2.22.2011

Check up

It was just routine. I want to run more and my asthma is preventing me, and the last doctor wasn’t so helpful.  I’ve mentioned before not wanting to be a patient, but I don’t mind going to the PCP.  It was a good reminder of the patient experience. That patients come in with a narrative in mind, things they want to say to their doctor and have their doctor care about (“I’ve never run more than a mile and I want to run 5Ks, isn’t that great?!”).  She went beyond what I came in for and asked about my history in the computer, asked if I had any other questions or concerns, she was good.

The importance of physical exam is interesting. There are a lot of interesting, important things you can pick up on physical exam – but the chances of finding something on an overall healthy person are slim. It is, however, important to the doctor-patient relationship. I knew she wasn’t going to hear me wheeze when she listened to my lungs or find a goiter when she palpated my thyroid, but it still felt reassuring to have my doctor lay her hands on me and check me out.  Isn’t that interesting?

1 comment:

  1. Just had my annual yesterday. It is comforting when she physically touches me. Besides, she's a very likable person.

    ReplyDelete