I intended to write a #gratitude post about my health issues this weekend and how lucky I am to have a job where I can call in sick, health insurance that covers my doctor’s visit and prescriptions, and money to pay for what insurance doesn’t cover without dire financial circumstances.Â
That will have to wait until the effects of this last phone call are over…
Phone rings, greetings are done, woman identifies herself as a nurse at my doctor’s office.
Nurse: We have the results of your x-rays back and it looks like you definitely don’t have pneumonia.
Me: That’s great.
Nurse, almost without pause: But it does look like you have a simple pneumothorax, which is a partial collapse of one lung. The doctor wants you to follow her prescribed treatment but add a few deep breaths every hour to see if that helps correct it.
SILENCE.
SHOCKED SILENCE.
Me: I’m sorry… I have a what???!!!
Nurse: A partial collapse in one lung.
ANOTHER SILENCE.
Me: Does the doctor want me to come back in?
NO ANSWER.
Me: I mean, for pneumonia she wanted me to come back in in a few weeks for a follow-up appointment. Doesn’t she want to follow up on this?
Nurse: Well, if you continue to have problems breathing, do come in. But otherwise you should be fine, as long as you respond to treatment.
CALL ENDS.
And I sit there, phone in hand, wondering at how it makes sense that if I had had pneumonia I would be required to go back to my doctor’s office to make sure I am getting better. But with a partially collapsed lung I am being told that I should be fine.
Is it just me or does this make sense to others?
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