The Doctor's Office

Satsuma Tree - First Year's Crop

Good Saturday afternoon and come on in and watch the football games with us. We are watching Florida State beat NC State but waiting with great anticipation for Georgia (The Dawgs) to beat Univ. of Florida (The Gators). This is the site of the largest cocktail party in the South - Jacksonville, FL - so I am told. My friends say it is a grand ole party but I will take their word for it since I have not been. That is Saturday afternoon in the South - football, food and drinks.

Have you been to a doctor's office lately?  We are going twice a week to Roy's doctor and I am hearing some really interesting information about lots of patients.  The office is quite open with the receptionists located almost in the waiting room and they are very friendly and helpful.  We feel like we are greeting old friends after about a month of weekly visits and appreciate the personal care we get.  They are helpful and courteous and most attentive to the "old folks" who come in.

Recently a new patient - an elderly man - came in and was having difficulty filling out the 4 pages of information needed for new patients.  The nice young man in the office came out and sat beside him and read all the questions to him and filled out all the forms.   It was interesting to hear the answers and we had no problem hearing for the gentleman spoke loudly.

One of the questions was if he was married, single, divorced, etc.  Instead of saying "married", he said that and began the long story of telling all about this wife, her illnesses, and that she lives in a nursing home.  We then were told which nursing home and how often he visited her.  This pattern went on of brief questions and looong answers.  Then the question came, "Are you pregnant?"  This was asked with a smile and the little man smiled back and said. "I hope not." 

Everyone laughed with the gentleman except for one lady.  She was sitting there with a sour look on her face and she turned to the man and said very sternly, "You are a man you can't be pregnant."  Well, we all just looked at her and he said, "You are right but you never can tell" and we all about rolled in the floor.  She huffed and puffed and didn't  have any other comments.  That Southern Gentleman shut her up very politely and I wanted to applaud but being a Southern Lady I just thought, "Bless her heart."

This last week we had "Miss Chatty Cathy" come in.  I always have knitting with me or a book to read and don't talk a whole lot with other patients but she wanted to talk.  She breezed in and spoke to everyone in the room and we all spoke back and went back to our reading, knitting or waiting for the doctor.  All was quiet and peaceful and she looked at me and said, "Are those shoes Sketchers?"  I didn't realize she was talking to me so she called me "Dearie" and asked again at which time I looked up and then looked at my shoes. 

Now our good Southern Mama taught us not to ask people personal questions unless they were close friends so I was a little taken aback.  I didn't answer her immediately and she asked again a little louder as if I was deaf.  I finally looked at her and held back the answer I really wanted to say and said, "No, Walmart special."  She immediately began to tell me that she sure thought they were Sketchers and how much she liked them and wanted to know where, when, and how much - all questions a polite lady would not have asked a perfect stranger.  I continued knitting and politely ignored her but she impolitely asked again and I told here I didn't remember the price, when I bought them or which store. 

I thought this would end the conversation but no way.  She just kept on rattling on about this, that and the other as if I was interested or cared.  After a few minutes, I politely excused myself and retired to the restroom hoping she would be in an exam room when I returned.  I was blessed for she was gone when I returned and several looked at me with smiles and total understanding of the situation.  Bless her heart, she was surely not raised by a good, Southern Mama or she would have known not to ask a total stranger personal questions about their wardrobe in a public place.  Bless her heart.

These are just a couple of incidences I have had and I am sure there will be many more for we have several more trips to make.  People in doctor's offices are kind of like customers in a beauty salon, some of them have to talk and talk and talk and tell you details you just as soon not know. It is intersting though and you get a chuckle every now and then.

Now ya'll be careful going home and I am about ready for a good SEC football game to begin.  I have my snacks, my Diet Coke and a comfortable seat - all I need to enjoy my favorite sport.

Nuff said,

The Georgia Peach