The young girl is visibly upset ...and understandably so.
She had just been told she has cancer ...and she was referred to by her family doctor, to some specialist in this big building.
Cassie looks up at the five-story building, with its annexes sprawling out over the surrounding landscape. It just seems so impersonal. "Do these rich people really care about me? They care about peer reviews, prestige, and padded pensions ...but, do they care about me?"
Cassie enters this huge lobby with two sets of elevators. She pushes the button on the one appearing to be going up.
The elevator is slow, but that's okay ...time seems to be rather in a different perspective during times like this.
As the elevator door opens, she walks down a corridor with many doors to the one she is looking for: Stephenson.
Cassie signs the register, then sits down in an empty lobby. She stares at the walls ...wondering why the lobby is empty. Does Dr. Stephenson not have many patients ...is her cancer that unique?? Perhaps this is a good thing ...he won't be in a rush, and she can have his undivided attention.
Cassie is quickly called back. Her first surprise is that he is not a he, but a she ...why did she assume Dr. Stephenson was a man?
She is invited to sit down, and she sits ...across a desk of an elderly lady, looking over her glasses balanced on her nose.
"Just call me Kim ...so, what brings you here today, Cassie?"
Cassie: "I have cancer."
Kim: "Well, there are several different theories why cancer occurs ..."
(Kim appears to want to be very thorough on providing information, then segways into the 'you're not alone' aspect of it.)
Kim: "There are many reasons why cancer rates have increased over the decades. One main reason is environmental ...and that is why our government is always looking seriously at things like air pollution ..."
(Kim also covers 'lifestyle', inclusive of exercise, diet, and substance abuse ...mostly smoking and drinking, and also the types of cancer correlating with certain abuses or neglect in one's life. She also covers age, race, class, and gender ...and the myths and associating fears common to each class of people.)
Cassie looks up at the clock on the wall ...seeing that Kim has remarkably been talking for nearly an hour. And now, Kim has begun to talk about personal experiences within her own family.
Cassie interrupts: "When will I need to start treatments?"
Kim appears surprised by the question, "Oh, you'll need to talk to a physician about that!"
Cassie: "I was told to come to you ...Kim Stephenson."
Kim: "Oh, you're talking about Dr. Kim R. Stephenson ...on the third floor. Funny how two people in the same building have nearly the same name. I'm a sociologist ...he's the physician."
Cassie enters this huge lobby with two sets of elevators. She pushes the button on the one appearing to be going up.
The elevator is slow, but that's okay ...time seems to be rather in a different perspective during times like this.
As the elevator door opens, she walks down a corridor with many doors to the one she is looking for: Stephenson.
Cassie signs the register, then sits down in an empty lobby. She stares at the walls ...wondering why the lobby is empty. Does Dr. Stephenson not have many patients ...is her cancer that unique?? Perhaps this is a good thing ...he won't be in a rush, and she can have his undivided attention.
Cassie is quickly called back. Her first surprise is that he is not a he, but a she ...why did she assume Dr. Stephenson was a man?
She is invited to sit down, and she sits ...across a desk of an elderly lady, looking over her glasses balanced on her nose.
"Just call me Kim ...so, what brings you here today, Cassie?"
Cassie: "I have cancer."
Kim: "Well, there are several different theories why cancer occurs ..."
(Kim appears to want to be very thorough on providing information, then segways into the 'you're not alone' aspect of it.)
Kim: "There are many reasons why cancer rates have increased over the decades. One main reason is environmental ...and that is why our government is always looking seriously at things like air pollution ..."
(Kim also covers 'lifestyle', inclusive of exercise, diet, and substance abuse ...mostly smoking and drinking, and also the types of cancer correlating with certain abuses or neglect in one's life. She also covers age, race, class, and gender ...and the myths and associating fears common to each class of people.)
Cassie looks up at the clock on the wall ...seeing that Kim has remarkably been talking for nearly an hour. And now, Kim has begun to talk about personal experiences within her own family.
Cassie interrupts: "When will I need to start treatments?"
Kim appears surprised by the question, "Oh, you'll need to talk to a physician about that!"
Cassie: "I was told to come to you ...Kim Stephenson."
Kim: "Oh, you're talking about Dr. Kim R. Stephenson ...on the third floor. Funny how two people in the same building have nearly the same name. I'm a sociologist ...he's the physician."
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