A clean, quiet, inviting waiting room, with gentle music in the background was what greeted me when…read moreI came out of the elevator on the 9th floor. Ariel, the main receptionist, was warm, kind and helpful. Paperwork went seamlessly. I had the whole waiting room to myself since I was the first patient of the day. And I almost didn't have to wait at all. Sue, the nurse practitioner who administered the tests on the first day, gave me a painless IV. There was none of this phoney "saccharine" sweetness nonesense from any of the staff that one can unfortunately find elsewhere. And, when the first brain (SPECT) scan was complete, because Sue knew that I sometimes get dizzy, she handed me my cane, even before I thought to need it. Sue had told me that there might be some discomfort during the scan, but I was perfectly comfortable. AND, she even told me, periodically during the scan, how many more minutes were left. So that was pretty good. Once the scan was done, reception handed me a receipt for my payment, which was good. I was able to get a cup of herbal tea from them, so that was nice. It was cool not to have to wait, definitely.
Now, what really makes them stand out from the rest is that something rather embarrassing happened which was my fault, for violating one of their policies. I was aware ahead of time of the consequences. Their response was to minimize my embarrassment, even though it cost them to do so. They were under no obligation whatsoever to help me, since like everybody else they are trying to survive and thrive, especially since Covid-19. And, especially since I'm a random person off the street whom they didn't know. Still, they chose to help me anyway, and Sean, especially, and Ariel were extremely gracious about it. Hoh! That was humbling and frankly heart-melting for me.
I have my second SPECT brain scan tomorrow. I'm excited. I also will do a psychological computerized test. Ultimately, when all the facts are in and the doctors make their recommendations, it is entirely up to me to go to any length to regain my optimal health. I've been working with a diagnosis of depression, anxiety and PTSD. I've suspected for a while that I might also have ADHD, as well, as evidenced in my difficulty keeping the apartment in order.
I do have hope that they can help me. I have been on disability for a few decades because of these diagnoses. I've worked very hard for 42 years, with various traditional and non-traditional healing modalities and I'm finally seeing great fruit. So, I thought I'd use the suggestions from the Amen clinics as a final "one-two" punch to knock out the remaining symptoms and discomfort and to give me back my life!
My goal is a lofty one I admit. I want to be restored to health completely so that I can pursue my passion of content creation, through continued writing and learning filmmaking that will help to bring people together and to benefit society at large. I have other skills that I may well be able to employ to help mentor people interested in learning so they can be economically sound and prosperous in every way.
I liked the adjoining room that had a glass wall. I could see that it might be a room where healthy and hopeful things were proposed, like I saw some supplements. It's nice to see Amen clinics is not robotically cranking out prescriptions like can happen at other mental health practices.
Also, I would encourage people to be early, rather than try to be on time, especially for SPECT brain scan appointments. The contrast dye is highly perishable and that dose is meant only for that particular person. The dye expires within minutes after a scheduled SPECT scan was supposed to have been completed. In addition, the chemical is so highly specialized, that it is very expensive for the clinic to buy. As such, they tell me, that if a person misses a SPECT scan, that dose of the contrast dye is wasted and is a loss financially for the clinic to the tune of several hundreds of dollars, just for that little dose. SO, show up dead if necessary, but show up early or on time. (I'm kidding about the "dead" part, but you get me.)
I'm looking forward to my other appointments, of which there are many already scheduled. And, another rarity you'll find with the Amen clinics, is that a few of these appointments are scheduled for a lengthy period of time allowed. This is in contrast to the usual 15 or 20 minutes (if you're lucky) at other medical practices, where they don't really give you a chance to ponder and ask questions. Other practices are rushing off to the next patient. Amen clinics is different. I welcome you to try it!
