Pizza Party at the Doctor's with the Grill Lady

I have been fortunate to find a local doctor, who draws my blood, deals with all my other maladies that occur because of my two rare diseases and is always upbeat with a wonderful caring attitude. Dr. Paula is a gem of the highest quality.

When I asked her to take me on as a patient, I was healthy then. She was booked solid with a full schedule of patients, but nonetheless, she agreed to be my doctor. Lucky me. Unbeknownst to both of us, I became very sick and needed blood draws weekly for a long period of time along with a multitude of other ailments that surfaced during this time period that she attended to, no matter the day or time.

I am not an easy draw as many plembotomist (sp.) have confirmed over the years. My ornery veins like to disappear, squirm and basically be non compliant. So, Dr. Paula has become my ace in the hole as she truly can hit the spot.

In my usual fashion, I called her office and received Joseph on the line. I chatted a bit and asked him if he knew who he was speaking to. He floundered around a bit while I kept giving him telling clues. Finally, he said you are the grill lady. I started laughing because Joseph frequently takes food orders from his colleagues and goes to the The Main Street Grill in Afton to pick up all their orders.

After my blood draws, my mom would run in and pick up food for our lunch at home. So, we would joke with Joseph about The Grill, asking him about the specials of the day and invariably, he knew them. We told him he could have another job there. By the way, if you have never eaten there, it is worth a trip to try their original dishes with delectable desserts. The mouth watering desserts are on display and you'll want one of each. The decorations on the baked desserts are a piece of artwork, but that doesn't stop me from eating them.

While on the line with Joseph after settling on a time and date for my blood draw, I asked him if it would be alright for my mom and I to bring them pizza. I know of a handful of the people who work there but not all of them, those who work behind the scenes, keeping the office running efficiently. So, I told Joseph that I needed a full accounting of everyone as I did not want to miss anyone. He gave me the number and I was off, speed dialing to area pizzerias trying to find what was available for the amount of people, who work there.

We settled on Pizza Hut, which had a great deal on pizzas with one different topping on each. This way, I felt that everyone would be able to, hopefully, find their favorite slices. We added soda, plates, cups, etc. and we ate with them as they ran in and out attending to patients the whole time. Their lunch time, we discovered, is on the run as there are so many patients to be seen.

However, we did get to see Erin's wedding pictures and what a beautiful bride she was. A glimpse of Shelly's little nephew and nieces pics via cellphone were adorable. Kristie's son is home from college. An inquiry about Dr. Paula's little ones revealed that the baby of the family is growing and the oldest daughter has just graduated from kindergarten. My doctor's office is like a second family to me as they know so much about me and I know so much about them.

I feel blessed that they are there for me in more ways than one. Bringing pizza was only a small token of my appreciation for their loyal dedication to all of their patients. They were all so gracious in thanking us profusely for the treat. In my book, I would feed them every day if I could. They deserve that and much more.

May your doctors treat you kindly and look out for you in a caring manner as mine always does.