Question about smartphones

[agate]

As I've said, I haven't got used to a cellphone or smartphone and use mine only for calling transportation when I'm out somewhere. I don't keep it on for incoming calls.But the last time I was at an appointment, the van driver tried to call me using the phone number that was on file in their system, my landline phone number. Of course he got no answer, but he assumed it was a cellphone number, which is what many people would use. I always provide the number for the place I'm going to so that the driver can call them, and they will let me know what the message is. This hardly ever happens but it's a system that has worked in the past. But this driver didn't do that.

I don't trust myself to be able to answer the smartphone. I will probably drop it or not press the right buttons or not press them hard enough. But this last experience caused me to rethink the whole matter and decide that I really should have the smartphone turned on when I'm out somewhere, just in case the transit people try to reach me.

I made up my mind to practice this at home first by dialing my own number. So today I was doing that, and realized that I'd also need to have the phone ringer silenced but vibrating in case I was at my appointment not wanting to be disturbed. I simply refuse to sit in a doctor's office and expect the doctor to wait while my phone rings and I answer it. That strikes me as very rude and unfair to the doctor, who is on a very tight schedule.

So my next appointment is with the audiologist, and while talking to her I won't want my phone ringing. So I practiced silencing it and seeing how the vibration feature worked.

It worked but I was hardly aware of it. Even if I kept the phone in my pocket, I wouldn't be aware of it. It's almost too big and heavy to fit in my pocket anyway.

So my question is: Is this faint vibration a problem with the phone? Or is it an MS thing?

Neuros are always testing our vibration sense, aren't they? Maybe mine is faulty. Does anyone else notice this problem with phones?

[Virginia]

Agate, I can't be of any help to you, I have never put my smartphone on vibrate. I do carry it with me to the Doctor's office and keep it in my pocketbook. My cellphone is only called by a very few people so if it happened to ring while in with the Doctor I would just say "that will go through to voicemail" and of course I would not answer it, or I might not even mention it and just let it go to voicemail without saying anything. When in my pocketbook, my phone is not loud and often I don't hear it, so it would be unlikely that it would disturb me or the Doctor.

Sorry I can't help with the faint vibration since I have never had mine on vibrate.

[agate]

But Virginia, you have helped! I had no idea there were these other options you mentioned. Now I will look into my phone settings again and find out more about calls going to Voicemail.

Of course I could just turn the volume down on the phone so that nobody would hear the ringing. Such a simple solution, and I had to make it complicated.

As luck would have it, as of a couple of hours ago I'm no longer in such desperate need of more knowledge about this phone issue because the audiologist called and suggested changing our in-person appointment tomorrow to a phone interview. She was aware of the long waits I was having for the van outside their office and wanted to spare me that. That was so kind of her that I'll be eternally grateful. There was no need for me to be there in person just now because it's just a matter of going over some questions about the hearing aids, and she can work remotely with them.

The phone problem will come up again on Tuesday at the dentist's but by then I hope to have figured something out. Thanks again, Virginia!

[Virginia]

Agate, that was so nice of the audiologist to think so caringly about you. We don't always find that, but I am sure glad you did this time. The Dentist can't do that...too bad!

One time when I had my flip phone, which rang a little bit louder, I was sitting talking to my then Neurologist who had diagnosed me and my phone rang. I was embarressed, but he just calmly said go ahead and answer it. I said "sorry, I meant to turn it off". I did answer and told the caller I was with my Neurologist and could I call them back when I got out. Because this particular Doctor was so good and tried never to be in a hurry I wasn't as embarressed as I would have been with another Doctor. How I wish I still had that Neurologist.