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