It was just an appointment to complete the procedures to get ready for
surgery. But it was the first time I had ever been to his office.
He was a well-known Cardiologist with a fantastic reputation and I was so fortunate to
get the appointment on such short notice. So with a little trepidation my husband and
I traveled into the city.
We walked in expecting a typical sterile drab office but to our surprise it had a warm,
fancy décor that screamed of having been arranged by a high-class interior decorator.
The chairs were all overstuffed with a pillow on each chair. There were flowers that looked
real but were silk (I checked) credenzas that looked hand carved but again were not and on
each table were a huge bowl filled to the brim with wrapped candy. Music was playing
from speakers hidden from sight. On entering I noticed a man who was examining a
chocolate candy like he was searching for money. I took the paper given to me and started
to fill them out listing every personal item required. The office staff was very friendly and
you almost felt like you were visiting a friend.
A young man called my name and led me to a room that had a machine that I soon
discovered had a rotating chair a camera all operated by a computer. He started the IV
then called the nuclear tech to come an administer the isotope. I found out the young man
was a para-medic and very adept with an IV needle. (I should know for I am a registered
nurse whose veins are elusive.) I sat with my arms over my shoulders resting on a bar
while the machine rotated taking picture of my heart. It took nearly twenty minutes but
upon finishing I was ushered into another room and a different paramedic proceeded to
strap on the leads for an EKG.
I was being prepared for a medical stress test instead of one with the treadmill.
This was very eerie for the moment he injected the medication my arms and chest
got very warm and numb. I experienced severe chest pain and as they called the
doctor the young man stopped the medicine. They laid me down because I felt I was
going to pass out..The doctor examined me and then told them he had enough for the study.
I silently thanked God for that because I was sure I was about to meet the angels.
When I recovered my senses they took me in a room like the first one with a chair, camera,
and computer in order to view my heart in stress. The tech got it started telling me it would
take twelve minutes and then left the room to prepare another patient for this torture.
It was like and assembly line and I counted three people besides myself. She no sooner
left and the machine halted with an alarm sounding. I called out but no one heard me
over the music that was playing. Finally after what seemed a very long time (at least twelve minutes) she returned. I could have sworn I saw her hair stand
on end with horror. What happened she said like I was and expert and could tell her?
She then went to the cell phone and called a secret number
(I detected that it was secret because her voice became very low and hushed)
then familiar words like administrator and password were uttered. I hoped her technical
advisor was stateside, mine for AOL is in India. By this time the word got out that I broke
the camera and one by one the different people in the office filed by like they were
examining a culprit –ME-. The doctor came in and did he check me?
No he rolled his eyes, shrugged his shoulders and examined the computer, then just shook
his head. With this the technician announced that it would take a while to get it going
(Duh--- like I didn’t know that on my own) She had to take me out of that chair Hallelujah
because now I could put my arms down they were numb form holding them up
to my shoulders. My joy was short lived because they still needed the pictures of my heart
and sure enough it was in distress. They led me into the room I was in the first time and
we started over in the chair I was in before. Reason being that she could not restart the
other with someone in it. I asked weren’t the pictures saved and she answer,
“No I lost all that work” After ten minutes in the third chair I finally had the pictures
completed. They led me into the waiting room where my husband was and some woman
(another patient) asked me “Oh are you the lady that broke the camera?”
Mercifully they led me in for a Doppler of my carotids and an echocardiogram.
The technician there told me that in the five years she had worked there the camera
had never broken.
Upon leaving I commented about the candy and brought to their attention that none
of it was sugar free, I have heard of prejudice but to Diabetics????
Leave it to me if something is going to happen it does to me-----No matter who or what
it happens when I am involved. I think they call that karma or whatever---------
So my Dear friend do me a favor. If you have anything valuable.
Please keep it out of my sight or my touch. Especially if there is a computer attached.
By the way I PASSED THE TESTS !!!!
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