One Day At A Time
I've really come to embrace that slogan. Over the years I remember reading it on people's bumper stickers and, although I knew it was from AA, I really didn't know what it meant.
Well, today I will enjoy - this one day at a time. Our middle guy, J, seems to be doing much better - back to being engaged in life. He's back to reffing soccer and just started a new job - waiting tables. He's never done that before but always wanted to. It's a nicer restaurant so when he left this morning he was dressed in a white shirt and black pants. I'm not saying this because I'm his mom - but he looks like a model. He is one good looking young man. No girls though. We need to keep them out of the picture for a long time! Funny - that statement about "no girls" reminds me of something he said when he was turning 3 or 4 and we were planning a birthday party for him. When my mother-in-law asked him if he is going to have any girls at his party he said "No dirls drama". We laughed about that and still do after all these years. Dirls - they are trouble! LOL.
The other day I went for my pre-op appointment that lasted a few hours. The hospital complex is overwhelming (a city within a city) and I do not like to drive down there myself, if I can avoid it. Initially, I wanted my husband to take off work to go with me but thought better of it and decided that I can manage it. Well, I did, but it wasn't easy. I got a little lost and was about 5 minutes late. No big deal. It ended up that the person who was registering me apologized for keeping ME waiting. LOL. I should know better that that is typical but I hate being late - even though they didn't even know it.
The place where I went for this appointment was in a huge building the foyer was set up like a hotel. The desks are like that too. Naturally, when a person knows they have to "check in" they would go directly up to a desk, like any medical facility or even hotel. Well, that's what I did. There was no one standing in front of me so I didn't think anything of it. As I stood there ~ there were two women sitting and talking behind the desk - the one on the right smiled but the one on the left stared at me but ignored me. Fine. I can wait but when the one woman finally acknowledged me she looked annoyed, asked for my name, and told me that there was one more patient after me. Well, when I sat down to wait I noticed that the other woman got up and a man took her place. I thought that the other woman was an employee and didn't know she was a patient. The registration lady was checking them in behind the desk. So when it was my turn the woman who was checking me in complained about another person who came up to the desk, while I sat there with her and said "People around here don't respect the HIPPA laws." I told her that I thought that the person she was sitting with was an employee and that there should be some better signage. With an attitude she points to the big sign that said to stay behind the line until the previous patient is finished (or something like that). Well - if you don't know that the other person is a patient - then? Oh - and sign isn't facing the person anyway - it's off to the side. Anyway - she warned me to do stand behind the line when I go to the next desk because they are "snippy" over there! And she wasn't? So now that I kinda know the "routine" I see a woman standing off to the side (way left from the desk) next to the sign. So I stand behind her. After she's called and finished and it was my turn - the guy calls me and the first thing he does is complain that the woman ahead of me was angry that he called her out and was told to wait behind the sign. "Rules are rules" he said. I told him that I can understand why she was upset because the beloved sign isn't in front of his desk and if you are coming from another direction, you wouldn't see it. He didn't get it and said something about the rules.
What a way to start out, huh? People are stressed out enough just by the driving to get there and find the right building, the enormity of the complex, and the fact that they are nervous about the medical procedures. Needless to say, even though some time had lapsed by the time I had my blood pressure taken - it was high. Ironically, I had my annual check up the day before and it was perfectly normal. Except for the way things started out for me - the medical staff was awesome! So I was surprised that my BP was up because I thought I was feeling quite well, emotionally. I wonder what it would have been had it been taken earlier? LOL
Well, today I will enjoy - this one day at a time. Our middle guy, J, seems to be doing much better - back to being engaged in life. He's back to reffing soccer and just started a new job - waiting tables. He's never done that before but always wanted to. It's a nicer restaurant so when he left this morning he was dressed in a white shirt and black pants. I'm not saying this because I'm his mom - but he looks like a model. He is one good looking young man. No girls though. We need to keep them out of the picture for a long time! Funny - that statement about "no girls" reminds me of something he said when he was turning 3 or 4 and we were planning a birthday party for him. When my mother-in-law asked him if he is going to have any girls at his party he said "No dirls drama". We laughed about that and still do after all these years. Dirls - they are trouble! LOL.
The other day I went for my pre-op appointment that lasted a few hours. The hospital complex is overwhelming (a city within a city) and I do not like to drive down there myself, if I can avoid it. Initially, I wanted my husband to take off work to go with me but thought better of it and decided that I can manage it. Well, I did, but it wasn't easy. I got a little lost and was about 5 minutes late. No big deal. It ended up that the person who was registering me apologized for keeping ME waiting. LOL. I should know better that that is typical but I hate being late - even though they didn't even know it.
The place where I went for this appointment was in a huge building the foyer was set up like a hotel. The desks are like that too. Naturally, when a person knows they have to "check in" they would go directly up to a desk, like any medical facility or even hotel. Well, that's what I did. There was no one standing in front of me so I didn't think anything of it. As I stood there ~ there were two women sitting and talking behind the desk - the one on the right smiled but the one on the left stared at me but ignored me. Fine. I can wait but when the one woman finally acknowledged me she looked annoyed, asked for my name, and told me that there was one more patient after me. Well, when I sat down to wait I noticed that the other woman got up and a man took her place. I thought that the other woman was an employee and didn't know she was a patient. The registration lady was checking them in behind the desk. So when it was my turn the woman who was checking me in complained about another person who came up to the desk, while I sat there with her and said "People around here don't respect the HIPPA laws." I told her that I thought that the person she was sitting with was an employee and that there should be some better signage. With an attitude she points to the big sign that said to stay behind the line until the previous patient is finished (or something like that). Well - if you don't know that the other person is a patient - then? Oh - and sign isn't facing the person anyway - it's off to the side. Anyway - she warned me to do stand behind the line when I go to the next desk because they are "snippy" over there! And she wasn't? So now that I kinda know the "routine" I see a woman standing off to the side (way left from the desk) next to the sign. So I stand behind her. After she's called and finished and it was my turn - the guy calls me and the first thing he does is complain that the woman ahead of me was angry that he called her out and was told to wait behind the sign. "Rules are rules" he said. I told him that I can understand why she was upset because the beloved sign isn't in front of his desk and if you are coming from another direction, you wouldn't see it. He didn't get it and said something about the rules.
What a way to start out, huh? People are stressed out enough just by the driving to get there and find the right building, the enormity of the complex, and the fact that they are nervous about the medical procedures. Needless to say, even though some time had lapsed by the time I had my blood pressure taken - it was high. Ironically, I had my annual check up the day before and it was perfectly normal. Except for the way things started out for me - the medical staff was awesome! So I was surprised that my BP was up because I thought I was feeling quite well, emotionally. I wonder what it would have been had it been taken earlier? LOL
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