That’s Why Doctors Call Us Patients (standard:humor, 895 words)
Author: Godspenman	Added: Apr 18 2021	Views/Reads: 1072/790	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Patience doesn't come easy, but it does have a wonderful reward attached to it.

For the past month I have been engaging with my eye doctor. I've had two
cataracts removed which isn't a serious thing in itself. But what goes 
into this surgery is what baffles me. 

I've often wondered why doctors call us patients. I have figured out
that the doctors are not patient, so they expect us to be patient. I 
need to work on that. 

I had two cataract surgeries two weeks apart. It took a whole month to
go through the process. After the surgery, it'll take another 4 to 6 
weeks to get the proper glasses I need to read. 

Talk about being patient! 

However, needing this procedure, I had to take what came with it. I must
say I am not more patient today than I was a month ago. 

The first time I went to the eye doctor, he scheduled me for a 9:15
appointment. No problem. The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage got me 
there 15 minutes ahead of time to make sure I wouldn't be late. 

An hour later, I finally got in to see the doctor. I think he is, on the
side, trying to develop patience in my life. 

On the first visit, I had to wear a mask, and it's no problem for me. If
it makes other people feel happy, so be it. I'm just not real happy 
about wearing a mask. 

As I was sitting waiting for my appointment, the lobby began filling up
with new patients. An old guy sat next to me, and we nodded heads. I 
went back to what I was doing. 

In a few minutes, I begin to smell something rather disgusting. I didn't
want to look over to the guy next to me, but I did not smell that 
before he sat down, so I decided that I could not take that stench any 
longer. 

I got up to get a drink of water prepared for us, washed my hands, and
then sat at another place. 

And of course, within a minute or two another man walked in and sat two
chairs away from me. They had it set up so you could not sit next to 
somebody. I smiled and nodded my head, then went back to reading. 

In a relatively short time, I began smelling that odor, and it seemed to
worsen as I sat there. I don't like to make a fuss or embarrass 
anybody, so I sat there as long as I could. 

Then, I got up to get another drink of water, washed my hands, and
walked across the room to another seat. This time an older woman came 
in and sat two seats away. Again I nodded my head, smiled, and went 
back to reading. 

Then I smelled that smell again. This was getting to be rather
ridiculous. I can understand some old man smelling that bad, but I was 
a little confused as to why this woman smelled like that. 

At this point, I didn't know what to do. I got up two times before, and
the third time draws attention to yourself. 

I was wearing a mask, and so I couldn't figure out how I could smell
anything through that mask. It's supposed to protect me from outside 
particles, whatever that means. 

Then I got to thinking, if my mask can't protect me from the outside
stench, what makes me think it can protect me from some floating germs? 


As I was thinking, a terrible thought rumbled in my head. This thought
cannot be true, I said to myself. But what if this stench is not coming 
from the outside but rather from the inside of my mask? 

That idea was preposterous, and I wanted to throw it out as quickly as
possible. But you know how it is; a thought will haunt you until you 
pay attention to it. 


Click here to read the rest of this story (34 more lines)