Waiting rooms

Over the last five odd months, I've spent a good deal of time in waiting rooms at various doctors' offices and hospitals. They're interesting places. I always feel a sense of limbo when sitting around waiting. I have nowhere else to be and am at the mercy of the doctor's busy schedule. So I have to sit and wait. Sometimes it's a good thing. A long wait can mean I can sneak in a few more pages of the book I'm reading. Or it can be agonising - which was the case for my first few appointments after I found the lump. They lasted an eternity. And of course I was too nervous to read or sew or doing anything except sit and worry. Now I feel like a seasoned pro and waiting room waits are just part of the territory. Mind you, that doesn't make me brave - it just means I haven't had to wait for potentially icky results in a while!

But my heart does still go 'thump' when my name is called. And I feel a huge wave of relief once the appointment is over. I like it even better when I don't have to have a follow up appointment.

I learnt early on that it is very important to have someone with you for all the appointments you have to have. Mainly so they can sit with you in the waiting room and calm your nervous leg shake or hold your sweaty hand, and you theirs. It helps you. But it also helps your family and friends. They want to help you - and since they don't have that highly coveted magic wand that can make cancer drop off the face of the Earth - their next best option is to keep you company in waiting rooms.

Waiting rooms have definitely taught me at least one thing: how to be a patient patient.