How many of us needlessly toss and turn with strange bedfellows
like Wondering, Waiting, and Worrying? Medical terminology, confusing lab
results, and a plethora of medical websites can all be a blessing and/or a
curse. Even if your doctor does have a brilliant mind and an uncanny ability
to diagnose your ailments, she or he may not be the best communicator on the planet.
And then again, maybe neither are you.
Want to avoid some needless worry? The next time you see your doctor, don't be afraid to ask questions. And keep asking until you fully understand what you've just heard.
This week I found myself zooming down some highly
polished hospital hallways, fearful of what I was going to find once I tracked
down my friend Lucy. I stopped at the front desk to ask what room she was in
and the guy mumbled three words that sounded like Critical Evaluation Wing to me. I could feel my anxiety level
rise. "Critical!?" She seemed fine to me a couple of days ago…
Halting in my tracks, I was relieved to see “Clinical Evaluation Department”
prominently spelled out on the wall above her room. I coached myself on my way into her
room with thoughts like, “Ok, ok, take a deep breath, calm down, and remember
to smile!”
And there she was. Sitting on the edge of her bed, watching
TV, swinging her legs, and eating gluten-free chicken fingers with the promise
of a bowl full of yellow Jello for dessert.
The song, “They Call Me Mellow
Yellow…” began playing in my head. Seriously!
So yeah, even a trained facilitator can lose their
composure - ever so needlessly.
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