Blog Stew

After my ranting last week in my doctor’s office etiquette blog (which, I do sincerely hope that my readers learned something), I am simply going to toss out a random mix of my life in recent days.

1. It’s been stinking hot lately. Grotesquely hot. Happily, it cooled down significantly this weekend, but the temperatures are rising again. I am not made for this kind of smothering heat and humidity. I was even thinking about winter this morning, of winter coats and warm sweaters. And, yes, of Christmas. Autumn is actually my most favorite time of year, when the air is cool and crisp and it smells like falling leaves, and I’m happy to know that it’s just a couple of months away.

2. I have recently rediscovered the joys of animal crackers and jello. Both are cheap, and not too horribly bad for you. And, identifying what the ‘animals’ actually are in the 98 cent Wal-mart bag is actually quite amusing!

3. Hard core yard-salers freak me out. Who really is passionate about getting out of bed at 5 a.m. on a Saturday?

4. I've realized lately (and really, I believe the Holy Spirit has something to do with this) that I am not a kind person. Some people are naturally kind and compassionate and 'nice.' I do not fall into this category. I think I'm kind to people I enjoy and like, but the people I don't know (and especially who I dislike), I barely treat with courtesy. I notice this particularly at work. Patients drive me crazy, and I know I've been -- to my shame -- downright rude sometimes. I feel like God is bringing this to my attention, and I need to work on this in a big way. Part of the fruit of the Spirit is kindness, and it scares me that I'm not seeing that particular 'fruit' in my life.

5. The tires (I feel weird not spelling ‘tires’ ‘tyres’ as the English do) on my car need air. I do not know how to take care of this. I own a tire gauge, and I actually do know how to use it. In fact, I can check the air pressure in my tires all by myself . . . but I’m not sure about the whole putting more air in my tires part. In theory, I know how to put air in my tires, but I’m nervous about doing it. I’m afraid I’d put too much air in and they’d explode in the gas station parking lot. Sometimes I really wish I had some close guy friends who would be willing to do the masculine things a girl’s got to do occasionally.

6. I get to go to Atlanta in a couple of weeks to see a Braves game. Am I excited? Heck, yes!

7. I just read an article online about the world’s most expensive home. Said home is close to Windsor Castle in England, and is valued at 75 million pounds ($130 million area). It has 103 rooms, five swimming pools, and a 100 plus-seat ‘screening room.’ That is not a house – it is a luxury hotel.

8. Guys who wear ‘random glasses’ are hot.

9. JT and I spent an hour on the elliptical machines at the gym yesterday.

10. And finally, because I realize this blog really has no point, I will leave you with this word of advice: A great way to enter a room is to do a forward roll. Don’t ever underestimate the power of a somersault.

Doctor's office etiquette

In today’s blog I would like to share some doctor’s office etiquette. As someone who checks-in and speaks to well over a hundred patients a day, I feel fully qualified to advise on this topic. Some people walk in our office and don’t have a clue how to act, thus annoying me and my colleagues. I can’t speak for the nurses, of course, but I can speak for those of us on the administrative side of things.

Lesson 1: When you get to the check-in window, I prefer it if you sign in rather than state your name, your appointment time and which doctor you will be seeing. Some people might be surprised to know that I have both a paper and electronic schedule in my possession. I know who you are and where you need to go whilst in our office. The people scheduled for an ultrasound are the worst. They feel the need to emphasize multiple times that they are having an ultrasound, as if I didn’t know we had an ultrasound facility in our office. Now, some check-in persons may prefer patients to say their name, etc. I, however, do not. Mostly because I am in the process of checking other patients in. There is such a thing as information overload. So, sign in, please!

Lesson 2: Closely related to this, please sign in and SIT DOWN! I hate it, hate it, hate it when a patient signs in and then starts handing me her insurance card, credit card and asking if there is anything for her to fill in. This usually happens when I already have five other patients waiting to be checked in before her. If you see that the receptionist is busy with a zillion other things, sign your name and have a seat. She will call you when she can focus on you and acquire the information that she needs. Some patients get this partially right. They sign in, sit down, and then decide a few minutes later to get up, come over to my window and give me whatever she thinks I will need. So close, but not quite right. Be patient. The check-in person will be with you in a couple of minutes.

Lesson 3: Along the lines of ‘be patient’ . . . BE PATIENT! Let’s think about this for a moment. You are a “patient” . . . so act like it! Doctors and nurses and even the clerical staff in the office are all busy. This means that you might have to wait longer than anticipated. This does not mean that the doctor has forgotten you and gone to lunch. This does not mean that the check-in person forgot to check you in and is filing her nails. This means that you will be attended to as soon as possible. I have to say that I feel really bad when I see people sitting in our waiting room for more than ten minutes. Right now, we have a couple sitting in front of me who have been waiting for almost 45 minutes. I feel terrible. The nurse feels terrible. We are doing the very best we can. In this business, we have emergencies. Especially in the OB world where doctors are called in the middle of the work day to rush off to deliver a baby. Sometimes surgeries run late due to complications. I hate having to tell people that the doctor suddenly had to leave and won’t be back until tomorrow. Please be thoughtful. Just think, it could be you or your wife or other family member having that baby or laying on the operating table someday.

Lesson 4: If you have to fill in paper work, don’t complain. If you want your insurance claim to be filed properly and your test results reported back to you, smile, take the clipboard and do the necessary paperwork.

Lesson 5: Make sure you write down your appointment, and make sure you write it down correctly. This morning, we had three patients show up who were not supposed to be here. Now, I’ll admit, us office staff make mistakes. It’s possible we told them the wrong day. However, I also know that patients make mistakes, too. I would rather someone call and confirm their appointment time, then show up on the wrong day and then throw a fit because the doctor cannot possibly see them.

Lesson 6: And while we’re talking about appointments . . . It drives me crazy when people call, expecting us to get them in tomorrow. It rarely works that way. If the appointment scheduler tells you that they have absolutely nothing available for the next two weeks, please believe her! If it’s an emergency, that is a totally different story, but if it’s something that can wait for a couple of weeks, do not try to guilt and/or blackmail the scheduler into doing your bidding. They do this for a living and know how much the doctors can handle on a given day. If you know you will need to see the doctor within the next month, book it early, or don’t complain when you can’t get the exact time and day you want.

Lesson 7: If your address, phone numbers, last name or insurance has changed (or if you have a new insurance card), please tell someone before you leave the office! We need updated information at which to contact you and to file your claim with insurance. We have many, many patients who call to complain that they received a bill they should not have . . . and by the way, their insurance changed and they forgot to mention it while they were here. Ooops! But remember, as in Lesson 2, do not hand your new insurance card to the check-in person until they have indicated they are ready to take it.

Lesson 8: Finally (although I could expound more), above all, be kind to the administrative staff in your doctor’s office. They are the ones who will ultimately get you in to see the doctor. I enjoy helping the patients who are always kind and understanding. I do not go out of my way to work my magic for the patients who are rude, obnoxious, impatient or demanding. Treat the clerical people (and nurses) with as much respect you treat your doctor. It’s amazing how patients are rude to the admin people and the nurse, but then are as smooth as butter to the doc. At the end of the day, you will likely have more contact with everyone else who works in the office than you will with the physician. They are the ones who make seeing the doctor possible. P.S. They also really like cookies/chocolate/donuts/other sweet treats.

I know this blog might sound petty and it’s probably also boring. I’ve written it mostly to vent . . . work has been pretty crazy and irritating lately. Of course, the opinions expressed in this blog are mine, and therefore, other people who work in a doctor’s office may see things totally differently.

A Bit of This and That

It’s the beginning of a new work week, and I have a feeling it’s going to be a busy one. Today is the last day with only one doctor here, so I’m taking advantage of the relative calm and quiet.

First up, World Cup. Sat down with a few friends yesterday to watch the finale between France and Italy. At the start, I genuinely didn’t care who won – I just wanted to watch some hardcore football. However, after the bizarre late-in-the-game headbutt by Zidane, I was 100% Italy. Glad they won. Sad the World Cup is over for another four years. Maybe I can save up my pennies and see it live in South Africa in 2010. Wouldn’t that be something! (P.S. What is up with Zidane winning the Golden Ball award? Italy #5, you were robbed!!)

Saw the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie on Saturday night. It was long. It was confusing. The special effects were pretty amazing. Johnny Depp looks good in eyeliner. The twists and turns and loose ends made me excited to see how it all turns out in movie number three.

My book suggestion for the week: Girl Meets God by Lauren Winner. This is her memoir of converting to Orthodox Judaism and then converting to Christianity. Excellent, though-provoking, humbling read. I highly recommend it!

Yesterday was such an amazing day for me – a true spiritual feast. First of all, the Sunday morning worship was really that. Worship. I was reminded how awesome and praiseworthy God is. I was convicted that I have not been seeking Him first in my life lately and have, instead, been incredibly self-seeking. I was convicted that I needed to make things right with a couple people in my life, and I pray I’ve done that since then. I was convicted that I’ve become lazy and almost too comfortable with where I’m at spiritually. I so do not want to become lukewarm – yet, I see that I may have become just that.

Last night at singles’ group, this month’s married couple talked about love and respect. I was reminded of some of those important and often confusing differences between men and women. Men want respect. Women want love. Every man has an inner ‘superhero’ – they imagine scoring the winning touchdown and saving the day and going on dangerous adventures and winning their Beauty. Every woman has an inner princess – she wants to be the Beauty, she wants to be wooed and won and fought for, and she wants to join her superhero on his daring quest.

I love how God created male and female – so much alike, yet so different, each demonstrating a different aspect of God’s perfect character. I love that men and women need what each other has to offer and are drawn to it.

I was also reminded that I need to have a better, more optimistic attitude toward people in general. As the married woman said last night, I need to believe that people have ‘thoughts of good will’ toward me. I often over-analyze and believe people hate my guts, even though I have no consistent evidence to back this up. I tend to latch on to the worst, instead of choosing to believe the best.

Finally, can I reasonably believe people will love me if I’m not being lovable? There’s always those rare few who will love me know matter what (i.e. parents), but generally, if I’m not a lovely person, I can’t expect people to genuinely love me. It’s kind of like that old proverb: “If you want a friend, be friendly.” It’s a reminder that a little bit of loveliness goes a long way.

And now, a few fun facts to close today’s blog:
**I am now addicted to the Sam’s Club flavored sparkling water. The key lime flavor is my favorite.
**I get to house sit for our sonographer when she goes on vacation next month. She owns two dogs and three birds.
**Right now, I’m really hungry. The chicken noodle soup at lunch just didn’t do the trick.
**I’m really craving Moulin Rouge. I haven’t seen it in ages, and I’m starting to feel withdrawal. Dear Ewan, Do not fear. I haven’t abandoned you. I will see you soon. Love, Michelle
**Lastly, only 40 minutes to go, and this Monday at work is done!

Rainy Wednesday thoughts

It’s a rainy Wednesday morning, the day after July 4th. I confess, I did not want to get up and come to work this morning. Today is perfect sleeping weather. Perfect. Aaand . . . well, I may have stayed up a little too late on Monday evening playing Spades. Guess I’m still catching up. Ah, well. ‘Twas worth it.

Today, I strayed from tradition and wore a skirt to work. This is a rare and momentous occasion. I usually do not show my legs in public, which makes me sound rather Victorian or Amish. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because I feel like they’re just not tan enough. Maybe it’s because I think my calves look bulky and too muscular to appear feminine. Maybe it’s because I did my fair share of skirt-wearing when I was a cheerleader in high school. Maybe I’m just too lazy to . . . nah, won’t go there. We’ll just leave it at that. Maybe I’m too lazy.

So, there it is. I’m wearing a skirt today in public, and I feel kind of awkward and unsure about it. Like, are my legs frightening anyone out there? Or am I just being paranoid?

On the plus side today, I had some fabulous e-mails waiting for me when I got to work. I heard from friends all over the world, which made this gray, drippy morning more bright and cheerful. Do you remember life without e-mail? I sincerely believe it’s one of the greatest inventions ever.

I’m getting on my own nerves lately. I’m really bothering myself. Am I the only person this ever happens to? I don’t know what my deal is, but I’m not being who I really am at all. I feel like I’ve become very fake, shallow and generally extremely selfish. I’m craving the admiration and attention of others so much that I’m obsessing about details that don’t really, truly matter. I keep asking myself why this is. What am I really desiring? Why does what other people think of me matter so stinking much? Why am I acting differently, prioritizing differently, even dressing differently to an extent?

I see this, a few of my friends have commented on this, and yet I continue to strive for signs of approval. Will I ever get to the point in my life where being ‘Real Michelle’ is all I want to be despite the opinions of others?

Moving on to something a little less deep and a little more cheerful. There is now a copy of Newsies sitting on our living room bookshelf at home. This movie makes me giddy, and I haven’t seen it in YEARS. What could be better than a young Christian Bale dancing and singing, “Open the gates and seize the day”? I mean, really?

Ok, this is weird. I have a new addiction that’s really surprising. Iced tea. Yep, you heard me right. Cold tea. Having spent a summer in Australia, and five years in England trained me to love, love, love a hot cuppa tea. Tea on ice eventually because something, well, not right. I don’t know what has happened to me, but suddenly I’m in love with a huge glass of iced tea sweetened with Splenda. I am drinking it by the gallons, which is pretty much okay because 1) Tea is good for you; it’s an antioxidant; 2) It is a great source of hydration (the kind I drink is caffeine free); 3) It is basically calorie free; and 4) It’s yummy. Just don’t tell my British friends I’ve been converted.