Yesterday was an ordeal. When I went there Thursday (Accredited Dermatology's Northfield office), I did check out where Pat would be staying between excision and biopsy, and it seemed okay. One of the receptionists was nice enough to show me around, then suggest I call before we come to see if the doc was running late. I did, and she said to call again in a half hour. After that, she told us to come over. The appointment was originally at 11:15, but we got there, as instructed, at noon.
We were dismayed to see the waiting room packed. In fact, somebody got up to offer Pat a seat. However, we were told we could wait in the back waiting room and that was better...
...sort of. Not only was there a television set on, but "music"--noise--was blaring from a CD player. Except when we asked that it be turned off, it was on all day, and it was loud. Luckily, I'm re-reading my hero, Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food, and brought that, so had some defense (excuse the pun).
Pat was taken into a treatment room fairly soon, and a nurse--or attendant, or the girl who comes in to mop up (who looked about 14; maybe she doing community service or something)--took some info, then injected him with something to numb the ear area.
Long, long delay, then the chatty doctor came in, did the excision, took a biopsy, and we waited and waited and waited. We knew this would take time, as the specimen had to be frozen, sliced, diced, fried, examined, or whatever. We were told we could go out and have lunch, as it would take about an hour and a half to see if he got it all.
Yeah, go out and get lunch. It's difficult for Pat to walk down the corridor, let alone "go out and get lunch," so I said I'd get him a sandwich. When I got to a deli, I realized I had left my wallet with money and debit card, back at the office. I did have some credit cards with me and found a Wawa which would take one. Got the stuff (ham and cheese for Pat, a drab made-up chef's salad for me, their excellent coffee for both of us), went to check out, and saw I had only store credit cards with me. Was about to ask if I could come back with the money, but incredibly, they let me put it on a Sears card!
We ate in the back waiting room where we had been all day and felt better after. Biopsy came back, doc took more off, then did a graft with skin from his chest. Long story short--oops, it's already long; sorry--we finally got out of there and home at 5:45. Quickly gave Pat his late afternoon pills and insulin, and made him dinner.
Okay, it's over and we just have to go to the Manahawkin office to get the stitches out.
Driving home--it was dark and rainy, of course, my least-favorite weather--we tried to figure out if this full day was better or worse than the 16 visits to the radiation oncology place at SOCH. They seem to be equally dreary and I hope we never have to decide that again.