I took today off for my annual exam. This is because sometimes there is blood involved and I did not want to go back to the office under those circumstances.
On my first appointment I saw one doctor, then he kicked me to the curb. After that I saw Dr. Rowe. I liked Dr. Rowe, because he talked to me in plain English and took time to answer my questions.
After three years, Dr. Rowe has kicked me to the curb. I hate how modern medicine does this.
The new guy dropped the idea that he’s been at The Tumor Institute for about six months. To be honest, he looked like he’d been licensed about six months. He also let me know Dr. Rowe is still with the practice, but works across the street in a different office now. Why the hell wasn’t I given the option of going across the street and having my appointment with Dr. Rowe?
My PSA is great now, thanks to the medication. When I asked the new kid about it, he wanted to explain some kind of long division and how to compare the number to the general population. He also wanted to stick to the number. I told him, “I don’t need to know all that, and don’t know what the number means. How about you tell me if it’s normal or not?” Apparently it’s normal. (Trying to talk over my head is not going to work. I’m not the one who nods demurely, then shuts up.)
When it came time for the exam, I told him Dr. Rowe said we’d only be doing that every other year. He seemed kind of sad, and told me I didn’t have to if I didn’t want to. This kid looked like someone who wanted to stick his finger up my butt, so I declined.
My hope now is this kid will move on before I have to go back next year. Otherwise, I may spiral into cancelling my appointment and not going back at all.
I’m looking at it as good news this time. My blood test was great, even my blood pressure was great. It’s like when our heroes survive the ordeal portion of our stories. After the ordeal, the hero gets a reward.
Old What’s Her Face is off today, and she wanted to go to Old Chicago for lunch. This reward is an Odell’s Brewing Big Cookie A La Mode. It’s a special brew that OC got in and promoted to come sample. It’s a very good beer, but does not taste anything like a cookie or ice cream.
Some beers actually live up to their names, like banana bread beer that actually tastes like banana bread. I won’t complain though, because it was very good.
I go back to work for the rest of the week. Old What’s Her Face has to work nights this weekend, something she’s never done before. (People shouldn’t have these disruptive schedules after a certain age and years on the job.) My holiday weekend will be spent walking on eggshells while she tries to sleep.
Fortunately, my keyboard is pretty quiet, and I might wrangle some writing time.
That does look like a really yummy reward. You definitely earned it. So, what beer have you had that has the most surprising taste? Mine is a PB&J beer that tasted like a delicious PB&J. Both bizarre and satisfying.
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I had a peanut butter stout once that tasted as advertised. Sour beers are interesting and usually have a fruit flavor that comes through.
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Never had a sour beer. Now I’m very curious about that one.
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They’ve gotten pretty popular.
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Don’t get me started on medicine today, especially the younger breed of doctors who have no idea that patients shouldn’t be a number. I still mourn the retirement of my PCP several years ago who used to chat with me about—ME. Who knew my husband, my family history, my work and my interests.I hugged that man that man when he left!
A draft beer (better yet, wine, LOL) is a great reward. But I could never drink anything with a hint of something remotely sweet in it.
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This one wasn’t sweet. More like a brown ale, and pretty good. I kind of wanted it to taste like a cookie though.
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Eeesh! I can’t do the dessert flavors. I even freak when people put strawberries on French toast or marshmallows with sweet potatoes.
Brown ale, on the other hand, sounds good!
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Reblogged this on Where Genres Collide.
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Every time I turn around, I have a new doctor somewhere. My family dr. moved to another office but I was able to go with her. Although she was a replacement for my former dr who was a replacement for… My latest bipolar dr. told me he was leaving after less than a yr. I see a temp next month and then another temp after that, then they’re supposed to get two new psychiatrists. Sigh.
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Thanks for the reblogs. I’d like to have been given the choice of which Dr. To see, since he’s still with the practice.
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That’s what should’ve happened. Not sure why it didn’t.
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All’s well that ends well. Look at yo beer! Woot!
I got myself a nice new woman dr, younger than me, but not young enough to think of me as a number or an old lady. I love her.
Of course, my other new doc is a man 10+ years older than me, and I love him, too.
A long time ago, my mother used to take me to dentist in the hood. After going there for something like ten years, he one day mentioned he had an office on our side of town. Seriously, like I was a teenager by then.
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I hate looking for new providers, but might have to do that. If my regular guy is still with the practice, why can’t I keep seeing him? That’s strange about the dentist. You’d think he’d mention that right away.
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Great news about your numbers being good! And going to for exams ALWAYS deserve a reward. I feel sorry for your wife. It’s cruel to make her work nights on the weekend. My daughter’s a nurse and nights are her usual schedule, 12 hour shifts. They’re rough. Hope you get a lot of writing done while your wife sleeps.
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After having the same shift for over ten years, it’s disruptive to our lives to force this upon her. All nights, all the time isn’t too bad, but switching and rotating is absurd.
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“This kid looked like someone who wanted to stick his finger up my butt, so I declined.”…. I nearly spit my pepsi over my computer screen!
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Maybe he needs practice at his manner of approaching patients.
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Not from behind 🤣
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Ha ha!
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Wonderful news about your exam, Craig! I have an eye test tomorrow, and hope it goes as well as this. The turnover in doctors at our surgery is so fast, I swear they need a revolving door!
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That’s hard on patients. We have a skin in the game too, and I think we should be given a choice or at least get to discuss it.
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Reblogged this on anita dawes and jaye marie.
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Fantastic news about the exam. Shame about the doctors. That pint looks wonderful. Sounds like you earned it 🙂
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Thanks, Harmony. Worry about it again in another year.
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Good all is normal. Having had prostrate cancer I can tell you regular checkups are a must. (Which you already know) The “finger wave” becomes the least of it all and a regular feature. The PSA numbers are relative. The rate of increase is the important factor. No increase no problem. I would keep your numbers for comparison since it looks like your docs change a lot. So far good news for you.
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Yeah, I get the exam next time for sure. I’ll take normal scores though.
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I’m glad to hear everything is okay. (I would probably try to go across the street next year, though, instead of to Doogie again.) Sorry the beer didn’t taste like cookies or ice cream, but still… beer.
I hope the disruption to your schedule this weekend goes smoothly. And that you get a lot of writing done.
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The beer was very good, just not what I expected with a name like that. I may look into what it takes to see the doctor I prefer.
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I hate having to change doctors and I agree that some of the new doctors look as though they are still in Junior High School. It could be that everyone looks younger as I get older.:) Glad the bloodwork came back okay and it’s great to get a reward! Happy Writing!
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Yeah, I’m pretty sure it’s me getting older that makes them look so young. I have coffee cups older than this guy.
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I hate the way patients are just numbers these days. By the time I’m done with my appointments, whoever I saw generally knows just how much, especially if they didn’t listen to my polite reminder that I’m not going to be a bobbing head for them.
I’m glad your test results were good, even if the appointment itself sucked. Glad you had a nice lunch as a reward. You earned it.
Hope you get plenty of writing time in while the wife is sleeping. At least that’s one potential positive thing to come out of her sudden shift change.
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I want to give her every consideration, but dogs will bark, insist on toys, etc. Hopefully it won’t be a big deal. Modern medicine seems to take the factory approach more and more these days. I guess I should be happy with positive results, but a tiny bit of customer service would be nice.
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Yeah, a bit of customer service would be nice. Shame your wife’s not like my hubby. He can sleep through barking dogs and such, even if they’re happening in the same room.
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Sounds like she’ll have no problem today. We’ll see from noon on though.
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I’ve been pretty lucky with doctors, dentists and oncologists, for this second half of my life, (hastily grabs block of wood and adopts it) but there’ve been a few who should’ve specialised in dog-food testing.
Good to here your gentleman bits are doing OK. 😀
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Here’s to good health!
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Glad all is well and you got a treat:)
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Thanks.
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Thanks, Traci.
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After an appointment like that, you certainly deserve a reward, Craig. Hope next year goes better.
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I’m just happy to have everything under control. It would be nice to stick with the provider I like though. When cancer is the alternative, I’ll take what I have.
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Yikes. Doctor woes, I can relate. After being guinnea-pigged to death, I finally found a cool pain doctor whose first inclination isn’t to whip out the prescription pad. I hate that. Talk to me, find out who I am and what I’m about, then let’s work together on a course of action that might actually work. I’m willing to try almost anything, but I’m not willing to be drugged-up like the walking dead. What kind of life is that?
A Beside Manner course should be a prerequisite for graduating, if you ask me. There are far too many doctors who treat us like a number. That beer looks yummy, btw. Hope you enjoyed it.
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Beer was good. Five minutes of their day isn’t too much to ask when we’re paying them.
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Any beer that dark with a name like this, in my book, needs very few more justification to be sampled. You just made me re-evaluate my lunch plans.
No – not when I have to return and actually get something done….
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I promise you, one of these and you aren’t going back to work.
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