Waiting -- Part I

I seriously doubt that many of us are good "waiters." The definition of waiter here is as in going for an appointment, arriving on time and waiting and waiting and waiting some more. No one comes out to communicate with you about why you are having to wait -- you simply are waiting. I always take a book or two when I go to Duke for a cornea appointment. Reading usually breaks up the time better than "people-watching." Even so I almost lost it on Tuesday after waiting three hours without any information or explanation. As I looked around me it seemed that some of the folks who came in after me were either gone or going into an examining room. Outside daylight was dimming as the sun proceeded to set in the winter sky. Impatience got the better of me and I got up from my seat and went around the corner to see the individual who seemed to be calling patients from the room. I inquired as to where I was in this rotation of patients to see the cornea specialist. Before she could answer another worker interjects that they have had emergencies and emergency surgeries today which have delayed the seeing of scheduled patients in the offices -- they have called for another cornea specialist to wash up and come down but he has not arrived. It is estimated that I am forty-five minutes to one hour from seeing the doctor. I looked at both of them and told them I had already waited three hours (my appointment was at 2:15 PM), and further that I could stay no longer. I needed to re-schedule and go. But first I needed to be reassured that I would not be charged for waiting today for an appointment that never happened. I am reassured that I can do that and we head for the desk with my medical records only to find that the receiving & appointment desk has already closed for the day.
As all of this is occuring with me patients start to flood around the corner with the same questions as my own.
I moved to the front desk, made my appointment for 8:30 AM next Tuesday, and made my way to the valet to get my car. I drove home as quickly as traffic on I-40 and I-540 would allow. I was a Schnauzer Mom on a mission. I had a sickly "child" at home.