Doctors

One of the most frustrating things when navigating the medical system is dealing with doctors. When I was a kid I could hardly wait for my appointment to be over so I could get my little vanilla wafer and go home and watch Felix the Cat and Speed Racer on T.V. I didn't care about how much time the doctor spent with me. I just wanted out of his office.

As an adult, however, I have a much different perspective, mainly because as I've gotten older I've had to deal with more and more medical problems. What I care about now is that my doctor listens to me. I want my doctor to converse with me, not talk at me like I'm some kind of dumb mannequin. On top of that the typical patient flies through a doctor's office like bagged lettuce on a conveyor belt. It takes the doctor about four nano-seconds to give them a diagnosis and send them to Walgreens to pick up their pills. And don't get me started on getting an appointment.

Nowadays, it's almost impossible to get a doctors appointment the same week you call to set one up. Just about every doctor I've made an appointment with the last few years, I wasn't able to get in to see for at least three weeks. Sometimes more. What winds up happening is that you have to deal with your physical or psychological pain for a few weeks until your appointment and then when you get there the doctor asks you a couple of questions - maybe - makes a diagnosis, and shoos you out of the office. It's aggravating because the doctor isn't looking at you as a human being, they are looking at you as a conglomeration of parts. The part you complain about is what they focus on. They don't ask about you as a person and what life stressors or issues may be affecting you as a patient and as a result they don't get the whole picture of you as a person.

Because of this, I have found myself advocating for myself more and more forcefully and doing a lot of my own research. I've challenged the doctors entrusted to my care to listen to me and look at my as a whole person. Most of the time they get mad. I had my last GP call me a Jr. Doctor because I didn't agree with his assessment of me. He got upset because I challenged him on something. I told him very nicely that I needed him to listen to me and talk to me. To view me as a human being, not a "patient."

I can see why so many people are flocking to alternative healers. They are just sick of their fucking doctors.