So you’ve heard the one about this guy having his head so far up his you know what he could not even see the light of day.
No better a segue I can think of for a thorny subject like gastroenterology, wouldn’t you agree?!
Of all possible choices for proctologist, I had to pick the one later accused of sexual misconduct, not just on one occasion with accusations lodged by one accuser, but, in fact, by two. I sure can pick ‘em, can’t I?! Though no formal charges were ever brought, the doctor was ordered to stop practicing medicine.
And, as if that wasn’t bad enough, he never communicated with my then family doctor what the findings of a then recent colonoscopy were. It was only after my persistence and insistence that the two university trained medical professionals talk to each other that I was able to learn the reason for my rectal bleeding. It was due to an inflammation in the lining of my rectum — a condition otherwise referred to as proctitis.
As for my former family physician this guy took the cake.
So, I made an appointment to go in to see this individual to have two skin tags on my neck removed. No big deal, right?! You wouldn’t think so. Guess again.
So, I was waiting in the examining room to be seen. After waiting for a while, the doctor walks in and with him comes this intern.
Okay.
The doc then asked the reason for my visit and I informed him there were two skin tags on my neck that I wanted removed. The doctor then proceeded to take an ink pen out of his coat pocket, click it once, and with the ball point extended went ahead and circled in ink the two skin tags, and immediately following, he asks: “Do you mind if my intern does the work?” or something to that effect. I answered in the affirmative, my exact words being: “Well, I would prefer that you do it,” the surgical procedure, that is, at which point the doctor became livid.
Well, he did ask me and I answered him truthfully. I’m pretty sure I have a say when it comes to the type of care I receive. If I didn’t then why even ask?! Long story short, the intern was the one who wound up excising the tags — or so I thought. Sit back. This gets way more interesting.
When I arrived at home, I went straight to the bathroom to look into the mirror to check the intern’s handiwork. I hate to break it to you but not only did dear ol’ doc not check the intern’s work before I left the physician’s office that day, as if to add injury to insult, the intern only removed one of the tags and whatever else happened to be on the surface of my neck at that time that I had no clue even needed tending to. Lo and behold, I discovered the second tag was still there with ink circle around it and all. Needless to say I had to make another appointment to return to the office to this time have the overlooked skin tag — the one that failed to get excised — removed. Which, I did. And, which proved my point about my not wanting the intern to perform the surgery.
Third time’s a charm, they say. Right?
So get a load of this.
Prior to having my teeth cleaned once, bite-wing X-rays were taken. After the cleaning, the dentist came to do a superficial inspection of the job my hygienist did regarding the teeth cleaning. At this point my X-rays were put up on the display monitor and the dentist shared with me what he had spotted with the hygienist looking on.
What the dentist pointed out was what he said was a cracked filling. Even though we were both looking at the same displayed image, he and I were not seeing the same thing. I could neither concur with nor confirm what he said he saw.
At any rate, the dentist advised me to make an appointment to get that fixed. Not wanting to call him out on this nor question his assessment, I asked: “What’s the worst that can happen if I don’t get this fixed?” His response: “It’ll eventually fall out.” My retort: “Fine. I’ll wait.”
I’ll have you know it’s been 10 years since that exchange and the good dentist has since left town. And, no subsequent dentist I have gone to has so much as even mentioned any such cracked filling. I know I don’t have to tell you what kind of appearance this has.
