A man at the Bonaventure was suffering an
earache. The pain was not severe and had been present several days, but he
wanted it checked. This seemed like an easy visit.
But it was 5:00 on Friday. My traffic app showed
a solid red line for the ten mile freeway drive downtown, converting a
half-hour trip into… I hated to contemplate it. I explained that I could be at
his room between 8 and 9. That was fine with him.
I had barely hung up when the phone rang again. A
guest at the Warner Center Hilton had diarrhea. The Hilton is fifteen miles in
the opposite direction from the Bonaventure with an equally red freeway. I
could have scheduled it for later, but if a third call arrived….
The guest was not terribly ill, so I pointed out
that most diarrhea is self-limited. I gave dietary advice and recommended an
over-the-counter remedy that was a good as the one I hand out (actually the
same), and suggested we talk again in a day. Happy to get free medical advice,
he agreed.
At 6:30 the Bonaventure operator called to inform
me that the guest wanted to cancel the visit. When I phoned both guests the
next day, they were doing fine.
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