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Laugh Lines

An Urgent Way to Care

I thought about writing this the very day it happened, but you wouldn't believe what can happen when I am on high-powered medications! So it has been a few days now, and I just have to take another look at what took place “that day.” After a number of coughing, aching, congested, feverish, sick days at home, I finally decided to check with my physician.

Mark it down—I am rarely sick. So on the day I was really ill, my doctor's receptionist told me that my physician was away attending a conference. I sounded so pitiful she recommended that I go immediately to the urgent care center connected with their office. That meant getting dressed and driving to the farthest possible point in town, when I was struggling just to tie my shoes without tipping over. I can't begin to describe my hair at that point, or my total lack of concern about my appearance.

I finally made it to the urgent care center and maneuvered into a way-too-small parking space. I am sure it was a normal parking lot, but nothing seems quite the same when my eyes are blurring. I stepped into the waiting area and was greeted by something new. A sign stood on a post saying, "Please wait here until it is your turn." I wish you could have seen me leaning at an awkward angle, barking out terrible coughs and trying not to even think of how horrible I looked, all while trying to wait patiently.

I don't know if it was the ten-minute lean on the signpost in an empty waiting room, the hour wait to hear my name called, or the second hour in that cold little room waiting for the doctor to appear—but I decided that “urgent” in the name of that place is a bit misplaced. I finally saw a student doctor who “practiced” his diagnostic skill on me before the attending doctor came in to verify that I really was sick and worthy of antibiotics and cough syrup. By the time I got through the long and arduous process of waiting for a physician, procuring the precious prescriptions and getting back home into jimmies, I was convinced that the name “urgent” should never be used to describe healthcare.

Pam and Kathy’s Tips for Emergency Care Needs

Know in advance where you will go in a medical emergency.
Have your current medical/insurance card with you at all times.
If you need a co-payment in cash, have that tucked away in an envelope with your insurance card.
If possible, have someone drive you to appointments when you are ill or injured.
Keep a medical list with current information on your allergies, your medications and your physician or current medical conditions.
Know at least one or two family members or friends who can be contacted in an emergency.