Everything is okay

[coffeedaiv]

I want to lead with that, as i am ranting about seeing a doctor. What i want is a Concierge to make necessary medical appointments for me, and then to take the results of those medical appointments and tell me what to do with them. What I have is … I have to make my own appointments, talk to doctors (frequently not the same one I talked to the last time) who don’t have the time to actually look at the charts and notes and information from my previous appointments, who can work with me to get where I need to be. I know I have a responsibility for my own health. I know I need to eat well, to exercise appropriately, to take my prescriptions and keep them up to date and see the people I need to see when I need to see them, and listen to what they say. But it’s that last bit… I did a remote video appointment today. Because it was just about talking over the lab results from blood tests I got, seeing where things are regarding blood sugar and cholesterol. Based on what i read, I have already taken steps (reduced red meat intake, reduced sugar intake (an ongoing process)). And I was telling the doctor this, and she … didn’t really seem to want to engage with me about it. I suppose, it may be a function of the video conference, or of the time pressure, or just that i don’t know how to ask the right questions or I am getting answers I don’t like (I am resistant to taking more medicine, more drugs, than I can avoid by proper lifestyle (I ride about 7 miles a day, i walk 2-3 every work day, etc)) (My father’s addictions have shaped my behavior in a whole host of ways, not all of which are healthy). In a nutshell, she said “build a relationship with a physician.” But really, what i feel like she was saying was “Have built a consistent relationship with the same physician for the last several years, and talk to that Dr about this stuff. Also, lose weight, and take diabetes medicine, even though you are not diabetic, because even though you dropped .2 points in six months, it’s not enough, but i don’t like to prescribe medicine, and bodies are weird and science and statistics and why are you here anyway.” It was, in short, not a really productive interaction.