What could be simpler than getting a knee xrayed?
The clinic is in Greenwich so I thought to include it with another task, but taking nothing for granted, I called to see if an appointment was necessary.
.
It’s a small clinic and apparently the radiologist is not always there, so I got an appointment for Monday, yesterday.
Grant dropped me off and went to do something else.
Following instructions, I checked in.
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The order was on a piece of paper that I had carefully stuffed in my bag. I presented this along with my all-important birthdate.
The receptionist looked slightly puzzled but gave me back the paper and told me to go upstairs.
There having been a slow-moving queue, I was now technically 8 minutes late, but I thought this wouldn’t matter.
.
Upstairs I was confronted by a large pink sign, handwritten, advising that there being no receptionist at this desk, I should have a seat and be PATIENT.
So I did and I was.
It was very quiet and had that empty sort of feeling that you get when no-one is around.
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Consequently, after half an hour, I began to wonder.
“BE PATIENT!” it said, but it being an early appointment, it wasn’t likely there was a back-up.
If I went back downstairs to inquire, I would end up again on a slow-moving queue, and I might miss being summoned.
.
Compromising, I made a phone call.
After navigating the voice instructions, I spoke to a person who seemed confused.
Was everyone so befuddled because it was a Monday?
Finally, she asked: “Where are you?”
“I’m upstairs.”
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“Where, upstairs?”
Now I was flummoxed. It’s a small 2-story building. “By the pink sign.”
“I mean what facility, which location?”
If you call the number given for a place, should you expect to be speaking to somewhere else?
Apparently it’s not just large corporations that do this.
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Medical clinics now have remote communications as well. It would be helpful if they shared this information.
It turned out, however, that this lady only made appointments, so I went back to the voice instructions and ended up on hold…on hold…on hold.
Then, footsteps and a door opened:
“Steve?”
“He’s not here, but I’m Carolyn!” I declared, hopefully.
.
Yet another confused look.
Disappointed at not finding Steve, the lady withdrew saying she would: “send someone” for me.
Not wanting to be too optimistic, I nevertheless took this as progress and as Steve arrived, a different lady came through the door, with a clipboard.
“You’re not on my list! Did you check-in with reception downstairs?”
“I did, but she seemed a little vague.”
“What?”
.
I tried again: “Yes, I checked in.”
“You’re not on my list. Did you check in with one of the first three desks?”
“Yes, I did.” She seemed doubtful.
The magic birthdate was not producing the instant answers it usually does, but the woman saw I was clutching a piece of paper:
“Is that your order?”
I handed it over.
.
“This isn’t an order. This doesn’t tell me anything. You have to have an order.”
I suspected she was getting annoyed as she thrust the paper back, but then the penny dropped:
It was the wrong piece of paper. I ferreted in my bag and found the right one, offering it up.
“OK, but you’re not on my list.”
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Perhaps I now looked perplexed myself because she relented.
“Just a minute. I’ll be right back.”
and she was: “Your appointment was at the hospital”
There was no point in arguing about whose fault that may have been, so I asked if I could get my xray done here.
“Yes, but you have to check-in downstairs.”
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On the way downstairs, I popped my head outside to wave at Grant: “Go get the car washed!”
Back again upstairs and on the list, I had satisfied the requirement and was ushered in by the now very nice lady.
She agreed that having remote operators can be problematic.
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Waiting afterwards for Grant to return, I went outside to enjoy a perfectly gorgeous morning and took these pictures of the river birches and hydrangeas.
These I think may be chokeberries.
They looked pretty against the sky.
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What a sky!
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Was it a race? It continued all day.
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Until 4pm at least, when the sky clouded over in a preamble to today’s grey overcast.
At 29F/2C, this morning felt quite tropical!
Now comes “mixed precipitation”.
Snow, currently, with rain to follow.
ie: Damp.
I think I would have been inclined to collect some chokeberries and feed them to all the staff you encountered!
Thank you, Carolyn, for today’s hilarious post! Just what I needed when we have two storms back to back!
Joanna
Oh, my gosh! Upstairs, downstairs, another building … it actually sounds like you needed a roadmap (but if not, definitely clearer instructions)! Wow, I admire your patience Carolyn. And your reward for all the confusion – that beautiful blue sky and berries.
You did well to stay calm. Medical facilities seem to have rules that change by the moment.
I once attended an eye clinic in a large London hospital only to find that there were three men with the same name, (including me) and incredibly we also had the same date of birth. I know London is very big and populous, but what are the chances of that? Even the nurse in charge found it hard to believe, and stood checking our record files very carefully.
We were eventually seen in order of the time we had checked in.
Best wishes, Pete.
Heavens! That could really lead to confusion!
That sign that instructs people to “Be Patient” might lead one to think that this sort of thing has possibly happened and may be likely to happen again. I commend you for remaining as calm as you did. I hope the cats didn’t miss their lunch, bless their little hearts.