Sunday, April 24, 2011

Happy Easter and where I won't be on 5/11

Happy Easter!

We actually made it out to NJ to relax/celebrate with my family, which was great.  Maya coughed through the night but never had any struggling-to-breathe attacks, so we packed the nebulizer and medications and headed out.  When her breathing started to act up and we realized that we would have to cut our visit short my mom rushed to get lunch/dinner out early so that we could eat with the family before we left, my dad broke out their air conditioner and fired it up so that we could cool & dehumidify a room to ease her breathing, and my sister & brother-in-law cut up their big cake early so that we could take a chunk to-go.  My family is pretty great :)

A few pictures (we packed meds, but not a camera, so these are from my cell phone):



Easter egg hunting with a Christmas gift bag (small and easy to carry without tripping over, of course)

After we got home I opened some mail.  It turns out that one of Maya's upcoming appointments has been rescheduled, and the office mailed me a new appointment card and this note:


In case you can't read that, it says:

"The doctor will be out on 5/11. 
I have to cancel your appointment on 5/11
Here is your new date. 
Don't come on 5/11. 
Thanks."

So . . . wait. 

Does that mean that we're still on for 5/11?

I guess that this proves that the patient/receptionist relationship is a tricky 2 way street.  I go out of my way to be courteous and pleasant when interacting with doctor's office personnel, but there are definitely times when I get off the phone and mumble, roll my eyes, and think "Honestly, people!  This shouldn't be so hard!"   Clearly, the office folks deal with their fair share of seemingly incompentent people.  I almost feel bad for the woman who sent me this note---I can almost hear her internal dialogue as she wrote my note:

The doctor will be out on 5/11.                               
Wait.  Is that unclear?  Would she know that if the doctor's not here, she shouldn't come?

I have to cancel your appointment on 5/11.
Ok, that's clear.  And the underlining is a nice touch.

Here is your new date.
So, I cancelled, I gave her the new date . . . anything else?  What if she still thinks she should come . . .  (sigh)

Don't come on 5/11.
She'll get the point now.  Hold on, that's clear, but not so friendly.  Need something nicer to end with . . .

Thanks.
Perfect.

3 comments:

Alisa said...

Too funny! I have stood behind several parents at check in/out that would probably benefit from such a note.

grandma said...

we were happy that you were able to come and we could all be together---the little kids didn't notice anything was rushed, and that's what counts. it was lots of fun. as far as that note:1) don't they have your phone # to get in touch with you(the most common way to resched an appt in case the one they want to give you isn't convenient. and 2)i hope there was an appt card in there 'cause the new appt isn't written!!! LOL

L said...

good luck at your appointment on the 11th!!!!