written on November 3, 2014
Sitting in clinic again this morning. Clinic number 3. I go twice a week for the first four weeks, then once a week for the next four weeks, then every other week through the end of the third month. This is my least favorite part of the recovery.
I mentioned in a prior entry (see DAY 7 ER) that it’s a first-come, first-serve affair. The earlier you get here, the lower your number, the sooner you get seen. The unfortunate part is that the doctors don’t show up until 9 am, so no matter what time you get here, you have to sit and wait for the doctors to see you.
When you walk in, you have to put your name on the appointment list. Then it takes anywhere from 15-30 minutes for them to start calling names off the list. You walk up to the registration desk, they ask you the Ebola questions (have you been out of the country lately? Have you been to Africa lately? Have you been around anyone who’s been to Africa lately? Do you have any signs or symptoms of Ebola right now?) and then you get your number.
Then you sit in the waiting area for the blood draw and urine test. This usually takes another hour. For me, they take four vials of blood and I have to pee into an empty cup, then pour half of the first cup into another urine cup that has a pill in the bottom of it. Then I go back to the waiting area and wait for my number to be called. Around 8 am, after my blood has been drawn, I can take my anti-rejection meds (you aren’t supposed to take Prograf before the blood draw – one of the blood tests is to see how much Prograff is in your system).
Around 8:30, they start calling the numbers to put people into the exam rooms. I believe they have 20 exam rooms, but they don’t call the first 20 numbers right away. They usually bring 1 or 2 people back at a time. This is because they take your vitals first thing – blood pressure, temperature and weight. Once you’re in the exam room, you get to wait there for the doctor.
On Friday, I was number 7. We arrived at the Clinic at 5:50 am, and they won’t let anyone into the parking garage until 6. So there was a line of cars out on the street, waiting for the garage to open. After it opened, everyone parked and rushed upstairs to sign in.
I was excited to be number 7 – I figured it would make for a quicker morning. I got into the exam room at 8:30, but the doctor didn’t make it in until just before 10. And they didn’t have my test results back by 10, so the doctor just looked at my incision, said to make sure my cough didn’t bring up any yellow or green mucus (definite sign of infection when your mucus is colored) and sent me on my way. And we had the trick-or-treating discussion (see my HALLOWEEN entry).
Essentially I’m discovering that Clinic is a big waste of time every time I’m here. Granted, I don’t have to be anywhere, since I’m recovering in isolation. But still, I would at least like to be able to sleep in a little more. My dad and I got up at 5:30 Friday morning to be here at 6, and we were here until 10:15 or so. Just over 4 hours of our Friday morning just to be told we don’t have any test results yet, see you Monday!
I think they should just bring us in and draw our blood, then send us on our way. Then if they want to spend time with us, one on one, they should schedule everyone in like 15 or 20 minute increments. A few of the nurses have said they don’t do that because they want to make sure they can spend as long as they need with each patient, but it’s very inconvenient for everyone involved. And the worst part isn’t even the fact that it’s a waste of my time, as a patient; it’s a waste of time for all the caregivers who have to sit here with the patients. I’m guessing some of them have better things to do with their time as well.
It’s absolutely amazing to me, that in the 21st century, with all the fantastic technology we have and use to try and make our lives more efficient, no one can figure out a way to stop wasting 4-6 hours of people’s lives just to make sure they’re doing okay. Even my worst doctor’s office appointments have never taken more than 90 minutes.
The speed with which they performed the surgery, and the rapid recovery I’ve experienced, have impressed me to no end. But this clinic experience leaves a lot to be desired. At least I’m able to sit up fairly comfortably now. I managed to get about half of my butterfly bandages off yesterday and looked at my incision – it’s looking pretty good, I think. The bulge is still there – I’m waiting for the inflammation to go down so I can see how big the kidney really is.
Even though the time spent in clinic is frustrating, I’m just glad my recovery is still going so well. Every day I’m here it’s just a confirmation that I’m continuing to heal and improve. I really can’t ask for anything more than that. Well, maybe another hour of sleep on clinic days, but now I’m just being picky.