nurse practitioner on my earlier visit, that I was only there to receive my injection which hadn't been available at the earlier visit, but, apparently, I needed to be seen by the nurse practitioner again before the injection could be given!  

When I went back to the waiting room, it was packed!  There was a line of people waiting to check in and others waiting to be called in.  Not a single seat was available!  There were at least two or three people standing, waiting to be called in.  I joined them and stood for some time.  I was glad that I could stand without my leg hurting.  Eventually, I was called in and shown to an examination room and I sat and waited.  I had taken a book of sudoku to work on while I waited and I was able to amuse myself while I waited.  And waited.  And waited.  The assistant who had called me in noticed me waiting and asked me if I was still waiting to be seen and I said, "Yes".  He said he will find the nurse practitioner and notify her.  Another 15 minutes or so passed and the nurse practitioner came in, with another person who was in training or observing, and apologized for the long wait time.  She didn't do another physical examination, this time, just asked a few questions to see if everything was the same and I had no new concerns, and authorized the administration of the injection.  It was 2:45 p.m. (I texted daughter to let her know that I had just been seen by the nurse practitioner).  There was another short wait for the nurse to come in and actually give me the injection and have me sign the form stating I received the injection.  After that, I was able to leave the clinic.  It was 3:00 p.m.!

Of course there was quite a bit of traffic on the freeway on the way home, but, at least it was moving.  I was getting tired and hungry by the time I got off the freeway (I had a cup of tea in the morning and, although I had some cheese crackers with me, I didn't eat while at the clinic or in the car).  I mentally reviewed what we had at home for a quick lunch, but, everything required some sort of preparation (plenty of pasta sauce, but, have to cook pasta to have with it, etc.) and  decided to pick up a pizza on my way home (there is a chain of pizza shops that have pre-made pizza to go, no need to order ahead of time).  I bought the pizza and got home just before 4:00 p.m.

Daughter hadn't eaten, either; we had some of the pizza for our lunch.  Afterwards, I rested a bit and watched some of the Olympics.

Then, I brought in the trash cans from the curb, collected the empty food containers from neighbor T (the ones I had given the pasta and sauce in, yesterday), and  cooked a mackerel curry, with canned mackerel.  I took some of the mackerel curry and a container of the pasta sauce I had made to friend R, who gave me some of the stringhoppers she had ordered.   

Daughter and I enjoyed the stringhoppers with some of the mackerel curry for dinner.  Afterwards, she helped me put away the leftovers and I did the dishes.  I also froze some of the pasta sauce for another time.

Today, I am grateful for:

- Helpful workers at the tire place and the tire was not a flat!
- A safe drive to and from the clinic
- The injection was approved and administered
- Medical insurance
- Friend R sharing stringhoppers with us
- Being able to do all what I did without any sciatica pain!

Today's joyful activity was taking some curry and pasta sauce to friend R and receiving some stringhoppers in return.  When I called friend R to thank her, again, for the stringhoppers, she said she had just finished eating some of her stringhoppers with the mackerel curry and enjoyed the curry very much.

Plans for tomorrow include having M water the garden and maybe mopping the kitchen.

How was your Tuesday?  What are your plans for Wednesday?


10 comments:

  1. That was a long time at the clinic and I'm glad your leg held up to all the standing up. At least you got the injection so that's over and done with for another 6 months. Do you get any side effects from the injection? Hooray for pre-made pizza to go!

    I'm off to the theatre this afternoon. 😃

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    1. It was a long wait, wasn't it? It tired me out! But, yes, I received the injection! I sometimes get aches and pains from the injection, but, then, again, I get aches and pains from the cancer pill I take, too! Nothing like the sciatica pains, though!

      Hope you had a great time at the theater. :)

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  2. I'm sorry you had such a long wait. It's too bad you couldn't get the shot when you were there previously. I am hurrying to get things together to go to my oldest sister's, her husband died on Sunday. He was in very poor health for many years, and in a nursing home. Although expected, it's still hard for her. Other sister has surgery next week so then I go to her to help with care. Thankfully I am off work for the summer. I hope you and daughter are well. Best, Celie

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    1. Oh, Celie, my condolences to your oldest sister and her family! Even when it is expected, death is hard on those who are left behind, isn't it? I'm glad you are able to be with your sister during this hard time and will be able to be there for your other sister after her surgery. I'm sure they consider you to be a blessing to them. Take care of yourself, too. My daughter and I are keeping well, thank you. :)

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  3. I love the photo of the Squill!
    Waiting rooms are well named, aren't they? Thank goodness you didn't have to stand for too long, but then to wait in the examination room as well! I've had that happen one time and there is always the feeling that perhaps you are in some kind of a time warp! At least you had your Sudoku to keep you busy.

    I decided to give myself a haircut today, which looks as if it was done with a knife and fork but it will grow! I'm blaming my eyesight when not wearing my glasses, as I used to be quite good at cutting my own hair. It should be possible to go to the hairdresser soon.

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    1. Thank you, Bushlady.

      Yes, waiting rooms are well named! :D I always try to take something with me to keep myself occupied!

      I'm sure you did a very good job with your haircut! But, I'm sure you'll be happy to have your hair professionally cut when you are able to go to the hairdresser, again. :)

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  4. That must have felt like a long day. You were very patient - I'm not very good at having to wait around :)

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    1. It did feel like a very long day. I felt drained, afterwards. But, I knew that staff at the clinic were doing their best and no one was complaining about the wait.

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  5. What a tiring day you had waiting at the doctor's office. I'm glad your leg did fine with the standing and glad you didn't have too much of it and were able to sit at times.
    Has this particular doctor's office been like this before. I used to go to a doctor that was awful for waiting.

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    1. Yes, it was a tiring day! I felt quite drained, afterwards; disproportionately so, I thought! There have been other occasions when I've had long waits at this particular doctor's office - often when one doctor who had been scheduled to work that day had to take the day off and the rest of the doctors had to fit in the missing doctor's patients in addition to their own. I'm always surprised, though, at how cheerful the staff is under what has to be rather stressful conditions.

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