You definitely need a helmet or, at the very least, good ear plugs when you wait around at a hospital. As I sit here for the second time this month while my father has cataract surgery, the television is blasting an episode of Judge Joe Brown. Since I've never seen the program, I may not be qualified to evaluate, but I suspect this may be one of the most annoying shows in TV history. Bear in mind that is a very bold statement from someone who used to watch The Price is Right as a child.
This day surgery waiting room is quite unpleasant, but perhaps no worse than the eye surgeon's office where we spent several hours during the many preoperative visits. There we squeezed into a very large jammed packed area where patients wait to see one of two doctors in an elaborate winding path through multiple stopping points. The goal is to actually make it to the room where a real doctor sees you - for 3 to 4 minutes. Yes, folks, it's runs like a factory and is just as impersonal.
Now we all know I'm cranky and impatient, but anyone would find this irritating. I also found it sad reflection on a health care system controlled by the insurance industry. The process has to run like a well-oiled machine or it can't run at all. On a positive note, my dad can see great now. Thanks for listening. Oh, and please spare me any more Judge Joe Brown.
