Doctor's Visit - Beware!

Last year I went to my OB/GYN for my annual well woman's visit. But this year I had no particular complaints so I went to my regular family physician. Well actually a different one. You see the family physican moved away and before she left she introducted me to another doctor who would take over her practice. She seems nice enough. I was sorry to lose my doctor, but thought that I would give this other doctor a try when it was time for my annual well woman visit.

And what a visit that was; first of all the doctor that I went to see was not there. The receptionist and/or nurse suggested I see another doctor that was there that day. Okay, I really had no compliants in particular, I agreed to see the new doctor.

In the end I wasn't very thrilled. I told him that I run several miles or bicycle almost every day and workout on the weight equipment at the YMCA. He proceeded with his little light to look into my eyes, ears, nose and throat. He compliments me; told me I had nice teeth and clean ears. I was beginning to feel like a horse on the auction block.

The wipped out his double action special instrument that had a hammar at one end and a long needle at the other end. He knocks on my joints; arms and knee. An he proceeded to stick me all over the legs with the other end of that instrument. I was puzzled? First, of all I didn't have any compliants and second I just told him that I ran, biked and worked out! I'm active, of course, I can feel my legs. I certainly felt the prick of the pin; my knee jerk reflect just nearly missed his thigh.

The breast exam, could have been skipped all together for how swift unthrough that it was, although at this point, that was a good thing; because by now I'm thinking that I may have made a mistake.

Before I left the examination room, the nurse rolled out the EKG machine; I'm thinking that it was old or misfunctioning because my pulse was 48. My pulse has been that low? Before I left his office; he had a paper printout and pointed to the blockage that would probably demand a pace maker in a few years.

Okay, I'm ready to go now! I'm ready to get out of here! Later I wondered why didn't use his hand and his watch and re-check my pulse at my wrist, to verify the accuracy of the EKG machine?

You see I had compared my visit to the one I had with my OB/GYN last year. She spent an entire hour with me for first visit; not ten minutes. And she was very thorough and took her time with the exams. She was very pleasant and personal. And there was no EKG machine anywhere in sight? There was no hammar with a long needle at the other end either. I miss her - the good doctor! Next year I'm back to the OB/GYN.

I guess the moral of the story is - not all doctors are created equal. We need to be very careful about the doctors we choose. I think personal referrence by word of mouth is a good place to start.