Waiting for the doctor….and waiting….and waiting

24 Mar 2011 3 Comments

by Being Jewish in Hawaii in Kvetching Tags: , , ,

This one is a discussion, so please join in. If you are a doctor, your perspective would be very helpful.

Several things happened to me over the past few weeks that are related. Most of them  have  in common the fact that I was left waiting for a very long time to see a doctor for an appointment.

Before you comment, let me describe the situations and my perspective on them and then, please, let ’em roll….

Last week I had a follow-up appointment with my endocrinologist. Without going into the details about my health, let me say that I am fine.

I was taken into the examination room about 15 minutes late. I waited in there for about a half hour when I approached the nurse and mentioned that it was taking a long time. She said that the other appointment was taking longer than expected. The doctor came in 10 minutes later. That means I waited almost an hour after my appointment time to see the doctor for a 12 minute appointment. This is not the first time.

He is a GREAT doctor and I am very happy with his care, just not the wait.

Earlier this week my daughter had an appointment for a physical.

It was at 9:45 am. We arrived a few minutes early and the only person present was the receptionist. She said that the doctor usually arrives a little after 10:00 am and that she would do the eye exam and take her blood pressure and then we could sit and wait.

So we did, sit and wait, and wait and wait. Finally I asked her what “A little after 10” means. She said that some times he comes in at 10:15 and others at 10:30, depending on traffic. Who makes an appointment for a patient at a time when the doctor is not even going to be there? It’s not even like he got backed up with other patients. We were the first ones.

When he was not there at 10:15 we left. He is not a GREAT doctor and I will be happy to find another.

I took my other daughter to the dentist yesterday. We waited 20 minutes past her appointment time for them to call her. They didn’t even tell us that they were running late. We managed to figure it out!

Finally, I had an MRI scheduled a few weeks ago for my aching back. I would have been on time for the appointment if they hadn’t closed the parking garage and sent me to another location that included a long walk back to the facility.

I was 5 minutes late and they told me that I had to reschedule. Oh, the irony! Not only am I never late, but I am ALWAYS waiting for people and professionals who are.

Why is it okay to make me sit in these doctors’ offices and wait for an appointment that I  almost always arrive for on time, if not a bit early?  I’m not talking 5-10 minutes. I don’t start to fuss until it’s been at least 15. How am I supposed to honor my schedule and commitments?

Okay, now it’s time for comments. Let the discussion begin.

Local snow bunnies hit the slopes

23 Mar 2011 5 Comments

by Being Jewish in Hawaii in Family Tags: , , , , ,

Until recently, my kids had never really seen the snow. Once or twice we were on a vacation at a  mainland destination where a few flakes came down, but melted as soon as they hit the ground. One spring break trip to Kansas City offered enough  for my older girl to make a sort of muddy snow man, kind of like the one Jem made in “To Kill A Mockingbird.”

When it comes to good old-fashioned, winter snow, neither of them ever had the chance to romp and play in piles of that soft white cold stuff, or to slide down a hill in it or to freeze their little tushes off. My kids complain that it is cold when the temperature drops dangerously below 71º. That’s why I took them on “ski” trip to Heavenly in Lake Tahoe last month. They needed to get their inner snow bunnies on!

I have heard that local kids are naturals at the sport and that proved true for mine. My older girl was snowboarding like a pro by the second day. The younger one was sliding around on intermediate slopes long before I made it successfully down “The Big Easy.”

While they were surprised at the cold, they were not uncomfortable. We took the advice of my expert sister and “layered.” Add to that the boxes of snow pants and gloves and hats and long underwear that she sent from her East Coast collection, we were well prepared in that department.

We did it all, from skiing and snowboarding, to old-fashioned tubing and snow ball fights.  My family embraced the opportunity and relished every minute in this foreign environment.


While the thrill of the ride was certainly exciting for all of us, for me, the magnificent backdrop of beautiful Lake Tahoe made it sublime. Heavenly is aptly named.

Just as I am filled with awe and excitement every time I glimpse the ocean from Farrington Highway as I round  Kahe point, the minute I stepped outside in the bracing cold, I had to catch my breath. Not because my lungs were constricted, because I was filled with the power and strength of this amazing place that dumped piles of snow in perfect little flakes on us from the minute we got off the plane until the day we returned to the airport for our flight home.

I know that there is a blessing when you see a rainbow. That  comes in quite handy in Hawaii where we see them on a regular basis–but are still excited every time. I kept wondering what specific blessing I would say for this place. Even though I did not know the words, it was certainly in my heart. I have come to learn that Shehecheyanu would have been perfect–especially for this Hawaii family’s first time.

Blessed are You, Lord our God,  Ruler of the universe, who has kept us alive, and sustained us, and enabled us to reach this moment.

Our joyous Purim celebration

21 Mar 2011 2 Comments

by Being Jewish in Hawaii in Holiday, Traditions Tags: , , , ,

Blue skies, sunshine and 77 degree weather were the backdrop of  Honolulu Temple Emanu-El’s School of Jewish Studies Purim carnival that was sponsored by the “Parent Hui” today.

We had a blast. While some mainland shul’s make this occasion a major fundraiser or perhaps a signature event similar to the Punahou Carnival, ours is what might be described as a bit more heymisha. But no less enjoyed.

The dunk tank was a big hit, especially when the Rabbi was the featured dunkee. The kids lined up for a chance to watch him plunge into the water and climb back out for another round.

Visiting Cantor Karen Gilat led the children in song, families dressed up, the bake sale featured hamantashen and the youth group sold hot dogs.

 

Shalach manot from my friend Nancy brightened my day.

Most of all, the great feelings of coming together as parents to make sure our kids have good Purim memories and a community celebrating a holiday that represents victory and deliverance is a darn good reason to get my blogging groove back in gear.