What an experience

(side note - yesterday's pictures were, if you didn't know, taken at the SSB)

Today I went to WB hospital to pre-register for the knee replacement. Now I am not as familiar with this hospital as I am with NCMC, but I thought I knew the routine. Was I ever wrong!

I pulled into the parking lot and found a handicapped parking place. I was so happy. Things were good. As I have mentioned (griped about) before, it is a mile walk to get to anything that you really need - registration, elevators, the rest of the hospital/offices. I marched up to registration, presented who I was, and was told I had to go to the north part.

This is the brand new part of the hospital that was just opened. I thought it was all settled. Nope!

Back to the adventure. The clerk at the registration table suggested I DRIVE to the north addition. Well, Ok. I started my trek back to the car. I covered that mile again. While I was doing this, my thought was the hospital is encouraging good health. You certainly have to walk to get anywhere.

So I drove, probably a half mile around the hospital to the north addition. I drove too the front thinking there would be handicapped places. Yep, there were - about 6. Do you think any were open? If you guessed no, you were right. I found a parking place in Outer Mongolia.

Since I am driving the F150 truck, I really like to find either handicapped or places that have one open on at least one side. When I found the spot that I ultimately used, I saw open placed on the next row - a lot of them. So I drove down to turn to that line. It had a gate. Reserved for Valet Parking. What?? Where? I saw no valets.

So I once again set out hiking, only this time to the hospital. Once I got in, I went to the information desk. I was directed to a one person desk that was already occupied. It wasn't long, and I was able to begin the pre-registration that went well. Not fast, but well. And I had my hospital wrist band.

It is now noon. I got there at 10:30. I was being sent BACK to the "main" hospital. The doctor wanted x-rays. There was a handicapped space. This is the part that gets a little strange.

I knew I had to go to the registration desk. At least I am pretty sure I had to. The woman there didn't really know what to do I think. I got put back in their registration. She ran more paperwork which I thought was strange, but who knows these days. Then she was going to put (another) wrist band on me. She saw the one I already had, and took me straight back to radiology waiting room.

The waiting room was full. There was one open chair, and my heart sank. I thought it would be hours before I would get out. Then they brought another patient there. The clerk made the announcement for those who are not patients to leave, and go to the atrium. Three people got up.
They called the next patient to the x-ray room, and all those family people came back. It reminded me of shooing birds away, and then they come right back.

I was finally zapped and sent on my way - with the x-rays. I don't think that is what my doctor wants exactly, but we'll find out on the 26th! At least I don't have to be there earlier to have them taken the day of surgery - like last time!

Coming tomorrow - my adventures at the SSB last weekend!