I moved here to Florida from Georgia in 2005. My OB/GYN there had been my doctor since 1994, so of course she knew me and I felt very comfortable with her. I guess upon this writing, I now know why I long for her. I spent eleven years in her care. But my doctor in Georgia would address me with a smile and a warm sincere greeting. She would exam me and talk with me, not to me. After the examination, we would both go into her private office and actually sit down and talk. Even if I'd waited over two hours to see her, due to a couple of babies being ready to see the world, she'd still sit and talk with me. It might have been a little rushed, but she'd still take the time. So, I guess you could say that I'm spoiled. Spoiled or not, I really do miss her. In a sense, I guess you could say that I'm trying to replace her.
Now, Dr G and Dr L are both very nice, but there was still something missing. I realize that I have to take my time in getting to know them. I have to spend a number of years with them just as I did with my doctor in Georgia. I am sure over time, I will come to love my doctor here just as I did my doctor in Georgia. But the thing is this, my appointment with Dr L was at 3:00. When I'd gotten into the car to leave, the time was 3:48 and I wasn't seen at exactly 3:00. Now, for those who've never had an OB/GYN visit, it's not the most comfortable. First of all, you have to get entirely naked, and even though my doctor is female, she's still a total stranger who will be placing things inside of my body and touching me. So you can understand why you'd want a more personal approach. But, I feel upon the initial visit, the doctor should at least sit down with you and address any issues that are past, present, and future. Dr L didn't even ask me about birth control and whether I desired to have children. I mean, this is my health and she is my healthcare provider, so shouldn't she be providing me with the best possible healthcare that my money is paying her for? I understand that doctors have a lot of expenses, but they also have a lot more money in their bank accounts than I do. And the funny thing about this is the fact that I know my body better than she does. I know how my breasts feel and whether they're lumpy, smooth, heavier feeling than usual, and also if I've detected something that seems out of place. So when we visit our doctors, what are we really seeing them and paying them for? I can truly understand why some people don't go to doctors. They tend to have the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mentality. But, we hear reports each day about seeing your doctor to prevent disease and get treated for any medical issues you may have. But I wonder, how important is it that we see a doctor if there's nothing bothering us?
Upon my experiences and the experiences of others, I have been thinking a lot about our healthcare system. Of course we'd hate to think that it's only about the money, but the more I look around and think about things, the more it seems that we're just a dollar sign waiting to happen. Which brings me to the conclusion that, "health is in the hands of the beholder." This topic is somewhat broad and there are multiple topics in regards to different specialties in healthcare that I could write upon. I will be addressing other issues, such as how we can prevent disease by making better food choices in the very near future. But for now, I'll try to sum this up.
The bottom line is we are in control of our healthcare. We cannot rely upon any doctor to provide us with all of the information there is to prevent disease and to even learn of disease. With today's technology, there are too many resources at our disposal for us to remain ignorant of any issue. Another thing is, are we doing our best at taking good care of ourselves? I can honestly say that I don't practice self breast examination as I should. I don't eat the best diet either, so why would I expect my doctor to spend so much time on my body and me if I don't do it myself. And it's not because I'm paying her. Doctors have a huge responsibility, especially if they're the only doctor in a particular office. They've got to see everyone that walks into the door and with this being known, time is money, and each patient represents more money. A doctor explained to me that doctors who have office practices have to see a patient every 15 minutes. Times have changed and so has the responsibilities of our doctors. It's no longer just about the patient. It's about the mortgage on the building, the light bill, insurances, and staff salaries. How can we improve things? We need to take back the power that's been given to physicians for our care. We need to take a more active part in our own healthcare. There are a lot of issues behind the scenes that we are unaware of. At times, I wonder if doctors are there to treat, prevent or cure?
It may seem as if I'm contradicting myself, but there are two sides to every coin. Yes, I do feel the doctor should have taken more time with me, but I also understand why she didn't and maybe couldn't. But the big picture for me is that I need to do my best to prevent disease. I need to do my best to take proper care of my body. I should view my doctor visits as simple check-ups. I should go in with the knowledge and pride that my body is in great condition and she won't find anything wrong. I still feel she should've taken more time in getting to know me and talk with me in regards to any issues that I may have had. She could've at least asked me if there was anything that I needed to discuss. But also, I shouldn't look to be in her office for a lengthy period of time. I should be secure in myself and with myself to say "I really don't need to be here, because I'm fine and I've seen to it that I am." Your health and my health is truly in the hands of the beholder. You and I both hold the key to our own healthcare. Power is knowledge, and knowledge is the key to prevention, and prevention is the key to great healthcare. Will I go back to Dr L? I'll tell you what, we'll see how I feel about it next year. I want to have a good relationship with Dr L and I understand that it will take time, but it's more important to me to have an even better relationship with my own body and feel secure in the fact that I've taken good care of it and that 15 minutes with her is all that I need. Do I still long for my old doctor even though I only saw her once a year and for less than an hour, of course I do! What can I say, I love her and even when I would see her, my health was still in the hands of me, the beholder.
Thank you for taking to time to read my article. I look forward to sharing more words of wisdom. I will be hanging around Ezine Articles for a while. There are a lot of interesting topics I will be discussing.
To learn more about me Click Here
To see me in action Click Here
Here's to life enrichment,
Cynthia L. Dixon
No comments:
Post a Comment