| |
|
|
Ms. Green:
|
|
Hello? May I please speak with Doctor Balis? I'm one of his patients.
|
|
|
|
|
Ms. Balis:
|
|
No problem Dear. Hold on a second.
|
|
|
|
|
Dr. Balis:
|
|
This is Doctor Balis.
|
|
|
|
|
Ms. Green:
|
|
Doctor it's so good to hear your voice.
|
|
|
|
|
Dr. Balis:
|
|
Anna? What's the matter? Did anything happen?
|
|
|
|
|
Ms. Green:
|
|
No, no. I had a very good Thanksgiving with my parents. Everything was fine. I'm still at their house now.
|
|
|
|
|
Dr. Balis:
|
|
I'm glad to hear that.
|
|
|
|
|
Ms. Green:
|
|
It's just...oh I don't know Doctor. I was...I am feeling very anxious.
|
|
|
|
|
Dr. Balis:
|
|
Do you know why?
|
|
|
|
|
Ms. Green:
|
|
You'll think it's ridiculous.
|
|
|
|
|
Dr. Balis:
|
|
I would really like to know.
|
|
|
|
|
Ms. Green:
|
|
It sort of started Tuesday night. I spent the entire night thinking about you.
|
|
|
|
|
Dr. Balis:
|
|
Hmm.
|
|
|
|
|
Ms. Green:
|
|
I couldn't really sleep. And then in the morning I did everything I could not to call you. I must have dialed your number a hundred times but I always hung up the phone before it rang.
|
|
|
|
|
Dr. Balis:
|
|
That's very restrained of you. If you really felt that bad, you should have talked to me. I told you that I had some time on Wednesday morning before my flight; I would have been happy to see you.
|
|
|
|
|
Ms. Green:
|
|
Thank you Doctor. I just felt silly calling you. I didn't really have anything to say.
|
|
|
|
|
Dr. Balis:
|
|
So you drove to see your parents on Wednesday and you had a good Thanksgiving...
|
|
|
|
|
Ms. Green:
|
|
Yes that was all okay. Except that my stomach hurt more and more as time went by. It was as if the further I knew you were, the more anxious I became. And I just couldn't do anything to stop feeling that way. I even rented four movies and watched them all Wednesday night. By Thursday I was too delirious from lack of sleep to really feel anything anymore.
|
|
|
|
|
Dr. Balis:
|
|
I see.
|
|
|
|
|
Ms. Green:
|
|
And then I just passed out last night. When I woke this morning, I couldn't keep myself from calling you any longer. I'm really sorry Doctor.
|
|
|
|
|
Dr. Balis:
|
|
No I'm glad you called me. And I'm sorry you are feeling so bad. It won't be long now: I'll be back in San Francisco on Sunday. That's just 48 hours away. Why don't you try to get your parents to go out with you? You should all go do something today. If you keep busy, the time will pass quicker, okay?
|
|
|
|
|
Ms. Green:
|
|
My mom did want to go out and do some Christmas shopping today.
|
|
|
|
|
Dr. Balis:
|
|
There you go. Spend the day with your mother. Then maybe you can go out to the movies. Or maybe rent some movies? Stick to comedies and watch them with your parents. I'll be back in town before you notice.
|
|
|
|
|
Ms. Green:
|
|
I'll notice.
|
|
|
|
|
Dr. Balis:
|
|
And you can always call me here again if your anxiety gets really bad. But I think you'll be all right Anna. It's been over a week since we last spoke and a few more hours will not seem very long.
|
|
|
|
|
Ms. Green:
|
|
It's not just the hours, it's the distance. If you'd been here all this time, I don't think it would bother me nearly as much.
|
|
|
|
|
Dr. Balis:
|
|
I understand. But there is just a little bit more to go, okay?
|
|
|
|
|
Ms. Green:
|
|
Of course it's okay Doctor. I know that I'm being irrational. Have a good time with your parents and I'll see you next Thursday at our regular time. And thank you. Thank you for being so understanding Doctor.
|
|
|
|
|
Dr. Balis:
|
|
I'll see you soon Anna. Take care.
|
|
|
|
|
Ms. Green:
|
|
Goodbye Doctor.
|
|
|
|
|
Dr. Balis:
|
|
Goodbye Anna.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
###
|
|
Doctor Balis' Notes on this Telephone Call
Transcripts of Anna Green's Communications
