The Waiting Room
There are many kinds of waiting rooms in which I have “waited” in my lifetime. From the physician’s office to the emergency room they are all different, yet so much alike, each room with its own unique qualities, each with its own experience. I have waited on both good occasions and bad. The different atmospheres can be both comforting and chilling at the same time. I feel that there is a waiting room out there for most every occasion, though some might find it amusing to think that way.
Now take the waiting area at the emergency room of a hospital. That’s a whole other experience. Who in their right mind would take this as a happy place at first glance? With the sirens blaring outside and the beeping of the machines all around how could one even begin to feel comfortable? You hear the sigh of patients that have been waiting for hours and the cries of patients in severe pain. You hear the voices of the nurses and doctors discussing things that you cannot fully comprehend from where you sit. Phones are ringing, babies are crying, receptionists are typing away on their keyboards. Everyone seems busy, so busy in fact, that they haven’t even had a chance to great you yet. Could they be any more inconsiderate you think. Well let’s hope not, after all, there are many patients there with more serious conditions that your own right? Finally you are greeted and then asked to have a seat where you wait another eternity. You feel uncomfortable, but then remind yourself how worse off everyone else is compared to yourself. Once you are called back you are run through a line of various doctors and nurses trying to assess your situation. Not yet have you seen a familiar face, not like the pediatrician’s office. You begin to realize how important this is to you as it is very comforting and seems to make you feel more at ease. You are then told that your own doctor will be arriving shortly as they will be taking you to the operating room. Once your...