Waiting Room Spy

When waiting for my husband’s back procedure to be over today, I was educated by a variety of personalities I couldn’t ignore. I became a spy of sorts.

Photo by Greg Rosenke on Unsplash

If you’ve been fortunate enough to avoid going to a Spinal Pain Center, I can tell you that you’ll feel guilty if you’re fully mobile and healthy. I’ve accompanied my husband many times over the last 10 years because the patient is required to have someone with him in the waiting room. I always wonder what if a person has no one who can go. Who can afford a salary cut to sit?

My first observations? It’s good to be married to a healthy partner or have available loving friends or family there for you. Young people should think about their own medical futures. They need to think now.

Then in this red state, I see many obese smokers present tapping their feet faster and faster. No smoking kills the men, but women are resigned. Obese people have more back and leg pain. The office has double-wide chairs these days. Most of the men look like blue collar workers, perhaps truck drivers or coal miners. The women I’m not so sure—I theorize they have had jobs sitting at desks all day for years. Secretaries? Retired teachers? I’m a retired teacher who rarely sat. Or perhaps they’re lifelong gardeners like me. I’ve never had injections.

On looking at their clothing and faces, I see a sea of very bored faces hunched over cell phones. No one is typing like me. I might even have seen weird looks or curiosity from the couple across from me. I sit where no one can see what I am typing or reading Substacks. My guess is none of the crowd here have ever heard of Substack. They’re into Facebook by their scrolling and small talk. Oh, my.

Jeans, military and college logo hats for the men. I get the distinct feeling the men’s college hats were purchased for game purposes. At least they’re not Trump maga hats. Sweats and sweaters for the women. The obese women wear bed sheet-size skirts for comfort making them in their wheelchairs look like tanks.

I realized something was different. The television was off. What a blessing! It was on Fox last time. I used my earbuds to block it out and the people’s comments. Relief!

I did overhear one couple say quietly. “SHE would beat Trump’s socks off”as the husband pointed to a photo on his cell phone I suppose of an unidentified female presidential candidate. I waited to hear her name, but the husband was called by the nurse. The wife went elsewhere. Darn it! AOC? Who? It was good to hear a man say it! I decided my spying day was a total failure.

Finally, my husband came out with an ice pack on his injection site, and I thought how fortunate we are to have insurance. This time next year, who knows. We need every American citizen covered by insurance. End of story. Other countries have it. We are not going to have universal health insurance under Trump’s regime.

At home our furry Winnie met us with wags and kisses. Cheesecake and coffee for us. Peanut butter treats for the pooch. I feel fortunate to have made it though another day.

Meanwhile, it’s naptime for all of us. Here’s looking at you!