Last physio appointment before Easter. Its an important one - because after that its a four day break. The appointment is scheduled for 2pm. This means I need to be ready by 12 for the ambulance - which in essence wipes out the whole day. At 12 I am ready. By 1pm I'm a bit hungry - but daren't start preparing food. Eat a couple of muesli bars. by way of lunch. At 2pm I phone the hospital to tell them I'll be late - and to ask if they actually booked the transport. Yes they did. At 2.30 the buzzer rings. I meet the driver half way down the stair. Where there problems with traffic? No, he says, innocently. I missed my appointment I say petulantly. He offers my some medical advice on crush injuries as a response.
Its 3pm by the time we get to the hospital. The driver says he is now heading home and someone else will pick me up - he doesn't say when. My appointment is long gone but usually the physios manage to fit me in. I start on the exercise bike, then get round the rest of the equipment. At 3.15 my physio offers me 15 minutes - then promptly disappears. By the time she returns the 15 minute slot is lost. She then offers me a five minute slot. Its not that I'm ungrateful, but I refuse - five minutes?? Then she offers me a slot at 4.30. I am resigned to spending the rest of my life in this department. I accept - and then wander round to reception to check whether I can get an ambulance home around 5pm. It appears nothing is guaranteed. I wander back. No sign of my physio.
At 4pm another ambulance driver turns up to take me home. By rights I can refuse this ride, wait for my physio at 4.30 and then wait for another ride later. But its not auguring well. I dont know whether I will actually get the 4.30 slot. I curse under my breath, gather up my belongings and get in the ambulance. An entire day of hassle for a ten minute ride on an exercise bike.
I record this not because its interesting for anyone else - I know its not. Its very dull. Its just that these things never seem to get reported. This is not an isolated incident. It wont be long before I can start getting the bus and I can say farewell to this service. In the meantime I'll be packing my tea and a book and practicing mindfulness with zen like concentration.
Its 3pm by the time we get to the hospital. The driver says he is now heading home and someone else will pick me up - he doesn't say when. My appointment is long gone but usually the physios manage to fit me in. I start on the exercise bike, then get round the rest of the equipment. At 3.15 my physio offers me 15 minutes - then promptly disappears. By the time she returns the 15 minute slot is lost. She then offers me a five minute slot. Its not that I'm ungrateful, but I refuse - five minutes?? Then she offers me a slot at 4.30. I am resigned to spending the rest of my life in this department. I accept - and then wander round to reception to check whether I can get an ambulance home around 5pm. It appears nothing is guaranteed. I wander back. No sign of my physio.
At 4pm another ambulance driver turns up to take me home. By rights I can refuse this ride, wait for my physio at 4.30 and then wait for another ride later. But its not auguring well. I dont know whether I will actually get the 4.30 slot. I curse under my breath, gather up my belongings and get in the ambulance. An entire day of hassle for a ten minute ride on an exercise bike.
I record this not because its interesting for anyone else - I know its not. Its very dull. Its just that these things never seem to get reported. This is not an isolated incident. It wont be long before I can start getting the bus and I can say farewell to this service. In the meantime I'll be packing my tea and a book and practicing mindfulness with zen like concentration.
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