@daltonclancy you meet the new guy in person yet? The physical was thorough like he said?
@gthumith
I got home from my new patient physical approximately 3 hours ago. Regretfully over the past week I have developed a very persistent cough. Thankfully it has not been related to my asthma. As I stated previously we had a very good phone conversation and the physical went just as well.
Upon arrival my doctor came into the exam room and said "Well it looks like you're already challenging my clinical skills, thanks a lot buddy. Sorry about the mask but I have to wear it for my own protection and that way you don't see me laughing at you or hear me cursing at you under my breath. I will probably need to get a chest x-ray to figure out what's going on there and I will have a good listen to your lungs in a few minutes anyhow. Ordinarily I'd give you a playful punch on the arm at this point but I looked at your record and you're due for a tetanus shot today. It also says on your file you have a strange obsession with broken glass and Rusty nails if you ever want to talk about that but you are getting the shot either way, better safe than sorry". I like this guy already. "Speaking of your file there's one consistent term I'm seeing here time and again: Underweight, underweight and underweight. it seems like every doctor has noted it, every doctor has talked to you about it but nobody gave you an effective plan to correct it so let's start off by getting you weighed and measured, we will figure where you're at and where we need to go . So if you would just step on the scale for me please. No gown I see just the underwear, that's good as it makes my job easier. So many people get wound up having a doctor examing them. I do this every day and at this point in my career the human body is like a vending machine to me: You've seen one, you've seen them all. I don't care.
Yeah, you appear to be in pretty good physical condition however you are about 10lbs underweight we need to work on that. I will set up a simple modified diet plan program consisting of higher carbs good fats and protein. You will be eating 5 smaller nutrient enriched meals per day.. The end result will be a weight gain of about 10 lbs over 6 months and the weight gain itself will be that of muscle mass and not body fat, provided of course you keep up with your current exercise program. You are doing an excellent job with that from what I can see".
The exam itself was just like any other physical exam that I've had before: Head to toe and everything in between except for that nasty persistent cough kept following me. The "turn your head and cough" was quite an easy task. as II had the cough part nailed. Although these exams can feel awkward it was good to hear him say things like I have good posture and flexibility. He seems to give credit where credit is due. "We should get your chest X-ray done first and then you can come back here and we can discuss the results and course of treatment.
When I returned he informed me I had walking pneumonia which is a bit more serious than standard bronchitis. I was given some antibiotics and sleep medicine because it has been keeping me awake at night. He said he had an interesting theory as to why this occurred. "You have been having some underlying stress that you were not aware of. A bold career move and a relocation can, on the surface seem like an exciting opportunity. but underneath there is a fear that goes along with it. Youu are really stepping outside of your comfort zone and that can be stressful. I know how it is buddy, I was there too a few years ago when I moved to the area. You're still walking around saying to yourself ' I'm so damn cool when sheep go to sleep they count ME'. And you are right you are in fact that cool but on an unconscious level you are feeling anxiety. That good sir, is completely normal and it's called being human." I then had my tetanus shot.
He is absolutely correct. On my first day at work I did have a mild asthma attack but I didn't think too much about it, it happens now and again. So in addition to the meds he said I need to rest and need to take the rest of the week off. "Sleep in late, don't run the razor across your face, have an extra beer at the pub and give that mangy mutt of yours some extra ear scratches because she deserves it. There is no doubt you ARE sick and you need to rest" I can't argue with that logic at all.
So here I am sitting at my desk with a cold beer and my dog by my side. My girlfriend left a few hours ago as she is working the Newark to Dusseldorf flight this evening and she probably won't be back until Thursday. So I am on my own.
I have two follow up appointments. One is in about 10 days to check on my walking pneumonia. Then sometime in April I'm going back for a structural body assessment and check my weight and see if I've gained those 10 lbs that I need to gain. I have had mostly negative experiences with male doctors but I also do believe in second chances. At the end of the day I am very happy with my decision to choose this guy as my doctor. The most positive takeaway was the confidence I felt from the moment I walked in I feeling relaxed. He treated the situation like we were two old friends having a beer.