Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Who's the Patient?

Today was the day I saw my cardiologist who comes to Bismarck from Mayo Clinic. Today was the day of my annual echo cardiogram which is basically an ultrasound of my heart. And this appointment was no different than what my appointments have been like in years past. (Except for the fact I was only there for about 30 minutes as opposed to two hours).

It was business as usual when I went up to the pediatric floor of MedCenter One. You see, technically my cardiologist is a pediatric cardiologist. But since babies with congenital heart conditions eventually grow up, there is a need for cardiologists who specialize in adults with congenital heart defects. I'm not sure if the receptionists quite get this. Every time I call to make the appointment, the receptionist on the other other end of the phone asks, "and who is this appointment for?" "Me," I answer trying not to sound exasperated. And every time I check in for my appointment the receptionist looks around expecting to find a child and asks, "who's the patient?" To which I reply with a half-embarrassed smile, "I am."

So there I sit all by myself on the pediatric floor surrounded by parents and their kids. I guess I've learned to accept this and I do find it a little more comfortable than sitting around with the old folks in the pacemaker clinic. It is a strange feeling being the oldest on one floor and then the youngest on the next. But such is life. By the way, did I mention the echo looked great and my cardiologist is very happy with how I'm doing? The good news really makes it all worth it!

To find out more about the phenomenon of adults living with congenital heart defects you can check out my Hub on this topic, posted above.

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