Judy McCormick
I had an appointment to see the cardiologist right after everything shut down, so I cancelled the appointment. Later, I heard that you could use telemedicine, so I made an appointment. I was very unsure as to how everything worked. The scheduler gave me the URL and told me to sign in 15 minutes before my appointment. So, following directions at the time and date I logged in and everything was working as a message said, “please wait someone will be with you soon.” I sat staring at my computer screen. Fifteen minutes later, at the time of the appointment, the medical assistant came on the screen, greeted me by name, and asked me what I was here for and if anything had changed from my last visit. Then she said, “I will take you to an examining room.” She rolled the computer down the hall, and it was a weird sensation, sort of like being on a stretcher as the walls rolled by. Then, she opened the door and rolled the computer into an examining room. She said, “the doctor will be with you soon.” And then I waited, looking at a closed examining room door on my computer screen. The minutes ticked by. I told my husband, all we can do is look at the door, we can’t open it and say, “has someone forgotten us?” Forty-five minutes later, the doctor walked in and we had our visit. It was a good experience not having to go to Tucson and being safe, but other things, like the waiting for the doctor, never changes.