I couldn't agree more with the picture on the right, but I am beginning to waver in my conviction.
On the 9th I saw my new "Health First Approved" general practitioner, and I'm surprisingly optimistic about the future.
The office is located in a hospital, so as one would expect, it was very busy. Full of people who have landed on hard times for one reason or another, mostly lower middle class people of ethnic backgrounds or elderly. Basically hardworking people who can't afford medical insurance on there pittance of a salary. But scattered among the crowd, more then I've ever seen before, were those few who this was a completely new experience, who once had money but now had to rely on government aid.
You could tell who they were because they were the most uncomfortable, the most unhappy about having to be there, and had a tendency to be rather rude.
Though the place was busy the staff were amazing. They moved like a well oiled machine. Everyone knew there job and did there job without complaint, all the while being polite and friendly. But I got to say, the nurses were my favorite part of my visit.
Women who are hard working, experienced, abrupt but friendly, yet don't take any crap.
My kind of nurses.
Maybe not the most professional, especially when the one who calls people to the back makes jokes about if you don't hurry shes gonna leave you behind, but you could tell there was no malice to it.
They took my blood with experienced steady hands, and though I may have felt rushed, I never felt neglected.
As for my new doctor, Dr. Blank, though very business like, and a bit overwhelmed with all the medical info I had to give her, never made me feel like a child, like I was less then or beneath her in class. Doctors have a tendency to display a classic arrogance of position, and not once did I get that from her.
She listened to everything I had to say and spoke to me like I was an intelligent human being, never belittling any of my concerns, and suggesting avenues to move forward with aspects of my health that had yet to be addressed.
When we got to talking about my Fibromyalgia, she never made me feel like she didn't believe me, even suggesting physical therapy which is something I've been trying to get for over 2 years now. She even paid attention to the little things like asking me about my exercise routine, what I'm doing, and giving me some tips and advice to help me with some problems I've been having.
So I hate to say this, cause I'm afraid it's gonna come back to bite me in the ass, but I think I might have found a good doctor. Go figure I had to go through all this shit, all the bad doctors and insurance issues in order to find a doctor that can actually help me.
I'm beginning to feel HOPE bloom in my chest, and it's scaring the shit out if me....lol
(1st photo by IrethWaverly, 2nd photo by girly-girl-graphics, both provided by Photobucket and directly linked)
You would think, in one of the biggest city's in the world, it would be easy to find doctors, get diagnosed, and treated for any kind of problem you might have ...Well... it's not. This is a blog about my personal journey living with "recently diagnosed" Fibromyalgia in New York City and dealing with the stigma that comes with having an invisible disorder.
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