A Good Doctor is Hard to Find

So after reading my good friend AmyBow's blog everyday - I have decided it is time for me to create my own.

A little background for those that do not know me....

I am a working mother of two gorgeous children (RJ - 4 yrs and LD - 18 mos). I just started a new job about 2 months ago, which I am really enjoying now (I didn't have the easiest time adjusting - but that will be another post). I have the best "hoos" ever (to quote AmyBow) - I will refer to him as JT. We have been together for 12 years and married for over 5. Like most of my friends, I am just trying to get through each day having accomplished something at work, and made sure that my family is taken care of. I am also trying hard to take care of me too, which I know is really important, but doesn't always happen. Which leads me to my topic of the day... "A Good Doctor is Hard to Find"

So after taking care of LD for the past few weeks who has been sick with various childhood ailments (eye infections, ear infections, wheezing, hives, coughing, etc.) I have finally gotten sick myself. It is not that I am celebrating this, I am merely annoucing it's inevitable arrival.

I knew that something wasn't right with my contacts on Sunday, so I took the left one out, rinsed it and put it back in. By the time I had finished all the Sunday night activities (cooking dinner, cleaning up, making lunches, getting RJ and LD to bed) I realized that maybe I should take the contacts out. Well----that when I released the "pink eye" that was hiding in there!! Not to mention that I have been stuffy, coughing, had a sore throat, etc. for weeks, but ignoring it. I end up going to bed early and having the worst night sleep.

In the morning, I decide that there is no way I can go to work and that I need to see the doctor.
So I call into work and then call the doctor to make an appt. I really have not made much on an effort to find a good doctor since moving 5 years ago. Previously I saw our family doctor for years and even worked for him. He is getting on in years and is just too far for me to go each time I am sick. I decided that I would find a doctor by location so I chose one that is on my insurance and close to home. Well, after yesterday, I will never go back to him again and the search continues.

Here's how it went....

I arrive at the Dr's at 2:30 for my 2:45 appt. Hoping to maybe be seen early (yeah what a joke!). I was not seen until after 3:30!!! After watching verious patients enter and exit with their prescriptions in hand, I got really irritated. All I wanted was to get my little slip of paper and walk out, since I clearly already knew what was wrong with me - yes, you gain the power of self-diagnosing when you become a mother.

After 2 trips to the front desk guy, he finally went back there to find out what was going on. Finally, I am taken back by the RUDEST nurse on the planet!! She doesn't even apologize to me, she just says "Are you still going to stay for the appointment? (with a nasty tone) - I tell her yes, I am sure that I have pink eye and I have two small children in daycare. She then replies, when do you need to be out of here? HONESTLY!! I tell her about 30 mintues ago - I need to pick up my kids!!! I tell her that I saw many people come and go in the waiting room - her response is "they are seeing specialist and they will just touch your stomach and send you on your way" (That really instill confindence in the practice - what a moron). So she takes my vitals and then walks out slamming the door!

The Dr comes in a few minutes later with no apologies - just some stupid nicey-nice voice that makes me want to scream. He asks "how long have you had these symptoms..." I tell him that I have "pink eye" - so leaves the room and comes back with this thing in a wrapper and tell me he want to do a "Corneal abrasion test", and that he has to numb my eye. I tell him that I have pink eye and didn't scratch my cornea. He says that he doesn't have all the stuff to do the test anyway so I can't have it. I wasn't letting this QUACK near my eye with some probe thingy.

I tell him that I have a sore throat and my ear hurt. He barely looks in my throat and doesn't even bother to look in my ears. He summarizes the appointment by triumpantly annoucing that I have conjunctivitis (pink eye) and an upper respiratory infection!! Score one for DOC - didn't I tell you that when I walked in here!

In the end I leave with my 2 slips of paper and I am off to Walgreens to get my meds. After getting the kids I go back to pick up the meds, only to realize that SUPER DOC wrote the script wrong for the antibiotic!! Thank goodness I mentioned in my appointment that I am allergic to penicillin - otherwise who know what would have happened.

I seriously considered calling RJ and LD's pediatrician to see if they could just see me. Their office is so efficient and the Dr's are great - why is it so hard to find a good adult Dr???

If anyone has a good one to refer - please let me know.

My next blog promises to not be so long!