…in the waiting line.

I had an appointment with the back doctor today.  I had some horrible pain a couple of weeks ago, but it’s gotten somewhat better.  But I called them at the time of badness and made an appointment.  I had to wait for two weeks to see them. 

I’m a psycho about being on time.  Usually people should be about ten minutes early for an appointment, right?  That gives plenty of time to fill out any paperwork, pay any fees, and those kinds of odds and ends.  Well I don’t know what it is, I have tried my best to shake it, but I have to be ten minutes early to the ten minutes early rule.  I just can’t have it any other way.  If anyone knows of a good way to shake me of this need to be early, please let me know. It’s a problem.

Anyway, my appointment was scheduled for 3 PM.  I arrived into the lobby at 2:45.  I signed in, paid my co-pay, and took a seat.

One issue of Arthritis Today, three issues of Colorado Springs Style, and two issues of Highlights later, I looked at the clock. 

Three forty-five.

I got up to ask the lady at the desk what was going on.  This place usually runs a little late, but not forty five minutes.  She informed me that the doctors were running about forty-five minutes behind.  It sounded like I should get called back any minute.  I went back to my seat and flipped through an old Sports Illustrated (not much to choose from).

Finally at 4:10 I got called back to sit in a private exam room and wait for X-Ray Man to come retrieve me.  That happened pretty quickly.  He took four x-rays and sent me back to wait.  In the exam room I read through a September ‘06 Time and re-read a Colorado Springs Style I had already flipped through in the lobby. 

I waited.  And waited.

I really wanted to get up and leave.  But I figured the moment I marched out of there would be the moment that the doctor came in to see me.  So I stayed.  Every time I looked at the clock I wanted to get out of there.  But after all that time invested, why leave?  I’d just have to reschedule an appointment and play this stupid game again next time. 

The doctor finally came in at 5:15 and apologized profusely.  Yippidy-doo.  It would have been nice to get a phone call earlier in the day (apparently they had been running behind all day due to some earlier mishap with a patient…oh, that’s comforting) or even told about the wait upon check in.  Jerks.

I’m just sayin’.