The Specialist (entry 4)

It's May 26 and I am sitting in an E.N.T specialists outer waiting room in St. John's

We arrived early from Gander ,so after giving the receptionist my information we sat to wait.
It took a while, so I spent my time chatting with Karen, playing checkers on my smart phone,and observing people.

Here at the doctor's office we see all kinds of folks.
All kinds of Ear, Nose and Throat concerns happening here. Old folks,young folks , teens, - one young man with a Blackberry AND an i-pod. Moms with little children - tonsils maybe? Who knows.
Every time I see small kids waiting for a doctor, I always ask God to bless them.

I am going to be so glad when he tells me I have a problem with a gland that just requires day surgery...or something like that.

This office is shared by several doctors. Once in a while you see someone come down the hall, drop off some files before heading back down the hall. Within a minute someone calls three or four names,and the resulting small group is ushered to a new waiting area.

I see this blur..it's a doctor.
I can tell because he is wearing one of those old fashioned circular reflectors on his head.
He's a blur, simply because he walks so fast.
Up and down the hall way...making phone calls, telling the receptionist what he needs done.
All business.

Waiting . It's a trial. Finally I am sent down the hall and Karen waits again -by herself.
A few more minutes and he tells me to go into his room and sit in the red chair. I do, and he rushes off down the hallway again.
I count 19 certificates in his office.
Pretty impressive - almost intimidating. I know how much work goes into getting just one of these!

He comes in , plops in a chair,and says "What can I do for you today?"

I start to explain, and before I am really finished , he schoochies his chair over to within inches of my face.
Down with the reflector, on with a light .
Snap. On with the rubber Gloves.
I'm a little nervous, because I know what's coming.
"Lets have a look."
Open wide – and in go the fingers.

These are practised hands that know where to go ,and what to look for.
He finds a lump.
"Wow! "He says, "It's in the subcutaneous tissue. Can you feel this?"
“Yebth an ut reully hurbts!".
"Sorry."
His curiosity is aroused and he really starts to dig those fingers in.
I want to think of something smart to say to him like”are you related to my dentist?” but honestly, the pain, is so great that for the first time dealing with this becomes scary.
His business-like attitude and quickness adds to the sense of severity that I am feeling at the moment.
"Here, sit in this other chair." He stands behind me and places his hands on my neck ,pulling and squeezing.

"Okay. There's something there. You will need a C/T. Scan, and maybe a Biopsy. I'll have to put you to sleep for that ."
"Come with me ."
Down the hall way we go , around a corner,he moves so fast that I lose sight of him
I hear him speaking to a medical secretary.

This is a a turning Point for me.

I realize that he is not saying "This is no big deal..."
I realize that he is actually phoning Gander to arrange a C.T. Scan
He is using the word Emergency .

I won't be flying out to Nova Scotia for General Synod this week.

He tells me to be at Gander Hospital tomorrow morning for the scan, and be back in his office on Tuesday.

Back to the waiting room I go to set the appointment, and find Karen.
I am shaken,and she knows it.
Grace Lord,please,just a little more Grace.
What is going on?