By Caron Schwartz
I’ve reached that stage of life when much socializing takes place in waiting rooms. Lots of nice people with the same aches, pains, and complaints staring at their phones or watching the Property Brothers or Pet Collective on the muted TV.
Not only do I enjoy waiting rooms, I love my healthcare providers, who are carefully curated by their proximity to delightful snacking afterward.
The guy I see most is primary care, who’s not a GP or family practice doc but a gerontologist (of course!) He’s a hop, skip and a jump from the Crumb Factory. So is my periodontist. Coffee and a cinnamon bun might not be the best choice right after the hygienist’s archeological dig through my gums, but I cannot resist.
My general dentist is located a one-minute walk to a more sensible choice, Jax In and Out, which offers healthy soups, sandwiches, and salads. Cupcakes too! Or you can make the death-defying two-minute walk across the street to the Annex Coffee for a smoothie or cappuccino.
Anyone who knows me understands I’ve been saddled with orthopedic issues my whole life. In an ironic twist of fate, my elderly mother’s fall and resulting broken hip led me to the guy who was able to solve my mysterious hip problem. Plus, is he handsome! He’s a real doctor, but he could play one on TV. Don’t get it? Watch https://bit.ly/vicks-44-commercial.
“Dr. Kildare’s” office is not convenient to any of my hangouts, but not a bad drive to Craft Kafe or The Blend on Central.
My yearly trek to Tampa General for an MRI and visit with the neurosurgeon (long story short – I’m OK) is usually rewarded with window shopping in nearby Hyde Park and a stop at Buddy Brew.
It goes without saying that visiting the gastroenterologist, urologist or gynecologist leaves me a little queasy, so treats afterward are out of the question. But after dermatology or neurology, my car knows the route to the nearest Kahwa.
Rheumatology? OK, there’s a Starbucks nearby.