Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Walk-in or Appointment?

I realized Monday morning that I was a week away from my follow up appointment with the new endo. With that I remembered that he wanted me to do blood work a week before this appointment. Doh!

So yesterday morning I arrived at a local lab at 6:15 to get blood drawn before work. I walk in and am asked if I am a “walk-in” or if I have an appointment. I had no clue I could make an appointment so I just signed in on the “walk-in” sheet which was filled. I noticed that many, MANY people had signed the “walk-in” list and many of those had not been crossed off. I have learned that they cross you off when they call you in.

I sat down for a few moments and saw a man walk in.

“Walk-in or Appointment?”

He had an appointment for 6:30 I heard him say. She took his insurance card, asked him to fill out his address and phone number, had him sign a sheet, and told him to come back around to get his blood drawn.

As he strutted into the back room I saw most of the people in the room shoot him a dirty look as if he did something wrong. I should have high fived him as he walked by!

Another man stood up and walked to the counter.

“How much longer? I have been here since 6:00?”

“I would guess another half an hour, there are several people before you,” the receptionist answered.

I knew I could not wait because I am supposed to be at work at 7:30. I went up and crossed my name off. The receptionist apologized for the wait but I told her, “Don’t worry about it. I am going to make an appointment!”

Fast forward to this morning.

I walk in the door at 6:20 and there are only a few seats left in this place.

“Walk-in or Appointment?”

“I have a 6:30 appointment,” I said with pride.

I filled out all the paperwork and headed to the back door to get my blood drawn.

I made sure and held all my paperwork in my left hand just in case someone wanted to give the old Ninjabetic a “high five” I could be ready.

No one did.

Oh well.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Um? What time?

I thought there was only one 6:30 each day! There certainly is only one that I see!

Minnesota Nice said...

Yeah, my clinic's lab also has appointments available. One time when. I'd waited a long time for fasting cholesterol, I sort of faked a hypo so I could get in. Now, I truly was dropping, but, maybe exagerated it a little bit. They certainly moved fast and even led me by the elbows into the other room.

Bad Decision Maker said...

ooh, good tip! i'm about to start getting my blood drawn in a lab separate from my doctor's office after a nasty bill for my last appointment/labs (f-ing out of network separate $1000 deductible... my compromise is to pay for the dr. i really really like but get my labs somewhere else) and after reading this i am definitely going to try to make an appointment.

and yeah.... 6:20?!?! I am not even near conscious at that time let alone getting my blood sucked out of my veins.