I honestly do not recall how long it has been since I have been to a private practice doctor. I've been enrolled in the "big-box" sytle of medicine that is Kaiser for a very long time. Going to see this doc today reminded me of going to the doc when I was a kid. Or maybe this isn't what it was like when I was a kid, and it is just how imagine things should, and I've imagined them so hard for so long that I've tricked my mind a bit LOL.
I wasn't taken back by a medical assistant who took all my vitals, directed me to a plain ol' exam room that is used by the doc on duty of the day, and then tossed into a paper gown. Nope. The doc himself came out into the waiting area himself and greeted me and brought me back to his office, which was personal to him and full of who he was, and then we sat and talked for what felt like a long time, and by "talked" I mean, he listened. It wasn't until after all the talking that he examined me, including taking my vitals himself.
I have had this skin problem coming and going for almost 10 years now, I've been watching it very closely for the last couple of years, and I could swear that it is somehow related to what I am eating or how my digestive system is processing things. Every BigBoxDoc has slapped a tube of ointment or an oral med in my direction, and all of them have thought I was nuts when I told them I wondered if it was some sort of allergy.
Today this doc looked at the whole big picture, including all of those kajillions of history forms I downloaded off his website, filled out for him and brought with me....and when I got the part where I was about to tell him that I thought it was food or something related to my gut, he said, "I was just about to tell you the same thing. hat's exactly what I think it wrong. I even think I can take a guess at what you're allergic to, but we're going to test to be sure. Your skin is an organ that works from the inside out. I agree with you 100% that there is a link to your digestive system."
He's took some blood and is running an allergy panel and I have been sent home with a little lab kit so I can send in some samples of this and that (*ahem*), and then I'll go back in 3 weeks to meet with him again and we'll look it all over.
Even if I weren't to go back, I swear, just being heard was worth the out of pocket price of admission.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
well, that was refreshing
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7 comments:
I've never ever been to a PPO doctor (air force kid). Ever. Coincidentally, just today I had the fun of going to my HMO. I went in for a sprain and they wanted me to take a pregnancy test. SRSLY??? They were all about eye contact and using my name, but examining the hand? Not so much.
Good luck on your test! If it won't gross you out, I once heard a tip on *cough*stool samples*cough* - use a paper plate so you don't have to go "fishing". More than you wanted to know, possibly.
heh. DH is an acupuncturist and you have described EXACTLY how he runs his appointments (well, except for the blood draw. he's not allowed to do that).
All his patients have told him that he seems to do a more thorough exam than their allopathic docs and he *listens* to them.
Good luck on resolving your issue.
:)
Phyllis
heh. DH is an acupuncturist and you have described EXACTLY how he runs his appointments (well, except for the blood draw. he's not allowed to do that).
All his patients have told him that he seems to do a more thorough exam than their allopathic docs and he *listens* to them.
Good luck on resolving your issue.
:)
Phyllis
Oh, what a relief, even without an answer yet!
How delightful to have someone listening to your story of the illness ... and a bonus to have him thinking along the same lines.
Wishing you a smooth journey through this discovery and an easy solution that clears everything up.
!!Happy Dance!!
Love, Karen TDL
That is why I love my Doc (I've got PPO coverage).
First time I went to her, we sat in her office first and went over my history. Then I went to exam room.
If ever I need to talk more than a "normal" exam time would take, I just tell the scheduler and she puts me down for more time.
We still don't see eye-to-eye on some things, but we always talk it out.
Spencer's pediatrician is the same.
I couldn't handle an HMO.
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