Spending the day at the doctor's office

As the title suggests, I spent what seemed like HOURS at the eye doctor's office today!  This appointment was not for myself, but for my 96-year-old aunt.  She has macular degeneration and has to see the doctor every couple of months.

Today was my turn to take her - something I was happy to do because (a) it saved my mother from more running to Roanoke and (b) I enjoy spending time with my aunt.  I got to the assisted-living facility early (!) to see her sitting in her wheelchair just inside the door, like a child waiting to be picked by its mother.  Immediately I knew, just because I know her, that she'd been sitting there for probably an hour, which she confirmed when I said hello.  "I've been waiting here for HOURS!" she said cheerfully. "I was so afraid something would happen on the road to hold you up so I wouldn't get to the doctor on time!"  She knows me well...I'm not known for my promptness! but I did my best to be on time since I knew it would upset her to be late.

After going through the rigamarole you have to go through to check her out of the facility, I took her to the car and then tried to fold up the wheelchair - and could not, for the life of me, figure out how to do it.  My aunt couldn't tell me - but then an employee came out and I asked and he showed...I felt like a dummy, but hey, I don't do this every day! 

We arrived at the doctor's office 10 minutes early (kudos for me!) and got settled in to wait.  Surprisingly, we were ushered back almost immediately, drops were administered, and then we went somewhere else to wait...and wait...and wait...it was interminable!!  We waited well over an hour and 15 minutes until I was afraid the drops would wear off before they saw her!  She was getting tired of sitting in the wheelchair and so I moved her to the waiting-room chair, but then she didn't like that so we moved her back.  Every few minutes, she would say "Well, I sure wouldn't be insulted if the doctor would call my name right now" or "Boy, I thought they'd move people along faster than this!" - all said in her normal tone of voice which isn't soft!  Her funny line was when she said that he (the doctor) must be "pulling eyeballs out and then putting them back in" because it was taking so long! HA! 

Finally, we were called in for the usual short (about 10 min.) visit with the doctor.  He said she was doing well and gave her a shot in the eye (OUCH), then said to come back in a couple of months.  I then rolled her out to the car, put her in, took her back to the AL facility, and made sure she was settled in for lunch before leaving.

Yes, it was a long morning...but far longer for my 96-year-old aunt than me!  I'm amazed that she was able to sit and wait that long, albeit with not a lot of patience, but still...!  It seems like there should be a better way to do things like this - and certainly, the doctor's office could maybe speed things up a bit - but until that happens, she will continue to go back and do whatever she can to preserve what little sight she has left.