Over a month ago, I noticed a growth on my left cheek. Thinking that it was just a pimple, I did not give it much thought. But it was growing, and many people asked me about it, that I decided to ask a dermatologist friend (only the best in Cebu, reason I will say later) when we had a chance meeting in one activity (ambush consultation). After he looked at the growth, he told me that I had to see him in his clinic when I can. So I told him that I will just set an appointment with her secretary. He told me to just go and tell the secretary that I was there for a personal matter (later I thought that seeing a doctor for treatment has to be personal). Okay, Thursday, then (last week).
Thursday I went to his clinic early, before 8am, because I wanted to be first in line, too ashamed to cut before the others. What I saw when I arrived was depressing. It was not because the people waiting were the ugliest (sorry) people in the city -- no, they were in fact the more beautiful and handsome ones. It was depressing that there were already about 20 people there, and the office had not even opened. If this isn't a sign that he is the best, I don't know what is.
Backtrack. Once, many years ago, in one masters class I was enrolled in, a classmate arrives late. She was "justifying" to me (as she was my seatmate) that she was at her dermatologist and she had to wait long for her turn, hence her tardiness in class. So as not to prolong my distraction, I told her that she should look for another dermatologist. The was the dumbest comment, I realized. Because she gave me a litany of reasons why she cannot do that -- although, I can summarize in a few words: I can't, he's the best.
I wanted to go home. In the end, I had to miss seeing him that day because of some emergency at work. Doc actually saw me when he arrived and wondered why I had already gone when he called for me.
Today, I tried again after sending Doc a message yesterday that I was going to see him Wednesday. Same routine. Before 8am. It was not so depressing when I arrived because there were only about 19 yet. I entered the office and waited for my turn to be listed (it's first come, first served). But the secretary had been informed that I was coming and when I mentioned my name, there was some fear in her eyes, no, kidding. She recognized my name and told me that I was expected but that Doc was coming at 9am yet (which I knew) and that will have to wait.
So wait I did outside the office along the corridor. There was a girl of probably 8 accompanying her mom from Toledo City. The girl was Nicole. As I was WIFIng on my PDA, Nicole sits beside me (there was a bench that was "reserved" for patients of another clinic but since it was empty yet, I sat there) and looks at what I was doing. I found out later that her mom was accompanying her (Nicole's) grandmother to see the doctor. There was a former student of mine WalterJ at CITE who was also waiting for his doctor, and it was good chatting with him. There were a handful of medreps, who felt "bad" that the delivery men of bouquets of flowers just went past them. There was Cindy, one of my former students at UP who deals in drugs (hehe, medical rep) who went into another clinic but I did not have a chance to speak with her as I had to go for my "procedure".
Oh yes. The secretary calls me when Doc arrived. I knew I was leapfrogging everyone else. I walked with my head bowed into his clinic. In 5 minutes, Doc was done. I left his clinic with my head bowed. I did not want to "cut" but I guess that's what friends are for. And I did not even ask how much I had to pay. Guess I will have to make a call to him (what was I thinking?).
Thursday I went to his clinic early, before 8am, because I wanted to be first in line, too ashamed to cut before the others. What I saw when I arrived was depressing. It was not because the people waiting were the ugliest (sorry) people in the city -- no, they were in fact the more beautiful and handsome ones. It was depressing that there were already about 20 people there, and the office had not even opened. If this isn't a sign that he is the best, I don't know what is.
Backtrack. Once, many years ago, in one masters class I was enrolled in, a classmate arrives late. She was "justifying" to me (as she was my seatmate) that she was at her dermatologist and she had to wait long for her turn, hence her tardiness in class. So as not to prolong my distraction, I told her that she should look for another dermatologist. The was the dumbest comment, I realized. Because she gave me a litany of reasons why she cannot do that -- although, I can summarize in a few words: I can't, he's the best.
I wanted to go home. In the end, I had to miss seeing him that day because of some emergency at work. Doc actually saw me when he arrived and wondered why I had already gone when he called for me.
Today, I tried again after sending Doc a message yesterday that I was going to see him Wednesday. Same routine. Before 8am. It was not so depressing when I arrived because there were only about 19 yet. I entered the office and waited for my turn to be listed (it's first come, first served). But the secretary had been informed that I was coming and when I mentioned my name, there was some fear in her eyes, no, kidding. She recognized my name and told me that I was expected but that Doc was coming at 9am yet (which I knew) and that will have to wait.
So wait I did outside the office along the corridor. There was a girl of probably 8 accompanying her mom from Toledo City. The girl was Nicole. As I was WIFIng on my PDA, Nicole sits beside me (there was a bench that was "reserved" for patients of another clinic but since it was empty yet, I sat there) and looks at what I was doing. I found out later that her mom was accompanying her (Nicole's) grandmother to see the doctor. There was a former student of mine WalterJ at CITE who was also waiting for his doctor, and it was good chatting with him. There were a handful of medreps, who felt "bad" that the delivery men of bouquets of flowers just went past them. There was Cindy, one of my former students at UP who deals in drugs (hehe, medical rep) who went into another clinic but I did not have a chance to speak with her as I had to go for my "procedure".
Oh yes. The secretary calls me when Doc arrived. I knew I was leapfrogging everyone else. I walked with my head bowed into his clinic. In 5 minutes, Doc was done. I left his clinic with my head bowed. I did not want to "cut" but I guess that's what friends are for. And I did not even ask how much I had to pay. Guess I will have to make a call to him (what was I thinking?).
2 comments:
so what's that growth in your left cheek?
Nothing more than a zit gone bad.
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