Okay, so today I had to make a trip to the Planned Parenthood – Southside Health Center. It wasn’t exactly how I envisioned spending my Saturday, but hey, gotta do what you gotta do, right?
First things first, I tried to figure out if I needed an appointment. Their website wasn’t super clear, at least to me, so I ended up just calling them. The phone rang like five times, and just when I thought I was gonna get voicemail, a super friendly voice picked up.
Making the Appointment (or Not!)
Turns out, for what I needed, I could just walk in. Sweet! Less hassle. The person on the phone gave me the hours and told me to come on down. They suggested gettting there in the morning as afternoon they said it gets pretty busy.
The Visit
So, I hopped in my car and drove over. Parking was a little tight, had to circle the block once, but I finally found a spot a couple of streets away. Grabbed my bag and walked down the street. Got to the front doors and walked in, and headed to the front desk.
The waiting room was, well, it was a waiting room. You know, the usual slightly uncomfortable chairs, some old magazines. Everyone was pretty quiet, just doing their own thing, waiting for the time.
I checked in at the front desk. The receptionist was nice, very efficient. I had to fill out some basic paperwork – name, address, the usual stuff. Nothing too complicated.
- Checked in at the front desk.
- Filled some basic paperwork.
- Waited in the waiting area.
After a bit of waiting – maybe 20 minutes? – a nurse called my name. She led me back to a small exam room. We chatted for a few minutes about why I was there. She was super chill and made me feel comfortable, which was a relief.
She took my vitals – blood pressure, temperature, all that jazz. Then the doctor came in. We talked some more, and they did what they needed to do. It was all pretty quick and straightforward, thankfully.
Wrapping Up
Afterwards, I went back to the front desk to schedule a follow-up appointment. Paid my bill (insurance covered most of it, phew!), and then I was out the door.
Honestly, the whole experience was way less stressful than I thought it would be. Everyone was professional and respectful, and it all went pretty smoothly. So, yeah, that was my day at Planned Parenthood. Not exactly exciting, but necessary, and definitely not as bad as I’d built it up to be in my head.
