Waiting Room Hell
This week I had a repeat hospital appointment, I'm used to this, turn up early in the hope of being processed quickly and returned to society. Didn't work this time, there were delays and priority cases which got ahead of me, and I ended up waiting in a crowded room for over an hour. Might not seem like much, but by the end of it, I was stretched so taut it was unbelievable. Come time for the actual treatment (which required being relaxed, still and ready) I was in full flight response, on an internal countdown to say 'fuck this' and RUN.
The NTs in the room were so fucking loud, not even noise-cancelling headphones an impact, they just wouldn't shut the fuck up... the pair talking at 3000 miles an hour, the old woman holding a phone conversation on speaker - to her ear - then shouting back... oh man, and the lighting, lack of ventilation, the closely positioned seating which was crowded. It made a mockery of my carefully prepared plans to be in and out, to be able to resume my day and do something useful.
During the actual treatment though... I got through it, the staff commenting that I was 'stressed'... I'm like no shit, I'm autistic and that waiting room was hell. I then ate some humble pie - they made a note on my file saying that I'm to be put through with haste in the future due to the autistic stress of waiting room hell, and the need to be relaxed during the treatment (one slip during this and I go blind in one eye!). So yeah... hang on in there everyone looking through the 'tism lens - there are some good people out there :)