Woke up yesterday with this nagging cough that wouldn’t quit, figured I should get it checked out. Drove over to Moreno Valley Health Center around 9 AM since my regular doc was booked solid. Parking lot was jam-packed – had to circle twice before nabbing a spot near the dumpsters.
The Check-in Circus
Walked into the lobby and bam – wall of people waiting. Grabbed a clipboard from the rack and started scribbling my life story on those medical forms. The receptionist looked exhausted when I finally reached her counter. She snapped my ID and insurance card without even looking up, just slapped a wristband on me and pointed at some plastic chairs.
- Waited 45 minutes staring at that flu prevention poster with cartoon germs
- Got called by a nurse who took my vitals – blood pressure cuff nearly cut off my circulation
- Got dumped in Exam Room 3 with a paper sheet on the table
The Actual Exam Part
Doctor Patel finally walked in after I’d counted all the ceiling tiles twice. Good dude – actually listened while I hacked up a lung explaining symptoms. He shined that stupid light in my throat and went “yep, that’s infected alright”. Prescribed antibiotics and told me to drink more water. Whole medical part? Maybe 10 minutes tops.
The real kicker
Thought I was done? Nope. Got routed to billing where three computers were down. Clerk kept sighing while typing one-finger-peck style. Twenty minutes later she hands me a payment slip with numbers that made me choke worse than my cough. Swiped my card praying it wouldn’t decline.
Walking Out Alive
Stumbled out into the sunlight at 12:30 PM clutching my prescription paper like a golden ticket. Stopped at Walgreens to fill it – where they told me it’ll be two hours because their system crashed. Just drove home and crashed on the couch instead. Healthcare adventures, am I right? Least I got these horse-pill antibiotics now.
