My Everest…

How are you? When asked that question I consider many things before I answer. Who is asking it.  If it’s a Dr you can dive right on into the nitty gritty right ??   or can you?   No, I need to consider what Dr I am seeing at the time.  Family Dr, HD Dr, yup go for it. Other Dr’s are on a need to know basis with the HD thing so they get most of the information. Unless I deem that is a tidbit that is needed for treatment then they know.  Physio, Chiro, Rmt well they see me all the time so they pretty much know almost everything. Friends know it all from A-Z, especially mine as we grew up together.  Family knows it too. But when an acquaintance that I see once in a while comes up to me or someone I see just in passing an they ask.  They get the reader’s digest version …..I’m fine and you?   Unless they probe a bit and say I heard you aren’t doing too well then I say something like yes I’ve been dealing with chronic pain issues and usually that is where the conversation ends.  If my tape sticks out from under my shirt then I explain it and then they just keep on going with their day.   The reason i’m talking about it is I went to an appointment and as I was waiting there was another person there in the room I said a friendly hello to,  then someone else came in and they recognized each other and the lady asks “how are you?”  the man said “well….not good!”.  Now I wasn’t eavesdropping, he was talking loudly so everyone could hear and clearly he didn’t care if I knew what happened or not!.

He then went into telling her that he was recently diagnosed with skin cancer and can’t she see the mammoth scar on his face and he didn’t know why they had to make it so big, and all the visits he needs to have with a skin Dr. I didn’t even need to listen to that part as hubby went through that so we know the whole procedure there.  As if that wasn’t (TMI) and having me looking for my person to come and call my name and trying to avoid eye contact he goes into and of course i fell and hurt my back and messed up my knee.  Thankfully I didn’t get details on that as the lady that asked the innocent how are you, got called in but she was told not to worry that he would be in touch by e-mail!  It left me wondering if he’s lonely and trying to get attention?  Or is that the way he has always been? Or maybe he just really needed to get it out and she was in the right place and time?? Anytime I have had stuff to tell people we either call them, e-mail, or just have them over.  Regardless of the situation I would not feel comfortable divulging all of that personal information in a waiting room. Next time you ask someone “how are you?”  you might need to lend a friendly ear,  and that’s ok !