Wednesday, February 27, 2008

More fun with the Medical system

Yesterday I went to see my new doctor. She will be my new doctor for the annual necessary check-ups because she was suitable enough and I've decided she won't be my primary doctor. We met briefly in a busy office that also houses six other doctors so you can imagine the waiting room, dominated by young pregnant women and lots of little ones running around making lots of noise. It's a busy noisy place. I'm starting to think this is the norm.

In the past way back when I was living in Victoria, I had this fabulous doctor whose practice was in her basement/ground level suite of this grand old brownstone home that she lived in. There was a quiet entrance through a gate at the back that gave you a view of the everblooming garden as you descended the stone steps. I would often encounter one of her cats on the way to the office. The rooms and waiting room were naturally lit and serene. The furniture was natural wood. Only the examination table and her swivel chair were the really modern pieces of furniture. The "office" reflected the doctor. While she was very busy, I always felt that I had all the time I needed with her. I enjoyed going to see her. She always made sure all of my questions were answered. It was a very positive experience.

So this new office that I was in yesterday was a cubbyhole examination room. Doctors working on the 15 minutes per patient is a rude awakening for me. Anywho...this doctor did rule out my worst fears such as anemia. It took her little time to figure that out in contrast to the clinic doctor I saw on Thursday who questioned my diet. This doctor saw no problem with my diet or lifestyle. She still wants me to get my bloodwork done (D'oh!). I'll have to do that Friday when I'm off again since I have to fast 10 hours before I go. What? Start my day without espresso?

At the end of the day I decided that I will seek out a naturopathic doctor (ND) as well. I think this is a very worthwhile option since I'm not really comfortable with the "traditional" approach where I saw a doctor for the first time that lasted 15 minutes and she prescribed a drug to help with the dizziness even though I resisted and asked her if there was anything else I could do in terms of diet or whatever. Nope. She recommended the prescription. I've got it and I'll wait until I see the ND before filling it.

I guess this will be a long process before I get definite answers, but then this is my body, my health and I've never been one to believe in the quick fix so I'll be patient and hopefully, eventually I will feel like myself again.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

That's great that this doctor was vegan-friendly at least. I hope you can find out what the underlying cause of the dizziness is, though, so that you can do more than just treat the symptom. Good luck at the ND!