Well unfortunately the always exciting always interesting saga of “Frau Reinke Faces Life” played out another episode yesterday. (Note: Frau Reinke is my beloved wife of 36 years whose fashion sense makes me look less like a nerd and common sense keeps me from making more social blunders. Hey, I r an injineer.)
So when last we left “Frau Reinke Mystery Patient”, she was quietly living out her days dealing with a weakening heart, a ton of drugs, and finding happiness in her “kids” and a daily dose of drool. (AKA Days Of Our Lives).
We went to a routine appointment with Cardio Doc (a nice mild manner man who always wanted my advice on computers; like I have expertise). Routine EKG. Not overly happy, but he’s usually becomes dour when “his problem patient” walks in.
SO then he asks the fateful question “How are you feeling?” Where she ADMITTED “not to good”! (Stunning! Like if she was that fellow with the iron rod impailed in his head, she’d have said “fine, but I might have a headache now and then”.) He ran through the exercise of extracting her symptoms from her (which I as an ex First Aid guy “knew” were angina, but I don’t have the MD or DVM after my name where my opinions might have some weight with her.)
He said “Off to the ER”. She said “how about next week. it’ll get better”. He said “Ithinkyoushouldgo today”. “But they won’t do anything today” “idfeelbettertoday” (He starts to talk fast and quickly when he gets agitated.) She turns to me, “but you have to go to work this afternoon for that meeting”. My bright response “It’ll go on without me.” So she concedes to go to the ER. (I don’t think he believed her. Hey, she’s been his patient for several years.)
We went home to get some stuff. And, lunch. We both knew this would be an ordeal. If you weren’t sick going into the ER, the process would make you sick.
She walked thru the doors at about 1430; she was in her room in ICU at about 2130. And, she was an “expedited at-risk cardiac” patient. When I left, the ER was over flowing with sick people just waiting. (Desperately in need of some free market solutions.)
Argh, I can NOT describe a worse experience. Even the old NJDMV with its rude workers and day long waits wasn’t as bad. I guess because at the DMV it really wasn’t important. If any of the old AT&T M&Pers (Methods and Procedure folks) say this they would be horrified. Chaos. No Customer feedback loop, massive numbers of people waiting around, no visual themes. It may be “organized”, but it was bedlam and chaos.
Cardio doc popped up about 1800 and praised her for coming right in. He had the blood work and told her she had had another heart attack. (He was “normal” in his appearance.) Kidney doc came by. Only the diabetic doc phoned it in, and the orders were wrong (I don’t like that broad!)
So with Frau firmly ensconced in CCU North 07, I called it a day.
Mentally tired, I went home and counted my blessings that it was me that was the sick one. I firmly resolve with the help of the Intelligent Designer never to get stuck in that world as a patient. But, (thinking about employment opportunities), it might be fun to make it better. Unfortunately, it’ll never be better because it’s run by gooferment diktat. Sigh!
Note: My attentions may be diverted from the blog, email, or such as I tend to my higher priority problems. Actually, stuff might be better as I might focus my time better?
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Reinke Faces Life 
Sorry to read about your wife. I followed your “Surface computer” comment over from the LinkedIn IT group mail.
She’s lucky to have you there pushing her and waiting with her.
Good luck to both of you.
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