I've had it!

Have I ever told you how many doctors I've been too?  Well, let's just say too many...about 10 in the past 5 years.  And you know what they have all told me?   Nothing.  You know how much they have helped me?  not a bit.  Every test has come back negative, every hope that I would begin to feel better has been squashed.  Maybe they think they're being funny when they say, "good news, your test came back negative!".  No.  Not funny, especially if you waste my time and money and then have no answers for me! I am sick of having blood drawn, samples taken, doctors throwing medicine at me...

And that brings us to today...where I had yet another wonderful experience to add to my arsenal.  I had asked around the office to try and find a good GP, but most of the responses I got were "oh, I haven't been to the doctor in like 6 years".  Wouldn't that be nice?!  One of my coworkers suggested a Dr. right around the corner, and I hoped rather than expected that I would like him.

I walked into the office...and it was shabby, badly painted, and out-of-date.  That's ok I told myself, you can't tell everything from the waiting room!.  The receptionist was really friendly, which, it ends up, is the only thing the place had going for it.

Several minutes later, I found myself being led down a corridor to a scale, having my blood pressure taken, and getting my temperature taken (my, this seems familiar...).  Another side note - I don't think anyone spoke English as their first language.  I'm just sayin.

So the doctor took me into the room, asked me a few perfunctory questions, made me feel awkward and stupid, and then said "the doctor will be in shortly".  Right, that must have been the nurse.  If shortly mean 20 minutes later, that's news to me.  The worst part about it is that it just gives me time to get nervous, feel like I will forget everything I need to tell him, and then get so frustrated by his lack of care/compassion/knowledge that I have a breakdown.  This is why I love going to the doctor.

Over the past few weeks, I had taken the time to write up an easy-to-read bare bones timeline of all my various symptoms during the past 6 years, including the fact that I have felt sick constantly for the last 2 1/2.  This was the first time I went to a doctor since I had completed it, and I was NOT impressed or encouraged when he glanced at the first page (of 3) and then handed it back to me.  How the heck are you going to diagnose me if you don't take my symptoms into consideration?!!

The good news is, he agreed to do a blood test for Lyme disease.  I have been researching it a ton in the past few weeks, and, for the first time, my symptoms actually seem to make some sense.  I have an appointment with a specialist, but it is a 3 month wait...so I figured a GP in the meantime might be helpful for a blood test or two.

Dr. what's his name (something like Rashim Khurram) got up and said "They will take blood.  After, I will come in and examine you".  By this point, I had been in the office for about 45 minutes.  I didn't love the doctor (not very personable), but he wasn't on my black list yet.

It takes what, like 2 minutes to draw blood?  I sat in that dim little room for THIRTY minutes waiting for someone to come stick me with a needle.  Finally, I was so agitated that I stuck my head out into the hall and asked a nurse to get someone to take my blood.  He said, "ok, no problem.  I take care of it right now".  Ten minutes later, the doctor sticks his head back in, "they've taken blood?".  NO.  I'M STILL WAITING.  Another 5 minutes, and that nurse comes in.  He acts like he can't remember what things he needs, as he stands there thinking and remembering what it is that he is looking for.  Heck no! I am not having some rookie with no skills take my blood!  I was so frustrated by this point that I didn't think twice before saying, "How long have you been doing this?".
"Oh, it's my first day" he said, smiling.  Whatever.  He kept joking about that for the next few minutes while I watched the blood that would most likely lead to another negative test drain out of my arm.  "Not bad for my first day, huh?  Please recommend me with your friends!".  I kind of wanted to smack him.  I'm not usually short tempered, but I just get so frustrated with the crap I have to put up with every single time I go to the doctor!
As he was leaving I said, "could you please get the doctor for me?  I have to get back to work".
"Sure, he is right out here" was his response...although I wasn't expecting much.

I sat there for probably 15 more minutes, all the while getting more and more worked up.  To say I was frustrated would be a massive understatement.  I sat on the examining table, trying to reason through the good of my staying for him to examine me.  Finally, when the tears started to well up, I decided I had had enough.  I grabbed my bag and stalked out of the office.  Man did it feel good.  I will never go back to that office again.
The end.