patience

Far too many of us, with chronic illnesses and without, have participated in this all too familiar game…the waiting game.

I spoke to a very special friend tonight about tests and was reminded of this process. Do “they” (you know who “they” are – the doctors, hospitals, insurance companies, any schmuck that answers the phone and puts you on hold) not know we just want to get the test done and get the results?

I go to the doctor and am told I need some tests. I call to schedule. I go through the all too familiar – Press 1 for English, Press 2 if you are constipated, Press 3 if you are going to yell when we pick up…etc. I press all of the appropriate buttons only to find out that all agents are busy helping other pissed off patients right now so please leave a message and someone will (might) call me back as soon as they are good and damn ready. I leave a message. I WAIT for a return call. I give myself a deadline. If I don’t hear back in a day, I’ll call back. I sit by my phone 24/7 and no call. I go and take a shower, the fastest one ever, and guess what – I missed their call and they are now closed for the day. Son of a B*#@h!

The game continues and so far…they are winning. I call them back the next morning. I go through all the motions and get through this time. The representative answers and tells me that she would LOVE (I bet!) to help me but I will need prior authorization from my insurance company in order to schedule the test. Again, I WAIT. I get the authorization, after 3 separate phone calls to the insurance company packed full of bitching about it taking so long. I call the hospital back to schedule the test.

The nicest woman to ever work at the hospital answers. I was so relieved. She took all of my information and scheduled the test for me. Almost there.

I get to the hospital on test day. I arrive early. I always arrive early. They sent me to the changing room and I change into an extremely over sized hospital gown and I sit in the waiting room, the drafty, crowded waiting room. As if waiting isn’t enough, waiting feeling half naked in a room full of strangers makes it much worse. I find myself looking around the room at everyone’s socks and shoes. How odd people look in hospital gowns and socks. I really can’t explain why, but I find myself laughing about it. They finally call me back to the room. The test, not so bad, only takes a few minutes. The hard part is over now, right?

You should hear the results in a few days. HA!!!! ONE WEEK LATER…NO RESULTS. I call for the results. The nurse will have the doctor call me back. The nurse can’t tell me. Oh God! This must be bad. This is it! I start googling all the possibilities. Before I hear back from the doctor, I have my dress picked out for my funeral. Blue, I look good in blue. It brings out the color of my eyes. What am I thinking? Who the hell is going to see my eyes? That’s creepy! The phone rings…it’s the doctor…I take a deep breath…she tells me to relax…the test is negative. Oh God I knew it! It’s over! How can I tell my kids?

Wait what did you say? Negative? Finally I got a negative result!!!! I rarely get negative results!  Woohoo! No blue dress for this chic! This waiting game is over.

Well played pain in the ass, stressful test…well played. But, I won this one!

Woohoo! My life is a blog!