Welcome to my blog, or should I say to the ramblings of an old man. I doubt that my ramblings are of much value, but at least I have an opportunity to share them.  So, please be kind and humor me. If nothing else of value stands out in these thoughts, I hope that you at least sense the value I place on a daily walk with the Lord.  That walk is what has provided me with motivation and a sense of purpose throughout my lifetime.  My prayer is that you, too, are experiencing this direction and joy in daily living which is available to everyone who puts his trust in Christ.  So, thanks again for joining me.  Please don't go without leaving some comments here so I can get to know you better as our paths intersect today in this blog.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Wait, Wait, Wait!

Now here is a puzzle for you to consider. Two patients limp into different medical clinics with the same complaint. Both have trouble walking and appear to require a hip replacement. The first patient is examined within the hour, is x-rayed the same day, and has a time booked for surgery the following week. The second sees his family doctor after waiting a week for an appointment, then waits twelve weeks to see a specialist, then gets an x-ray which isn't reviewed for another two weeks, and finally has his surgery scheduled for three months from then. Why the different treatment for the two patients? Hold on, I'll get to the answer shortly. First, let me say that I believe that we have the best medical system in the world, despite its many problems. And I think that we in Lancaster County are blessed with good doctors and surgeons and we are also not far from outstanding care in Hershey, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. And I really hope that we don't lose this when "Obama Care" really clicks in. But, having said that, there are some things that bother me. I remember the days before appointments, when sitting in a doctor's office waiting to be seen, for several hours, was very common. It was a joy waiting with sick people and crying babies. Actually, I am old enough to also remember when doctors made house calls. But today we need appointments, if you can get one soon. Last week I tried to make an appointment with our family practice and was told that since it wasn't an emergency they could give me one ... next week. A few years ago I needed to see a specialist in Philadelphia and I had to wait over four months to get an appointment. It would have been even longer if my ENT had not been a friend of the specialist. I recently needed an appointment with a local specialist and found that the earliest I could be seen by him would be a month, but only then at one of their remote locations. Wait, wait, wait. I also am bothered by doctors who are always off schedule. Now I realize that emergencies do happen and some patients need more time, but their are certain doctors who are always 30 - 60 minutes behind. I could name them for you, but I won't. Wait, wait, wait. Then there are the problems of getting results. My wife recently had a major test and we had to go to a different location for the imaging. At our normal location we often have the results the same day and if not, always by the next day. This time it took over three days and two phone calls from our doctor to secure the results. There are few things more difficult than waiting for test results which might be very serious. Wait, wait, wait. I've heard many other horror stories about very sick folks waiting to get appointments or results. It just shouldn't be that way, but I guess good doctors are in demand. So I guess the moral of this blog is that if you have a serious need, just go directly to the er where you will wait, wait, wait to be seen. Or call the doctor or specialist for an appointment and just wait, wait, wait. to be seen. And then if you are concerned about the results of medical tests, just be prepared - yes, you've got it - to wait, wait, wait. But better than that, go to the great physician, the Lord Jesus Christ. He's always there - no waiting for an appointment with him. Now sometimes we might wait for an answer, but when that happens it is always for our good. And we always know that the answer will be right, no second opinions needed. He certainly is not like our earthly doctors who are really just "practicing physicians". Psalm 5:3 (NIV) "In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly. Now the answer to my original puzzle. Why the different treatment for the two patients? ... The first is a Golden Retriever ... The second is a Senior Citizen. Thanks for waiting for that answer.

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