It didn't take me long to get to this sub forum. I am old, and stricken in years, as my children tell me. I have some arthritis that flares up in places, and recently my right hip has been giving me some trouble. I have been a good boy and have avoided all NSAID consumption as the doctor ordered. However, the doctor also told me that once I got through my surgery, I would be able to take them occasionally for pain, minor injury, etc. The key phrase there is "got through", as in all healed up.

I called the doc's office earlier today to talk to the CRNP I see, and who seems to know her stuff when it comes to the intricacies of the various surgeries. The first time I called, I was left on hold for eight minutes before I concluded that I had been forgotten. In all my visits to this office, I have never seen them take more than two or three minutes for ANYTHING at the front desk. So I called back.

The same woman answered the exact same way the second time. "Bariatric and surgery, can you hold please?"

"NO, I can't hold! You left me forgotten there last time and all I want to do is leave a message!"

"We didn't forget you sir. We're very busy. Who do you want to talk to?"

"I want to ask my RCNP a couple of questions about some medicine." My questions aren't so much as what I can take as when. I already know I can.

Now is when things got worse. The woman who was so busy that she didn't have time to pick up the #$%& phone proceeded to quiz me in detail about what I wanted to know and why I wanted to know it. She wasn't even interested in who I was for a while. She finally wormed it out of me in detail what I wanted, and THEN proceeded to start telling me what I could and could not take! I was thinking, "WTF!?!?!?!"

She ended her little lecture with a smugness that just oozed out of my phone. So I said, "But you're not Alicia, are you?" Alicia is the RCNP.

"No, but I've worked here long enough to know what we tell all our bariatric patients."

I felt like saying something like, "Well maybe they should promote you to surgeon, lady, seeing as how you know it all!" But I bit my tongue, knowing she is the gatekeeper I need to get past. I settled for, "I would prefer to speak to Alicia about my concerns." This woman had the gall to tell me that she already knew what Alicia would tell me! The good news for her is, they have not yet invented a feature for smart phones where you can actually reach through the phone to slap the idiot on the other end. I finally got her to promise she would leave a message. I finished up by asking her who she was. She is the office coordinator. Not only am I going to speak to the RCNP about some office person giving out medical advice, I will very likely speak to her personally when I have my next appointment. Stupid $%#^&.

@@Hiraeth Thank you, and I think she will never need this surgery, because it sounded like she was going to have her rear end chewed right off. I will find out more at my next appointment.

I was actually thinking about having a party for all the folks here. We could have a big banquet hall and a buffet table with nothing on it!

Seriously, I may think up something for next summer. We've had parties here for folks from the Internet many times, where we've had over 100 people here at our place.

@@Hiraeth Thank you, and I think she will never need this surgery, because it sounded like she was going to have her rear end chewed right off. I will find out more at my next appointment.

I was actually thinking about having a party for all the folks here. We could have a big banquet hall and a buffet table with nothing on it!

Seriously, I may think up something for next summer. We've had parties here for folks from the Internet many times, where we've had over 100 people here at our place.

Hahaha! That sounds like a good plan!

Please keep us updated on what you find out about that girl. I'm sure we are all very curious to know what happens to her, lol.

Now that sounds like fun! I'd love to meet you guys!

I will do that. We travel through AL from time to time, too. Our oldest daughter and her family live in Niceville FL.

I will do that. We travel through AL from time to time, too. Our oldest daughter and her family live in Niceville FL.

Wow, what an interesting name for a city. I love it! That's cool that you travel through AL. I frequent Birmingham.

We come down 59 from GA and pick up 65 from there to FL. I love driving therough southern AL on the back roads. But the heat would kill me in the summer.

Are you all from the south? I've only driven as far as Tennessee and I'm ready to come to the Deep South!

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We come down 59 from GA and pick up 65 from there to FL. I love driving therough southern AL on the back roads. But the heat would kill me in the summer.

Oh, lovely 65. I bet you love the traffic. Yeah, the heat is awful. It's humid and smothering. Last year I had to drive 2 months in a hot Jeep without any A/C. Talk about fun.

Are you all from the south? I've only driven as far as Tennessee and I'm ready to come to the Deep South!

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I am! Come on down! We don't bite!

We come down 59 from GA and pick up 65 from there to FL. I love driving therough southern AL on the back roads. But the heat would kill me in the summer.

Oh, lovely 65. I bet you love the traffic. Yeah, the heat is awful. It's humid and smothering. Last year I had to drive 2 months in a hot Jeep without any A/C. Talk about fun.

We try to time our trips so we can avoid rush hour traffic. Montgomery is probably the worst for traffic, although we've gotten caught once in a while in construction south of Birmingham. Once we get south of Montgomery though, we get on some back roads, and it is very relaxing for the rest of the trip. Going north, it isn't to bad until we get to Chattanooga. And from there to Knoxville it can be a real mess.

We come down 59 from GA and pick up 65 from there to FL. I love driving therough southern AL on the back roads. But the heat would kill me in the summer.

Oh, lovely 65. I bet you love the traffic. Yeah, the heat is awful. It's humid and smothering. Last year I had to drive 2 months in a hot Jeep without any A/C. Talk about fun.

We try to time our trips so we can avoid rush hour traffic. Montgomery is probably the worst for traffic, although we've gotten caught once in a while in construction south of Birmingham. Once we get south of Montgomery though, we get on some back roads, and it is very relaxing for the rest of the trip. Going north, it isn't to bad until we get to Chattanooga. And from there to Knoxville it can be a real mess.

Yep, I agree with everything you said. I've dealt with pretty bad traffic in every single city you mentioned. I'm glad you're able to enjoy some of the ride with the back roads. It seems like they're always doing construction on the main highways in B'ham.