Disappointment

Loews guest was suffering flu symptoms, but mostly he worried about his temperature. I explained that the fever was not an ominous sign. If he wanted to check, he could buy a thermometer. Or I could come to the hotel. He opted for the visit. I told him how much it would cost.

“Oh… I thought it was free,” he said.

I’d heard that before. Your doctor doesn’t answer when you dial, but I do. Naïve guests think I’m downstairs awaiting their call.

He was from Chile. Did he buy travel insurance before coming to the US, I asked. He did. I explained that travel insurance pays for housecalls, and most insurance agencies call me. However, he must phone the insurance first to obtain approval. He promised to do so. 

Half an hour later my phone rang. It wasn’t Loews but the Doubletree. An elderly man had undergone electrical cardioversion for atrial fibrillation – an irregular heartbeat – a month earlier, and he was worried. His heart didn’t feel right. I asked him to count his beats; he counted 80 per minute. That is not particularly fast. I assured him that he wasn’t describing anything dangerous. He wanted me to check him.

These are the best visits. A guest is worried, and I’m already convinced that there’s nothing to worry about. Sure enough, the exam was normal. He was delighted at the news, and I was delighted to deliver it. Everyone was happy.

I was even more delighted to drive to the Doubletree because it’s only a few blocks from Loews. At any minute, I expected a call from the Loews guest’s insurance agency for another easy visit. But it never came.