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Eureka! -----Original Message----- From: edith love <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> Date: Saturday, September 21, 2002 4:07 PM Subject: New Internist: First Appointment >Hi, Everyone, > >Someone better pinch me because I think I'm in a Sinemet/Mirapex cocoon! >You know, the kind where you sit in a comfortable chair, and, before you >know it, you're out like a light "adventuring in La La Land! > >Today was the day. This afternoon the time. And what an experience! >However, to fully explain this amazing occurrence more completely, let me >walk back a few paces. > >To prepare for my appointment with my new internist, I took a copy of the >HOW DID WE GET HERE ANYWAY SURVEY, changed the WE to I and completed it as I >did before for the actual survey-plus additions. I also completed my Power >of Attorney - Advance Health Care Directive and took a copy of it with >me, too. I had to be sure that my new physician would agree to my > "HEALTH CARE" decisions. > >Upon entering the office, the receptionist handed me the usual basic >"patient history" form. I offered my survey instead. She looked at it and >told me that it was far and above anything they had given me. Then she made >arrangements to have a blank copy of the survey sent to their office for >their use > >Another sheet was handed to me. This one was entitled: >HOW TO GET THE MOST OF TODAY'S APPOINTMENT, and it covered the day's major >concern, information on any med refills necessary, room for pertinent >questions to be asked and a reminder to be aware of what procedures were >done and what would be done during the next appointment. It finalized with >a reminder to carry the doctor's card in case of an emergency. Was I >impressed! Aside from the usual short history, the only thing I have been >constantly asked at each medical visit was/is, "Do you have Black Lung >Disease!?!" > >After the usual weight, height, blood pressure routine, I was escorted into >an examining room. Some time later, the doctor and a resident appeared. >They had been late getting into the examining room because they had not only >been studying my survey information, they had actually gotten my records >from neurology and were amazingly versed on my medical condition! There he >stood with this huge file! All I could think of was, "Is this for real!?!" > >Before he could do anything, I mentioned that before I could be his patient, >I had to be sure he agreed to my health care instructions and showed him the >pages. He not only completely agreed with me, he congratulated me on the >caliber of the material presented and said he wished that all of his >patients were so well prepared. He even filled in his own section on >PRIMARY PHYSICIAN! Excited? Ecstatic? Dare I say? > >What followed was an hour and a half of discussion and exam. Instead of >telling me what I needed, it was, "These are the things we can do for you. >You decide what is the most important for you NOW." In addition, I was >informed that I had an excellent neuro-one extremely capable M.D., and he >would be consulting with that M.D. before my next appointment with him. > > Words cannot fully express how impressed I was/am with his knowledge of my >case! He verified the ongoing diagnosis--something different, not seen >before, the area of the brain involved, etc. To me, this is almost too good >to be true, but just in case I'm dreaming, please do me a favor. Don't >awaken me! > >In thought and mind; in caring and friendship, >E of the headdress > >---------------------------------------------------------------------- >To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] >In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn