This week I phoned my family doctor for a Physical before my scheduled eye surgery. Before surgery I needed a physical examination by my local family doctor, who then would sign forms that the Eye Specialist required. So I asked the receptionist in my doctor's office if she could make an appointment for me so I could get the forms signed that I needed.
The receptionist replied, “We can’t do that, Roberta. Dr. East cannot fill out the forms. They need to be filled out by your regular doctor”.
”Dr. East is my regular doctor.”
Silence as if waiting for an explanation and perhaps I owe her that much. She probably can't remember ever seeing me in the doctor's office before. So I continued.
"I haven't been there for a long time. I just happen to be healthy. I only go to the Doctor when I am sick and I have not been sick for five or six years.”
Silence for a long moment on the other end. “Oh, hmm. Well…Okay. I’ll put you down for 9:00 a.m. on Monday.
I sighed with relief. Guess it’s true. What you don’t use, you lose. So are people like me a liability rather than an asset to his practice? I thought it was good to be healthy. Approved of by government, medical providers, and society in general.
Well I may be a liability to my doctor but I’m certainly not a liability to private Health Insurance with gratuities of more than $1500 per year. So if I am to fix this, what can I use a Doctor for besides medical attention? Should I pop into his office occasionally for a coffee and a casual visit?
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6 comments:
Well I really wish you good luck with the surgery--keep your eyes open with this group!
susan @ spinning
Thanks for the kind wishes, Susan. I do have to tell you I'm not quite so anxious after a follow-up report a friend gave me about this surgery.
She said her vision had deteriorated so much that when she opened her eyes after surgery she saw so much more than she had before that she had to 'poke herself in the eye' to see if she was dreaming!
Had to laugh at being a liability to your doctor...hope all goes well with the eye surgery.
Hi pauline, I guess even doctoring is a business and therefore keeps profit in mind. Though I never thought of it that way before. I find that kind of thinking a bit disconcerting. But I guess as in any other business, the preferred customer is the frequent customer.
Thanks for the good wishes for my surgery.
Good wishes, Roberta, you will see more!
I feel the same way, I only go to my Dr. when need be, and I don't need to go, but I do know many people who go each month like clockwork,,,,maybe it's their monthly outing, who knows?
You could go in just to check your weight and blood pressure I suppose? I only go every 6 months when I get a reminder.
Take care.
matty, I could go for those reasons, but I would probably come in red-faced, guilty about the weigh scales at home and the blood pressure monitor that MD bought us a few years ago.
Guess I could do like Hub. He visits relations whenever and sometimes without notice. I say to him, "Why do you do that?" He says, "Because I visit them for my sake, rather than theirs."
Maybe I'll just vist the Doc more often for my sake, rather than his -- maybe even without notice, as well. They'll certainly remember my frequent visits if I come when I don't even have an appointment and start insisting I do.
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