Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Is it some unspoken rule?

So, today I had my yearly woman appointment.

Fun times.

No, I am not going to share the uncomfortableness of the situation. I have a bigger issue.

The waiting room.

When you first get to the doctor, you sit in a waiting room with women you do not know. The TV is on, people are watching. People are reading magazines. People are texting. Me? I sit and stare. I totally don't mean to. I think to myself, "I wonder why they are here? Are they here for their yearly? Are they here because they have just found out they are preggo? Are they here because they are having issues." The first waiting room is fine. The first waiting room, I have something to keep my mind off what is about to happen.

Then they call your name. "Hailey!" I wish I could just yell "HERE!" and the whole situation be over. Oh no. Now I have to get weighed, measured, blood pressure, finger prick, tee-tee in the cup. All of that happens in the nurses station. Once that is over, they ask you to sit in the waiting room "across the hall". Yeah. I'm not a big fan of the tiny alcove hidden amongst the exam rooms. It is small. It holds about 8 chairs. It is the doom room.

This is the part I hate. Sitting in this waiting room is hell. I would rather pull my fingernails out. Ok. Not really. It is terrible though.

So today I sat there thinking... "There are 3 other women waiting. Each one is probably as nervous as me. Why aren't we chit-chatting to ease our minds. Why aren't be chit-chatting to pass the 20 minute wait? It is some unspoken rule? Are you not allowed to talk to people in the waiting room with you? I'm sweating and I need to stop so I have to talk."

Well, if it is an unspoken rule I totally broke it today.

At first, I sat there for a minute thinking about what to say. "Well, she is preggo. Should I ask her when she is due? Maybe I shouldn't. Maybe she just had the baby and isn't pregnant. That would SUCK."

"Is this your first baby?" {Terrible mishap avoided! I didn't ask about her pregnancy. I asked about her baby.}

There was shock. I actually heard the shock. It was like, "OMG! She just spoke. We aren't suppose to talk. She.spoke."

After the shock wore off, preggo lady answered me. "Ummm. Yeah. Yeah. This is my first." "Aww. How exciting. I have two at home." "You don't look old enough to have two kids." Well you don't really look preggo. You just look fat. "{Insert fake laughter} Well, I'm 24. My babies are 26 months apart." The conversation went on a little while longer. I had no more questions to ask and she wasn't offering any up so I moved to the next person.

"Do you have kids?" I asked this lady with oddly painted fingernails. We chit-chatted for a little while. The preggo lady joined in a few times.

The last 5 minutes of my wait was spent in silence again. It sucked. Silence makes me nervous. Silence makes my mind wonder. Silence makes me sweat. My nervous were so worked up by the time I got into the exam room. I even sweat through the backless gown and on the table before the doctor even came in the room. Good job, Hailey. You are a rockstar.

So this is my challenge to you people. If you are sitting in a waiting room, strike up conversation with those around you. It eases the tension that everyone is feeling, people don't stare at you and it passes the time so quickly. Plus the talking helps you with your sweat problem.

You can thank me when you don't sweat through your backless gown and onto the table you are about to get felt up on.

Love,
Hailey

6 comments:

Diana said...

I don't like that other waiting room "across the hall" either! You are so right, people do sit and stare, but don't say a word!!!

Laura Marchant said...

Ok, the second waiting room kinda freaks me out.

Mira said...

This is so true. My dr. office just installed a tv in the second waiting room; however, they keep it on cnn. Just what a room of nervous women want to be watching, a news channel about depressing stuff. We would rather be catching up on The View or our stories.

Jamie said...

well mine doesn't even have a tv so you can only imagine how silent it is hahah but there is always about 10 kids running wild and a lady moaning in the corner because of contractions. So my entertainment is looking at the expressions on all the pregnant women's faces haaahha cracks me up everytime.

Amy said...

yeah well i had mine on monday and when i got in the exam room the freaking heater was on! and it was not a cold day at all, i was sitting there melting. it was terrible

Kari said...

I can't keep my mouth shut. lol I try to strike up a convo everytime. I get so nervous, too. So, I have to talk. Sometimes I get the "are we SUPPOSED to be talking?" look from the other women, but I don't care. Maybe even for that split second I got their minds off of it, too.