04 March 2006

Thank you for your concern

It appears I may live.

After my leaving the emergency room so abruptly, I called a cardiologist. Two, actually. At the first one my conversation went like this:

Me: "Hi. I'm not a patient of Dr. Heng, but I went to the Urgent Care Center the other day with chest pains and the doctor told me to go to the emergency room and I went but I didn't wait because it was a zoo and I had to leave and I apparently need a stress test and blood work so I need to see a cardiologist I have a PPO can I see the doctor without a referral or do I need a referral?"

Receptionist: "Are you a patient of Dr. Heng?"

Me: (thinking, "Well, duh, you dope, I just spat out my whole life story, are you not listening??") "Uh, no."

Receptionist: "Can I put you on hold?"

Me: "Sure."

And then I hung up.

I figured, hey, if the receptionist is this stupid, I do not want to meet the doctor.

With the next doc, everything went swimmingly. Receptionist paid attention, made an appt for the next day.

I was of course the youngest person in the waiting room by at least 20 years. Everyone else there was major fucked up. By the time I got in the examining room, I had decided that if I had a heart problem, it was suddenly cured, because I just wasn't ready to be that sick yet.

Dr. Qiu was charming, funny ("Why is a beautiful woman like you not married? Are your standards too high? Yes? You're smart. Men are idiots.") and reassuring. He wants to do a stress test but says he is 99 percent sure I am ok and my problems are from coughing too much.

So Tuesday I hop on the treadmill for some fun. I can hardly wait. But I am determined to be well.

4 comments:

spotted elephant said...

"Are you a patient of Dr. Heng?"

At times like those, don't you wish it was physically possible to craw through the phone cord and smack some sense into the person?

I'm glad that you've got good news, and a good doctor. I know what you mean about the other patients. I've spent too much time in specialists' offices lately, and the other people there scared me half to death. You just want out at that point.

And-OUCH! Coughing really can cause nasty pain. Plus, not only to you get the chest pain, but the repeated coughing tears your throat up so that really hurts too. :-( Hope you feel better soon.

SUEB0B said...

Abso-freaking-lutely.

I hope you are well.

J.R. Kinnard said...

I'm glad to hear things aren't serious. Also glad to hear your doctor wants to make sure things are okay. It's always nice when a doctor seems to actually...I don't know...care!

dobbs said...

Good to hear you checked out ok - have fun on the threadmill!

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