The Doctor And The Waiting Room
Bringing a notebook and writing about the experience
Natalie Goldberg's Writing Down the Bones Deck Prompts - Write about a doctor you know or one you went to. Or even better, write about their waiting room.
My chiropractor is my favorite doctor visit.
In and out in no time at all, and he does it
all himself. No nurse, no receptionist,
just him, his fixes last a long time, a real specialist!
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Another favorite is the waiting room for my primary doctor. She has other specialists in her wing of the clinic who care for babies. I love sitting and watching the kids play in the waiting room.
I get there early as requested, and while I complete the information on the tablet, I watch children playing. When it is time to go in for my appointment, I hate to leave the show.
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Some people may call this nosy, but I prefer research, and that is at my cancer clinic visit. I am there several times a year, and I am interested in what others are there for. I am friendly and talk to everyone.
I want to hear if chemotherapy has changed for people with a similar diagnosis. I want to hear that my cancer has been cured and that I will no longer need to come in regularly for testing. I want to hear that a miracle happened and all the cancer is gone!
Natalie Goldberg's Writing Down the Bones Deck Prompts - Bring your notebook to an appointment. Often appointments run late. Now you can appreciate it. Time to write. What's it like, waiting? What is the space, the receptionist, the nurse like? If it's a serious reason you are there, writing can help calm you.
I write while waiting when it is a longer wait. Many of my appointments are no longer than a ten-minute wait, once I finish typing on the tablet. I know I am lucky to have little to no wait.
If I forget to bring a notebook and don't have paper with me, I will sometimes borrow it or I will type in my notebook on my phone. Then it is easier to spend time on rhyme. Not as many words and easy to transfer.
Yesterday I was at urgent care. I am going on a trip and still coughing too much. They did all kinds of tests and prescribed an antibiotic and some cough suppressants. I have been coughing for three weeks now, and I am tired of coughing, and the cough drops only work for a short time.
I have an ear infection, and the pneumonia isn't gone. While waiting for each and every test, I am stressed as I think about how in 2012 I was diagnosed with cancer after first being diagnosed with pneumonia twice.
Because they didn't keep me waiting long, I couldn't get a full-blown panic. And still, I did get worked up and had to talk with someone about my thoughts. Someone who hadn't heard it all before. Like the nurse has time to just sit and listen to me. Well, she did, and I did, and it did help.
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Author's Note: I am writing a week of Natalie Goldberg's Prompts.
About the Creator
Denise E Lindquist
I am married with 7 children, 28 grands, and 13 great-grandchildren. I am a culture consultant part-time. I write A Poem a Day in February for 8 years now. I wrote 4 - 50,000 word stories in NaNoWriMo. I write on Vocal/Medium daily.
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Comments (4)
Denise, your reflections on waiting rooms are so relatable! Love how you turn waiting into a chance to observe and write. 🖋️
We think the same way in a waiting. We talk to others and find healing information. 🥰People are indeed interesting to watch especially children who are learning things and responding to this world.Did you get the pneumonia vaccine yet?
Stay strong, Denise, Your positive attitude will help you through. 💟💟
Oh my, I can only imagine how exhausting coughing for 3 weeks must feel. Hope you get well soon. Sending you lots of love and hugs ❤️