I’ve never really talked about going to the Adult Cystic Fibrosis Clinic at Tampa General Hospital, so here is Part 1 of my clinic visits.
Growing up in Northwest Ohio, my home clinic was in Toledo, which was a 40 minute drive for us up I-75. I remember that we always had two to four CF doctors in the program, we would often wait for 2-3 hours to get seen by a doctor, and by the time we got out, I was passing out and needed my Taco Bell lunch treat or I’d die. They liked to put me in the hospital a lot and I never, ever had a private room.
Times have changed, my friends. The doctors have gotten smarter and I’ve gotten way, way smarter now that I’m in control of my heathcare with Beautiful as the executor of my dosages. After I start my tale about yesterday’s clinic visit, I’ve got some tips about clinic that you should have to pay me for, so keep reading.
We pulled up to the valet service right at 6:50 for my 7:00 appointment (7:20, really) and informed “the new guy” that we were going up to Harborside 300, which is code for “I get to park for free, so give me the blue ticket.” CFers and transplant patients get free valet service because the parking garage really takes a toll on you – I know, because I was using the garage and getting a voucher when I was in my 20%s and should have been using the valet. Now I know.
The waiting room was barren, as normal at that time. I rarely see any other patients before I’m all the way back to wait for the doctors and Sue to arrive, so I don’t even bother with a mask unless someone freaks out, which has only happened once. That early in the morning, it’s a quick stop at the scale, off to the CF waiting room for about 2 minutes (I don’t even bother sitting down) and then across the hall to vitals where I tell them my blood sugar, they take my blood pressure, temperature, and O2 sats.
Fatboy Interviews Beautiful: A Love Story
Beautiful, simply beautiful
It’s the time you’ve all been waiting for: Beautiful speaks! Sure, she leaves comments, which was a HUGE deal for her. This is the first site she’s ever been compelled enough by my writing to leave a comment for all to see, and now she has her own site over at kris·tin·ol·o·gy where she tends to talk about me some, too.
Here’s the format that this took place with: I wrote down a ton of questions in this as a draft and let her take her time to answer as many of them as she wanted to, and then we deleted the ones that didn’t make the cut or didn’t get answered for one reason or another. Basically, it’s a 60 Minutes interview after the producers get their hands on it, except all of her answers are in her words and in complete context. Ready?
Fatboy: Hey, Beautiful! Whatever made you want to go out with me that first time, be it that freezing Memorial Day at the beach or our first date?
Beautiful: You were interesting. We could spend forever talking about nothing. You always had such a different perspective on things than I did. I couldn’t wait to see what you thought.
Fatboy: When or how did you find out that I have cystic fibrosis?
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