When Medical Care Hurts
When I was seventeen, I developed a medical problem due to no fault of my own. It was painful, it was embarrassing, and when it became uncomfortable enough to disrupt my life, I went to see a well known surgeon downtown. The specialist, tucked away in the hallow halls of academia, stared down at me past a pair of spectacles perched at the end of his ever-protruding nose. When he examined the area, he spoke in a measured and controlled manner.It's really kind of disgusting, actually.These were not the words a self-conscious, suffering teenager wanted to hear. He then proceeded to do an uncomfortable, totally unnecessary procedure, to "rule out other things" even though the diagnosis was obvious. He eventually offered a series of treatments. I returned to the office once a month, and low and behold the symptoms abated. I felt more comfortable. Maybe this nightmare was finally over.When September came, and it was time to go to college, I still needed a few more treatments. I arranged to see a specialist at the university because I would not be able to travel back to Chicago. Although the new surgeon was no more affable, he showed up on time and asked few questions. Unfortunately, the symptoms took a turn for the worse. I trekked back to the hospital, and sat impatiently in the specialists office. After waiting for over an hour, he entered the room, didn't bother to examine me, and said I would need surgery. ...
Source: In My Humble Opinion - Category: Family Physicians Authors: Jordan Grumet Source Type: blogs