A Visit to the Lung Doctor

Background
I have lots of lung and sinus issues.  So, when I started having a productive cough in October, I didn't really do much about it.  I was feeling fine and it wasn't otherwise bothering me.  Until I got a serious cold in Salzburg.  When we got back to Graz, I called the lung doctor that our friend had recommended to us. I could get in the following Tuesday (6 days away).  I tried a couple of other options for seeing a dr. sooner, but given that no one seems to believe me when I'm sick, I decided to wait until I could see the specialist.

The Lung Doctor.

I left for my 10:30 appt early so I could have some time to find the office.  Turns out it was right across from the tram stop so I was plenty early to fill out forms as I usually would in the US.  I checked in, told the receptionist about my cough and was shown the waiting room - no forms to fill out - yay!  There were at least 5 people already waiting and it didn't look good since there's only one doctor in this office.  So I pulled out my book and waited. They were often calling 2 or 3 patients at once but still I waited.  More patients arrived.  More waiting.  Eventually, I began to wonder if I should put my book away so I would look like I was ready to be called. Given my ample waiting time, I had a chance to observe waiting room etiquette, which really isn't any different except that when a patient is finished being tested or has seen the dr, he or she leaves through the waiting room and says, "Auf Wiedersehen," or more often just, "Wiedersehen."  And most everyone in the room answers, "Wiedersehen."  At first I just thought it was two people who knew each other but it happened again and again.  I just love this, it's so endearing.

And then I was called.  I was greeted by a woman whom I'll call the technician because she and her partner were doing all the lab tests.  I don't actually know her name or her title.  The first thing she says is "Have you had allergy testing and when was the last time?"  About 4 years.  "Okay, we're going to do it right now," she answers, as she pulls out two strips of tape labeled 1-10 and tapes them to my forearm.  She drips out the serums (or whatever you call them) and then pricks my arm, wipes the needle and pricks, wipes, pricks, wipes until she's done.  Then she quickly helps someone else and then calls me to do a lung function test.  Breathe in here normally, then big deep breath in and then out.  Repeat 3 times. and then she sits me down in another corner, hands me a mouthpiece to breathe through and hooks me up to a machine to breathe through for 10 min.  I've done lung function tests before and it's not uncommon for them to give you some albuterol before you do it again, so I guessed that was what I was doing.  I had given them a list of medications I'm allergic to and those I take so I figured I was okay.  My timer went off and I turned off the machine and the technician comes running over to get me to do the lung function again.  This completed, I'm now ready to go to another waiting room to see the doctor.

More waiting.  It's nearly noon and I haven't seen the doctor.  Good thing Russ could pick up the kids. And then I'm called.  I go through the doctor's office, through another room to the x-ray room.  The doctor herself(!) does the x-rays.  I then wait in the middle room until she is done with a patient and then I'm in to see the doctor.  She doesn't speak English but the receptionist is there to translate.  But she doesn't actually translate.  They just talk to each other.  It's an odd feeling.  The receptionist shows the doctor my list of medications and the doctor says, "Ja. Cool."  Sorta funny.  There is much discussion about something so I say, I brought them all and plop my bag of prescriptions on the desk.  This pleases them very much and they inspect one to determine dosage, I think.  A couple of minor questions about medications and then the receptionist says, "Since you have so many allergies the doctor wants you to breathe the salt air for 10 more minutes and come back 2 more days to do this, 15 min. each time and see if this helps." Ah ha!  That's what that machine was!  Breathing the sea air.   My allergies are to antibiotics so no one wants to give them to me for fear I will develop an allergy to that one.  It's a valid concern.  I'm running out of the good ones.  I'm happy to try an alternative solution and see if it works.

Three things stand out for me about this visit.  1) No one took my temperature or blood pressure, looked into my ears or nose, or listened to my lungs. 2) I have never had allergy testing and a lung function test on the spot right in the doctor's office, without having to wait to get it scheduled - separately, with each lab.  3) The receptionist must have taken notes when I made my appointment about my having asthma and bronchiectasis.  They asked questions about it but I didn't bring it up first.  In my experience in the US, I repeat my ailments to everyone -- when I make the appt., when I get brought into exam room, when the dr. comes in.  I don't say that either way is right but it's just interesting and good to know for next time.  In the end, all the waiting didn't really bother me.  I've waited just as long as other places, and given how fast those technicians were good-naturedly working, I don't know how it couldn't gone faster.

Epilogue

I went into the office to breathe sea air for two more days, as instructed. On my last day, I'd had a horrible night of not being able to sleep because of all that I was coughing up.  The technician checked in with me both days and she suggested I should see the dr. again.  I agreed.  I didn't actually see the dr., but the receptionist took care of everything, checking with me about possible antibiotics and getting the prescription from the dr. for me.  She asked me to call next week to tell them how I am doing.

Five days later I'm feeling much better.  And I'm happy with my lung dr.'s office.  I feel like they listened to me and that's all I really want.

Sue