What's Your 30 minutes of Waiting Hell?

[Walt34]

Generally my doctors have been pretty good about keeping wait times to a minimum, but they're dealing with people and "stuff happens". Once when I went to a follow-up visit to the plastic surgeon that was scheduled for 15 minutes, but the wound had closed the night before and I was now building up a "bubble" that was accumulating fluid that would eventually break and create a mess. So he ended up doing some minor in-office surgery that took a bit over an hour. That was a morning appointment so it probably screwed up his schedule for the rest of the day.

So unless I'm kept waiting unreasonably long at each visit I tend to cut medical folks some slack on the wait times. If wait times are excessive at every visit I find another doctor, one who understands that the patient's time has value too.

 

[Meadbh]

Generally my doctors have been pretty good about keeping wait times to a minimum, but they're dealing with people and "stuff happens". Once when I went to a follow-up visit to the plastic surgeon that was scheduled for 15 minutes, but the wound had closed the night before and I was now building up a "bubble" that was accumulating fluid that would eventually break and create a mess. So he ended up doing some minor in-office surgery that took a bit over an hour. That was a morning appointment so it probably screwed up his schedule for the rest of the day.

So unless I'm kept waiting unreasonably long at each visit I tend to cut medical folks some slack on the wait times. If wait times are excessive at every visit I find another doctor, one who understands that the patient's time has value too.

As a former doctor, I thank you for your understanding, Walt34. Many doctors need to do more to improve their patient flow, but sometimes, emergencies do happen.

I recently needed to see my doctor for a persistent cough that had started while on a trip. When I called at 9 am, I was offered an appointment at 11:10 am. Immediately on arrival, I was taken to an exam room, where I could not cough all over anyone in the waiting room. Five minutes later, I saw my doctor. I was out of there with a diagnosis and a treatment plan by 11:30 am.

This was only possible because my doctor's office builds extra appointments into every day's schedule, because sh*t happens.

 

[madsquopper]

Godot. And I'm still waiting.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

Our DMV posts wait times online so I was able to manage that recently.

I did have WR Hell at the podiatrist a couple of years ago. Appointment at 0830, packed WR with the TV blaring inanity at high volume. Around 0850 I asked when I would be seen since I had the first slot of the day. Was told the doc never arrived until at least 0900 and there were about ten other patients with the same time. He liked to fill the exam rooms so he could go down the hall room by room. after another hour wait in the exam room,I was literally walking out the door when he passed me in the hall and finally saw me. Upon checkout the clerk slipped a letter in my paperwork which I opened in the car. It was a notice he was closing that office and I'd be on my own to find a new provider. Not a peep about that from anybody inside. Good riddance, actually.

 

[aja8888]

Lowe's customer service.........

 

[audreyh1]

Doctor's offices.

 

[REWahoo]

The Pearly Gates.

 

[aja8888]

The Pearly Gates.

How do you know??

 

[LOL!]

I had a comminuted fracture and went to the ER to see if any blood vessels had been pierced, too. The fracture was very obvious and I had an X-ray taken and the tech said, "Hey, come look at this!" while I was waiting for a physician.

7 hours later without seeing the physician again and judging that I wasn't bleeding internally, I called my orthopedist for an appointment the next day, told the desk folks I was pissed and left the ER.

I was never billed for anything for that E.R. visit. Three surgeries and lots of screws later, I am fine.

Otherwise, I am pretty good about waiting. I know my wife is always going to be 30 minutes late, so I can set my watch by that.

 

[bjorn2bwild]

Jury duty roulette - not my cup of tea.

 

[PawPrint53]

My friend who had 5 children ages 1-6 had to take all of them with her to the doctor's office. When she finally got into the exam room after a long wait, she waited about 10 minutes, then opened the door and said, if the doctor doesn't get here soon, I won't be able to keep my kids out of the drawers. Not surprisingly, the doctor came almost immediately, and she had no more trouble with long doctor's office waits after that.

 

[ikonomore]

We can renew driver's license at triple A and everything else is online or by mail. Haven't go to a real DMV in 8 years or so.

 

[HadEnuff]

I was once in a TSA line that went forever in front of me, and forever behind me, with a tight schedule, and intestinal cramps. I barely made it. I mean, I BARELY made it, hunched over. It was bad.

 

[Ronstar]

Emergency room whenever I had a broken bone or bleeding profusely

 

[Koolau]

14 years old and sitting in an 8th grade math test. Asst. Principal calls on the PA system (to our room). "Miss Kline is Mr. Koolau there? Please send him to my office."

I show up at Asst. Principals office and am shown into his office. He looks at me for a few seconds and then accuses me of a serious school violation. (I'm a good student, never in trouble, don't know the ins and outs of the disciplinary system, etc.) I deny it and the phone rings. For 30 minutes AP talks to someone about nothing. When he finally hangs up, he calls another student into his office and asks "Is the the student you saw doing XYZ." Student answers "No." That had to be the longest 30 minutes of my life. YMMV

 

[N02L84ER]

30 minutes - I wish!
We were visiting family over Christmas. Had a gall bladder attack on Thursday morning, went to local ER. Within 3 hrs had multiple tests that verified it was the gall bladder, but they did not have a surgeon. So, after getting approval from insurance, was transferred to hospital 90 minutes away. They checked us in because they said the only way the surgeon could see us was as a patient. The surgical consult did not happen until 24 hours later. Again, just confirmed it was gall bladder. Finally, Christmas day the surgeon removed the gangrenous gall bladder. Three fricking days to get it removed.

 

[W2R]

30 minutes - I wish!
We were visiting family over Christmas. Had a gall bladder attack on Wednesday morning, went to local ER. Within 3 hrs had multiple tests that verified it was the gall bladder, but they did not have a surgeon. So, after getting approval from insurance, was transferred to hospital 90 minutes away. They checked us in because they said the only way the surgeon could see us was as a patient. The surgical consult did not happen until 24 hours later. Again, just confirmed it was gall bladder. Finally, Christmas day the surgeon removed the gangrenous gall bladder. Three fricking days to get it removed.

I had to wait 3 days too, when I went into the hospital through the ER and ICU for acute gall bladder (back in 1993). I almost died and it took 24 hours before I was stable enough to go to ICU. Then they waited a couple of days more to make sure I was stable enough to get through the surgery. This was at a big hospital with lots of doctors and facilities, but they wanted to take their time, apparently in order to make sure I wouldn't expire on the operating room table. After going through all that, I was so glad to get rid of that vile painful gall bladder! I felt better the minute I opened my eyes after the surgery.

Thank goodness this was back in the days when health care was less expensive. The insurance paid all $23K in costs for those three days plus surgery. Sounds cheap by modern standards.

 

[Tom52]

Speaking of a Urologist office....

About 5 years ago during a routine physical the GP said their was a microscopic amount of blood in my urine sample. I was referred to a urologist for a procedure to scope my bladder. If you have never had this procedure you can imagine where the scope gets inserted on a male.

It was extremely embarrassing when I was led into the room and find two young lady nurses half my age, telling my to strip down below my waste, then lay down on the table while one applied a deadening cream to that insertion point. Then laying on that table for at least a 15 minutes waiting for the Dr. to come in to start the procedure. The nurses stayed in the room with me the entire time. Finally, my view of the procedure was of the Dr. in the middle shoving a probe up my insertion point with the two lady nurses looking on, one over each shoulder of the Dr.

Finally, the Dr. says everything is fine so it was a happy ending, but that was at least 30 minutes of waiting Hell before I got the all clear. I'll take a wait an the DMV over that experience at the urologist any day of the week.

 

[FireBug]

So far?....all of the above

 

[donheff]

The Urologist office.

I had a late morning appointment and he was already backed up about 45 minutes. I knew they would need a sample so I came pre-loaded and ready to use their restroom and cup. The receptionist checked me in and took my info and when I asked if I could go ahead and give my sample she said it would be just a minute and then proceeded to process 2 other patients and their insurance info and copay.

+1 I forgot about that experience.

 

[bclover]

traffic. I live in the city so no matter when you go it seems like there is traffic and construction. ugghh

 

[crxpanda]

I always carry my portable 3DSXL video game console with me in my purse. It's way better than a smartphone for dealing with waiting. I can play on it for hours and actually don't mind waiting at all. In fact, I look forward to waiting because it's such a great opportunity to play my favorite happy/peaceful video game (Animal Crossing).

Once you have something with you so that you really don't mind waiting, nobody will ever again require you to wait very long. That's just the way life is. I purposely get to doctor or dentist appointments a half hour early to play my video game, and they just usher me in before I can even sit down. (sigh) Haven't had to go to the OMV (=DMV) in person for over a decade.

So good to read this, my husband tells me I'm imagining things. People also will tend to you faster if you're texting or engrossed in your phone. LOL

 

[ocean view]

Don't get me wrong, child birth was definitely worth the effort, but if you can detach the labor experience from the end result, child birth could be described as the wait from hell for both mom & dad in different ways.

YMMV

 

[bclover]

Don't get me wrong, child birth was definitely worth the effort, but if you can detach the labor experience from the end result, child birth could be described as the wait from hell for both mom & dad in different ways.

YMMV

LOL, now that my kids have entered into the "evil, I'm 20 something so I know every thing and you have no idea how tough my life is stage" it seems like the wait for them to move out is the wait from hell.

 

[calmloki]

Yesterday I picked up a replacement lawn sprinkler timer after failing at repair of the old one. Home Depot had provided me with two "associates" recently, male and female, both clueless and a waste of the time spent asking them a question. This time I went to the HD garden department and a young woman directed me to the timers (very limited selection), then said there might be more in the irrigation department of the main store and that she hadn't been there but needed to see what was available as others had inquired before. She schlepped me directly there, much better selection. Impressive alertness, speed, customer service, owning of a problem, initiative - the employee you would want for any job. Made a point of getting her name as she deserved recognition.

So i called the HD store when I had time that afternoon. Wanted the store manager. Customer service transferred me and I waited through the six phone rings, then the music. then the HD ads. Customer service came back on line after a while and asked if I'd been helped. Explained that I could speak to either the store manager OR the Garden Center manager, so they transferred me and I sat through the six rings, the music, the HD ads... Customer service came back on line to ask if I'd been helped. This time I said I could speak to either manager and it was a good thing - I wanted to praise an employee, so they transferred me and I waited through the six rings etc. and someone came on line and asked if they could help me. Explained I was trying to reach the manager and she allowed that she was the manager and I was finally able to try and do the young associate some good.

My own private hell, as I was the one insisting on waiting to do what i wanted to do.