I Got a Tardy

You know how sometimes you let your car make a weird noise for a while before you get around to taking it in to the mechanic? You think, maybe it’s nothing or maybe it will just go away on its own. Then when you’re planning a big road trip, you think, “Maybe I should at least get the oil changed and see if it’s anything worth worrying about.”

Well, Magoo’s had a bad cough for a few weeks now but it’s the kind of cough the doctors always say is no big deal so I haven’t worried about taking him in. Now we’re getting ready for some Christmas travel so I thought I’d take him in to the pediatrician for an LOF.

I planned poorly, deciding to start feeding him solids at breakfast for the first time the morning of his appointment was not a good idea. Traffic was worse than usual, a stalled car on the side of the freeway causing no end of excitement and rubber-necking.

I arrived…dun..dun..dun….19 MINUTES LATE to my appointment. I think lateness is rude and shows disrespect for the other person and their time. I was embarrassed. I apologized to the receptionist.

Then they sent the nurse in to give me “the talk.” They allow 15 minutes lee-way but 19 minutes is just too much. The doctor would see me but they would put a note on my chart. My tardiness was not acceptable.

I felt awful, like a 2-year-old getting kicked out of nursery school for biting (or maybe the 2-year-old’s mom. The two year old probably wouldn’t care all that much and on the ride home, he’d just ask for a snack and then fall asleep with graham cracker drool all over his face). I apologized profusely.

When I told Heather, she asked if 3 tardies would equal an un-excused absence. Karen IMd that maybe there would be cute boys in detention. I’ll have to ask on my next visit to their office when I’m sitting in the waiting room, 20 minutes early.

Oh, and the doctor said, “It’s a cold.”

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22 Responses to I Got a Tardy

  1. blackbird says:

    You know, I’m coming late to the game –or I’m special ed, hard to tell…anyway, is Karen your sister also?

  2. Stephanie says:

    Hmmm… I can relate to the feeling of getting kicked out because of the biter.

    I too hate being late. I am surprised they gave you a talk though. Seems kind of extreme.

  3. Mom says:

    “The talk”! Oh how I hate it when that happens. I’ll bet you didn’t get a gold star on today’s performance either. Nuts. Try the dentist next. Maybe they’re more lenient.

  4. Karli says:

    A NOTE on your CHART? Wow. If you do have to go into detention, I’ll sneak in and hang out with you all “Breakfast Club” style.

  5. bon says:

    holy hannah! Soooooo… do you get to return the “talking to” favor if you are made to wait more than 15 minutes?
    just askin’ because Dr.J runs at least that far behind on a regular basis.

  6. Blackbird – Alas, Karen is just my blogging sista-friend. I met her on the internet. Heather is the only blood sister with a blog who comments on here with any regularity.

  7. Brooke says:

    For real? A note on your chart?? That gripes me…I wonder how long you’ve had to wait on the doctor in the past?

  8. Kim C. says:

    A 3 week cough? If I were you I’d do a little research on whooping cough – or wait til later today and I’ll post some of my own, if you know what I mean. There’s an epidemic right now.
    It can be *really* hard to get a doctor to diagnose it – my sibs had it long ago and it took 3 doctor visits plus my softspoken mom getting really crabby and pushy before he would even test for it. And once you’re 3 weeks into it, the test can come back negative anyway.

  9. MommyMaki says:

    The receptionist gave me looks when I was 7 minutes late! She said they don’t take people when they are 10 minutes or more late. I said it was “just after 5 minutes”. She gave me a look of detest.

    But, I still got in 😉

  10. Wow, the nerve. It’s well known that Dr.’s overbook anyway, so for you to get reprimanded like that… sheesh… I’d go elsewhere. And I agree with the others- do you get to give them a tardy if they are late? Harumpphh…

  11. Boy oh boy…disciplinary action for being late? Maybe they would have given the little guy an antibiotic if you had been on time?! You’d think they’d cut parents of little ones some kind of a break!
    That had better be one EXCELLENT doctor….

  12. Lou says:

    It always pisses me off that drs are so stringent on their rules ( if we are 1 minute late- we don’t get in- we could be bleeding to death out our eyes- and we don’t get seen).

    I understand the need to be on time. Tardiness is my biggest pet peeve- but when a dr is going to chastize you for being 2 minutes late, and then make you sit in his waiting room for an hour and a half before he can see you- I just get mad. It’s hypocrisy of the worst sort.

  13. Heather says:

    I like how they perfectly plan their system to appeal to your sense of guilt. 🙂

  14. Mel says:

    I bet she said, “It’s a cold. That will be $125.00, please.” Didn’t she?

  15. Sugarmama says:

    Exactly what I was thinking, bon! Geez, how many times have WE had to wait for the doctor to grace us with his/her presence when we’ve showed up 10 minutes before our scheduled time?! A note on your chart…pffft!

  16. Pam in Utah says:

    My sister got me into a Dr. once, not too long ago that made me appreciate the Dr.s who expect people to be on time. My sister said “We cannot be late to this one!” (From experience:)) It was a specialist and she consented to see me early, before her other patients, in a very timely manner, and I was OH SO GLAD. She didn’t mishmash around and was very helpful and didn’t waste any time–and I trusted her opinion more probably because of it. But yes, I too hate to wait for hours in Drs. offices, and it’s a rare day indeed that the Dr. ever waits for the patients. It’s also unnerving and hurtful to be chastised when some of it was just the pesky traffic near you. So sorry about that!

  17. RGLHM says:

    Well it must be b/c I am in Canada, but it is not unheard of to wait up to 2 hrs. to see a pediatrician and 1/2 hr. for a Family Dr.

    19minutes is NOTHING!!

    But I too would hate it if I were that late.

  18. So it’s okay if DOCTORS run late. We’re supposed to patiently flip through those old ratty waiting room magazines one more time. But if YOU are late, well!

  19. This is true, but it has to start somewhere. I think I was the first domino that made my Dr late for all her other appointments. That’s where the sheepishness comes in. Oops.

    I guess the censure was hard to take, because I may really have inconvenienced a lot of people.

  20. Karen says:

    I DETEST being cooped up in those little tiny exam rooms entertaining a small child who doesn’t want to be there anyway. And let me tell you, screams echo magnificently in those tiny tiled rooms.

  21. You’re right, oh daring one. It does have a domino effect on everybody else. Good girl for taking your lumps. But the note on your chart? Was that doctor a teacher once? 😉

  22. I can totally understand why you might be embarasses but where is the doctor’s embarassment when they keep you waiting forever. If they never keep you waiting more than 15 min that is fine but that is not the case with our daughter’s doctor. They have the same 15 min rule but alwayas have me waiting at least 30 and that is only the waiting room. The eam room is a whole other story. I think that if they want you to respect their time then they should respect yours as well. Just a thought…

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