Why didn't anyone tell me I went back an hour? 2 days ago Molly and I were just discussing about how there wasn't a time change. Boy, were we wrong. Normally this wouldn't be an issue however, I was wide awake at 5:30, that left me with 45 minutes to lay around and let my mind wander even more about todays upcoming events.
7:00, Eileen and I are off to my first appointment, she dropped me off at the Scottsdale Mayo location and went to go work out. I headed in the building intimidated as hell, but somehow excited for what was next. My original itinerary had 3 doctor appointments on it (Internist, Cardio, and Neuro) and a few tests. I made it upstairs, check in and am directed to wait on the left side of the waiting room. About 5 minutes later, my name is called over a loud speaker. I was greeted by a nice woman who took me back to meet Dr. W.
I walk into this exam room, and HOLY CRAPOLA, its HUGE. There is a giant bench that would fit one of a half of me, an exam table, and a changing area in the corner of the room with a curtain. I think it just dawned on me that this is a place where we will chat, have an exam and do a little fashion show all at once. I can hardly wait.
Less than 45 seconds later, Dr. W comes storming in the door, introduces herself as she walks to the chair and sits down and promptly replays with, "what can I do for you?" In utter shock, I hesitate to answer, but slowly proceed to say, "well, umm, well, there is a lot of stuff going on." At this point, there are about a thousand things going through my head and more so, I'm pissed that she has no idea why in the hell I'm here, girl really? I just choose a place to start and off I went.
Nearly 15 minutes later, we were starting to make some progress. I felt like I was getting somewhere, I was answering questions, opening up, and all of a sudden she stops and says, "ask you okay, what's wrong?" I lost it. Why? GREAT QUESTION. I just lost it. I looked at her, tears swelling in my eyes, and said, "I'm sorry, I'm nervous, I don't want to tell you anything you don't need to know." She lifted her head from writing, stared at me for a moment and replied with, "you should tell me anything you think will help you." I just looked at her and thought to myself, I just need to recollect my thoughts and be thorough. My interview was soon over and my physical exam was to follow.
I made my way to the changing corner and found myself soon dressed in this sleeveless drape with a tie in the back that looked as though it was going to mimic a hospital gown. It had a seem at the shoulders and was generous in what it showed in the back. I wrapped a sheet around the lower half of me and made my way to the exam table. At this point things are extremely awkward. I've cried, told her I was homosexual, and now am sitting under these dish towels awaiting a long dreaded physical. Dr. W starts to make small talk about what I'm doing with my life, what my girlfriend does for a living, and how I like living in Denver. Now normally I would find this to be a generous gesture and answer happily, however knowing what was coming up, I was short and ended my answers with smiles.
I'll leave the physical exam up to your imagination, but if you're reading this, please just know, there is a story that is priceless. I had an experience that doesn't happen to anyone but me. Feel free to ask me at a later date if you are so intrigued.
I went and changed into my clothes, Dr. W sat down and explained some things to me, asked me a few more questions and ordered a weeks worth of consolations and tests. I immediately found myself blown out of the water with how in depth this was going to be and was sent out to continue onto my following appointments.
The way they have things set up here at Mayo is so effective. The lines on every floor are split. You stand on the left side of the rope to check in and on the right side of the rope to see a scheduler. After you check in they tell you what side of the room to sit on. When you leave your appointment and you see a scheduler, they hand you a pager, schedule your appointments, when your pager goes off you get back in line and they go over it with you and print a new itinerary and on your way you go!
So I got my new itinerary. It went from 4 pages, to 11 after one appointment. This was ONE PHYSICIAN, I had 2 more to see just on thursday. I headed to Cardio. Dr. A bolted through the door similar to Dr. W, sat down and asked me to yet again, spill the beans. I went over my medical history, he listened to my heart and said.. I think at this point you need to see a EP doctor and we are looking at a pacemaker at this point. My stomach dropped, he looked at me, picked up the phone to call his secretary and I was sent on my way. Back in the lines I went. I was now to travel to Phoenix and have some test done at the hospital and then seen neuro. I had an hour to spare, so my Arizona momma and I went to the outdoor mall, did a little looky loo and zipped back to the hospital for my appointment.
So there I was in the neurologist office, answering questions, explaining my symptoms and all of a sudden the fire alarm went off. The light started flashing and before we both knew it, this LOUD BEEP STARED BLARING THROUGH THE SPEAKERS. The doctor stood up and looked at me, said, "this has never happened before, sounds serious" he went to the door opened it and every other doctor was standing at the door with their patient in the room saying, what's going on. All of a sudden this woman's voice comes over the loud speaker and says, "Code Red, Code Red, there is a code red in that may effect the staff in this area." We started to evacuate and by the time we made it to where we needed to be, sure enough alarms stopped and we headed back to the office. After all of that, we decided that I needed more diagnostic tests and to meet after they were complete. Shortly after I went downstairs to get an echo and left the building somewhere around 5:30pm.
With all of that said, it was quite the first day at Mayo. From balling in the doctors office to fires in the hospital.. I could tell this was foreshadowing for what's to come.
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