Totally Frenched Out

From the blogger formerly known as Samdebretagne

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

The one in which I fight off a bunch of old people

Yesterday I did something I hadn't done since last Thursday.

I got dressed. Bust out the marching band.

Stop laughing. You try putting a pair of socks on without being able to bend over or lift up your knees. Ha. Bet you're not laughing anymore!

But I figured that three-day old pajamas would not do for an outing to the clinic, so I managed to dress myself and make my way outside. Only to discover that it had snowed and I had chosen the slipperiest day of the year to walk outside with a bum back. Good call on that one Samantha. But I shuffled my way to the bus and slowly made my way to the walk-in clinic. I had to wait for about an hour - and man, if I wasn't sick before, I should be now, what with all that coughing and hacking going on in there. I swear one guy almost lost his lung in a potted plant.

Anyways, back to the story.

The doctor saw me and agreed I had a very limited range of motion (big surprise there Doc). She sent me upstairs to get an x-ray "just in case". And then I spent the next two and a half hours in a waiting room filled with little old people. "Aww, cute" I bet you're thinking. Ha! Little old French people may look cute but they are the evilest (is that a word??) people on this planet. They make look frail, but they will roll over your foot, cut in front of you in line and/or jab you with their cane if it means they can get ahead of you in line.

Apparently that day though, the old person quota was exceptionally high - they'd all been out and about shuffling around in the snow like I had, except a lot of them had fallen and were in to get scanned for broken bones. It was like a geriatric bull ring in there, watching them all try to cut in front of the other one. "My case is more urgent" "No, my case is!" Thank God I had my mp3 player with or I would've gone insane listening to all of them screech. I swear, some of those old women have voices only dogs can hear. And don't even get me started on their sense of entitlement.

Rupert, go ask them what's taking so long.
Gertrude, I just asked them that five minutes ago.
Well, go ask again. This is getting ridiculous.
I'm not asking again. You ask!
*jabs the poor man in the ribs with her umbrella*
Fine, I'll go ask.

Now, translate that into French and multiply it by 50 and play it on repeat and you've got the hell I was in.

But I finally got my x-ray, and of course nothing was broken. So I had to go back downstairs and wait again for another hour to see the doc again. She gave me pain pills and a muscle relaxers, plus a prescription for several sessions with an osteopath. By that time, my entire day had been spent at the clinic (good thing I don't have a 9-5 job, right?), and I had just enough time to go pick up my meds and head over to the osteopath.

This is getting kind of long, so more about that adventure tomorrow...

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9 Comments:

Blogger Justin said...

Oh how horrible, I definitely feel for you. I hope your back starts to feel better soon! For now, just rest and take care of yourself.

January 6, 2009 at 1:02 PM  
Blogger Sally said...

Bad backs are the worst. Hope the medication is beginning to work.

January 6, 2009 at 1:45 PM  
Blogger KathyMac said...

evilest *is* a word.

January 6, 2009 at 1:46 PM  
Blogger Barbara said...

What a rotten day.
I just have one cranky FIL cooped up with a gastro and afraid to go out in the snow, and that's quite enought for me...

I can really feel for you with everything.
So easy does it, and take good care.

January 6, 2009 at 3:40 PM  
Blogger J said...

I totally agree! Old people are VICIOUS!!!! Especially when they want to get to the front of the line!

January 6, 2009 at 5:10 PM  
Blogger Diary of Why said...

Eek! I have yet to experience medical care in France, and since I don't have social security yet I am actually not allowed to get sick or injured for the time being. Or that's what I keep telling myself. I hesitate to say that I rarely get sick because I know as soon as I do god will strike me down with the plague. Fingers crossed...

Back pain sucks, hope you're back in form soon! (How's that for frenglish?)

January 6, 2009 at 5:35 PM  
Blogger Megan said...

haha. My general doctor also specializes in geriatrics. However, there aren't usually too many old people in the waiting room when I go. Perhaps that is because he does house calls, or because they go on days I can't (ie weekdays).

January 6, 2009 at 6:31 PM  
Blogger Crystal said...

oh god sounds awful...i had quite the opposite experience today..went to the physiotherapist, didn't have to wait, no old people. Too bad my back is shot..gonna have to go through kine sessions when I'm back in france and i'm guessing it's going to be hell.

Hope you're feeling more bendy. I can barely move now.

January 6, 2009 at 9:41 PM  
Blogger Leah said...

Feel better soon, baboon! Ps-I need to go to bed!!

January 7, 2009 at 1:51 AM  

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