Patience and the Medical World

When you've been as patient a patient as you can be, and your patience has finally worn out. I hope a doctor is listening?

The Physician:

I don't mean to complain about those who've been called to heal the body and mind. After all, I wouldn't want to do your job. Still, I do have a few things I'd like to say, in hopes that one of you out there in the medical world will begin to see things through your patient's point of view.

The Patient, Patient:

I suppose that at one time my doctor's believed that I was the most patient patient they ever had. There was no patient more patient than I was with them. Having made that clear, I also have to say that my patience with the medical world has finally run dry. I'll tell you why.

The Waiting:

How long does it take you to eat lunch? How many unexpected emergencies can there be in the moment before you're supposed to see me? Are you really that important? How many people do you schedule for one ten minute period? Why do I have to make an appointment at all? Should it be acceptable for me to wait in your, "waiting room," endlessly? Would you wait for me if I was that late?

The Language:

I have to ask this question too. Is there a doctor out there who speaks English? I ask you to agree with me when I say, "Please don't mention a dreaded disease when you're standing right in front of me." It seems that some doctors think out loud a bit too often, but please, at least think in English for me and try not to terrify me in the process of thinking. Most of all just use plain, ole English and you'll find that I'm more patient than I would have been otherwise. One more thing: Please don't do that, "hmmmm," thing.

The Prescription:

Do I really need a pill? Will it really keep me from getting ill? I wonder sometimes if those prescriptions are just a way to create a patient who stays away and pays anyway. Don't you think that maybe sometimes it's wise to sit down and talk to me a while? I know how busy you are, but unless I'm mistaken. . .aren't I paying you very well? Maybe I don't need so many pills.

The Specialists:
Now this seems to be a new thing for me, but these days I seem to need more doctors than ever before. Right now I see about six specialists. I have a general doctor who sends me to another doctor. One of those other doctors might be a Gynecologist. Sometimes it's an Oncologist, a Neurologist, an Optometrist and I even see a Neuro-optometrist. Let's not forget the Psychologist. There was once a time when I had to see the Obstetrician and then the Pediatrician. I'm sure there are more I forgot to mention, but isn't it a bit ridiculous?

I suppose I'm glad that some of them are considered experts at one thing, but it seems to me that I'm only one human being. Wouldn't it be nice if we could find a doctor who knew us so well, that he or she could actually help us get well?

The Good News:

I'm happy to say that I do have a few doctor's who get what I mean. One is a Retina guy. Although nothing is wrong with my retina at all, I drop by to see him sometimes, just because he takes the time to sit down and chat for a while. Besides, he is kind.

My Oncologist has become like family, now that I've been seeing him for almost eight years. With the big, "C" tattooed on me, I suppose my Oncologist will be around for a while, but he never keeps me waiting at all. It might be because I'm paying for his ocean front home. I don't know. Still, remember this:
Be as patient a patient as you can, but when you are finally fed up, speak up I believe if we stopped blindly accepting the way the medical world works, maybe we'd all have more time for life somewhere else.

Learn more about this author, Vicki Phipps.
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