Bedside Manner
I hadn't mentioned this lately, but my left knee has been hurting quite a bit lately, especially after soccer. At first I thought it was the inevitable march of age, since I am a geezer of the old variety, a mere hair's breadth away from sitting on porch in a rocking chair and waving my cane at those durned kids on my lawn. My other knee hasn't been hurting at all, though, which raised my suspicions. So I scheduled an appointment with my doctor.
Unfortunately it turns out my doctor is on sabbatical (Lord, when's my time gon' come?), and I had to schedule with the fellow covering him, Dr Lewis. Dr Lewis is what doctors were in the mid-1950's Hair Brylcreem'ed to within an inch of its life, grey complexion that suggests snoke breaks every 30 minutes and the bedside demeanor of an enema tube. He kept moving around the room while asking quick questions and barely looked at me. When he finally deigned to sit down and look at my knee, he actually grabbed the wrong knee and was half-way through telling me there was nothing wrong with it before listening to me tel him it was the wrong one. In the end he sort of told me the equivalent of "take two aspirin and call me in the morning" and bustled me out the door. What's medicine come to in this country that a doctor can't take the time to do a thorough exam? I think I need a second opinion. Is there a doctor in the audience?
Comments
Is he a doctor of poetry? What kind of medical doctor takes a sabbatical?
I think Dr. Substitue was the same guy who tried to tell me my strep throat was allergies last year when my doc was at a conference. He told me to drinky some tea. (My tonsils were like spotted golf balls.) Why does the substitute always look like the doctor on Leave it to Beaver?
Anyway, I think you need to find yourself a new doc while your regular is on "sabbatical."
Posted by: Karen | February 2, 2006 6:30 PM
I thinky ou might be right. he may be a doctor of poetry or perhaps of stultifying. What a terrible physician! AndI'm not even a proponent of bedside manner in general.
Posted by: Lo Fat Mo | February 3, 2006 1:37 AM
I spent 10 years with a primary care physician that I NEVER EVER MET. I still go to her offices - and I've not even SEEN her. After being shuffled around too much, I did a lot of fist to the receptionist desk behaviour. In the end, I had to revert to being polite, but I said "Is there anyone in this practice who you can recommend that is a good doctor that will take the time to answer ALL of my questions?"
I got that doctor, I think. At least she listens to me.
I think it's very important to fire all your bad doctors. Even in the middle of an appointment if it becomes blatantly obvious that they are not doing their job. These people get paid a LOT by the hour - if not with our actual cash, then by the company we work for - because we work for them. I mean, yeah, I surf sometimes, but I try to do my job, you know???
grrrr...Docto
Posted by: boegle | February 3, 2006 6:25 PM
Good point Boegle, they do work for us, and they're getting paid for care as well as technical knowledge.
Posted by: Lo Fat Mo | February 4, 2006 10:32 AM