Tuesdays...

When I was in my teens, there was a film...If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium...a spoof about American tourists starring Suzanne Pleshette and Ian McShane...many of you may know her because she went on to become Bob Newhart's television wife...and he moved on to Deadwood as the lawless saloon owner...

This has nothing to do with why I'm writing. except for the Tuesday part...and maybe the spoof part...as in "If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Radiological Associates"...the current movie of my Mom's life...

Every other Tuesday, rain or shine, she has an appointment for blood work...and a shot of some substance I can neither spell nor pronounce...and sometimes...like this last Tuesday...the service is so comical it plays like a spoof of the American health care system...

For example...we walk in to find a line of eight people...a line mainly of chemotherapy patients...it continues out the door as there is only one receptionist at the two-person desk...

The supervisor keeps sticking her head out from her office...takes note of...but does not acknowledge...the people in line...immediately retreats to the comfort of her private space...leaving her employee to fend off all of the impatient patients...no sign-in sheet so patients can be called up to the desk when the receptionist is ready...just a long line with no respite for the weary...

The woman who stands in line behind Mom and me keeps asking real questions that only appear rhetorical as she does not address them to anyone in particular...things like "what is the address here?"..."is this 2901 K street?"..."do I have to wait in this line?"...questions interspersed with nonsensical comments like "I'm from the country"..."I don't know where I am"..."I never get to town"..."I don't know why my mother sees this doctor"...

Twenty minutes lapses while the receptionist catches up...leaving a waiting room filled beyond capacity with people waiting for treatment...Mom and i give up our seats to people who need them...finally a nurse appears from the chemotherapy area to let everyone know...in the loudest possible voice..."there are no available chairs"... "the treatment rooms are full"...no "thank you very much for arriving on time"...only a "you'll just have to wait until patients currently being treated are finished"...she ends with "unless you're only waiting for an injection"...if so, we can take you now...

Thankfully, Mom is only waiting for a shot...she raises her hand and signals that she's ready...so they tell her to follow...Mom's small frame and hesitant walk disappearing down the long hallway...

As she disappears from my sight, I cannot help but wonder: is health care any different on Tuesdays in Belgium?...

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