(no subject)

[rusty_armour]

Let me just say for the record that I hate going to the doctor. I mean, I'd rather see my dentist any day. Really. And, up until recently, I went out of my way to avoid seeing a doctor. Okay, I saw a couple in various walk-in clinics, but that was only due to actual illness or injury. Anyway, I came to the decision a few months ago that this silly little phobia had to end. Ergo, I went and got myself a family doctor. As I had heard horror stories about how impossible it is to find a doctor in Ontario, I assumed the search would take at least two to three years. In fact, I was counting on it. Instead, I managed to find a doctor after only one visit to the The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario website and two phone calls. At the time this seemed wonderful...until I realized that I would be expected to do things like, oh, go to this doctor for a physical examination, etc.

My first appointment was okayish. We just talked in her office as she took down my medical history. However, today was the actual physical exam. After waiting for more than three hours (and coming pretty close to finishing the novel I was reading), I was sitting in the exam room with the doctor as she went through the files she had received from my previous doctor. I swear she was mentally shaking her head. I'm too embarassed to say how long it had been, but I'm pretty sure my status had gone from "a little strange" to "FREAK!" -- and this was before I had to strip off my clothes and put on one of those horrible paper gowns.

Now, I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that most of my doctor phobia centers around the nakedness alone. I mean, I'm not sure why they even bother with the paper gowns. I couldn't get mine to tie up at the back, and the doctor pretty much pulls it off anyway. Not that I'm complaining about the exam itself. The new doctor did her best to put me at ease, and I really only felt mildly embarrassed. And that time of the month got me out of another kind of exam, so I was pretty grateful for that. Then, she discovered this tiny wart under my nose...

I had noticed it, of course, but I was too dense to realize it was a wart. I just thought it was this stubborn face-crashing bump that wouldn't take the hint and leave. So not a wart at all. Nope. Maybe an extra strength pimple. *Clears throat* Anyway, my doctor seemed to think that I should be concerned about this and might want to remove it. As wart removal isn't covered under OHIP, it would cost $100 and be pretty painful because she would be using a needle to freeze this rather sensitive area and then burning it away. Did I want to have the procedure done today? As it sounded oh-so-appealing, I naturally said "yes". And you know what? It was painful. Not unbearably so, mind you, but painful enough to force tears from eyes. The tears might have also been due to the intensely strong O.R. lamp she used to see the wart. In any case, there were tears streaming down my face by the time she had completed the little wart-enectomy. I think I might have made the one guy left in the waiting room a little nervous when I emerged from the exam room with red eyes and a tear-splotched face. *g*

You know what the scary thing is? I have to go back in three weeks to have the, er, er exam and discuss my glucose test. Oh, shit! I've got to go to a lab and have blood drained out of me! They're going to take blood! AAAARRRGGGHHHH!!! *Takes a deep breath* Okay, okay. It's fine. At least there won't be nakedness involved. They just have to search for that deep vein of mine that's usually impossible to find and...Oh, SHIT!

Did I say my second entry would be more interesting...? No, I said "different". I said it would be "different". I think this is definitely "different". *g*

Comments

[espirk.livejournal.com]

You were frickin' born to write on LJ! I can sympathize so much with your doctor woes. My doctor has only recently started to see more of me because I've had to get tests done and papers signed by him before I could be accepted to teacher's college. Otherwise, good lord, I *hate* going to see the doctor!

The wait alone nearly kills you (or if not, just totally wastes your time), and then top that off with the part where they find there's this thing that's wrong with you and they can do the procedure right there--surprise!, it's hell. I have problems when I go in for blood work too. My veins are soooo small that they can't find it. The last technician who was able to draw some blood advised me to tell future technicians that they should use a *baby needle* on me...

Frickin' Doctors! *g*

[rusty-armour.livejournal.com]

LOL! I didn't say this in my original post, but the main reason I got a doctor was because I needed a referral for a new allergy specialist! *g* I wonder if anyone actually goes to the doctor if they *don't* need a referral, tests that need to be done or papers to be signed. I hadn't thought of it before, but you would need to be up-to-date medically if you're going to teacher's college. Usually that's a requirement for anyone working with kids.

The wait alone *can* kill you, though in my case it helped settle my nerves. By the time the doctor was free, I was actually happy to see her because I knew there was now some chance that I'd be getting out of that office! And, yeah, there usually *is* some procedure that you have to go back for because they can't do it that day.

It looks like we suffer from similar woes when it comes to blood work, though I've never had a technician suggest that a "baby needle" should be used in future. I think my veins are just deep. I've had at least two nurses and an oral surgeon (I was having my wisdom teeth removed) throw up their hands in despair. *g*

[jackycomelately.livejournal.com]

Hmmm...I've never noticed any "stubborn face-crashing bump." Was it on the inside of your nose? Like a stubborn face-crashing booger? Oh, yes, "the, er, er exam." Such fun, I have promised myself to get it done this summer. I'm way over due for a general check-up. Did she ever tell you anything about your glucose test?

In conclusion, love the Hinterland icon!

[rusty-armour.livejournal.com]

Okay, I have to say that I love the fact that you're commenting on every single entry I've made so far in my LJ! I was hoping you would make it over here eventually and start providing some comments, but I wasn't expecting this! :-) Anyway, my "stubborn face-crashing bump" was right under my nose and was very tiny. I'm surprised that my doctor managed to find it, actually. The last time I saw you, it was completely gone. It's, like, it never existed. As for my "er, er exam," it had to be postponed a second time because, once again, I got my monthly visitor. I'm not sure if my doctor believed me, but it came the day before my appointment. I swear to Herne that it did! We've re-scheduled it for August when I have to see her again anyway.

It's sweet of you to ask about the glucose test. After all my moaning, the glucose test (and whatever else they tested for) was a breeze. After explaining to the technician that I have deep veins, she told me that as long as I had blood in me it wouldn't be a problem. And she was right. She found my vein without any trouble at all and the process was surprisingly quick and painless.

I'm so happy that you like the Hinterland icon. I think you're one of the few people who get the joke!