Oh sure, for some this is a mundane, pointless kind of thing. But I don’t go to the doctor. I mean I really don’t. Even while knocking at death’s door, I’m usually still convinced I’m just about to get better and going to the doctor is unnecessary. I’m like a paranoid hypochondriac in reverse. I catch something and become utterly concerned about it, but am at the same time completely certain that, like the noise that doesn’t sound when you take your car to the mechanic, if I go to the doctor, they’ll tell me I’m fine and being paranoid. Plus I’m also…well…honestly…afraid and intimidated by doctors (sorry to any physicians out there).
Well, I’ve been having problems with my ears, sleep and equilibrium–which are recurring problems I’ve had with for years (had tubes in my ears as a kid). I’m highly susceptible to ear infections and decided this time I wasn’t going to wait until I was blasting the TV and breaking out in a rash with a fever due to infection.
Of course, my principal still worked today—I went to the doctor and didn’t have what I was afraid I might. She said my ears are definitely irritated and there’s some fluid but no infection yet. She thinks it’s a more severe reaction to allergies (here in VA/DC) than I’m used to experiencing (in Ohio). She also thinks some of it is my asthma flaring up even though I’m not having any full fledge attacks which is causing me pain in my chest muscles (and <blush> probably contributing to a snoring issue). Also, my blood pressure was elevated so she wants me to start monitoring it. She said something interesting too. She said she could see the whole where my tube was in my right ear–I didn’t know that after all these years, it would still be something they could see.
The best news came after getting on the doctor’s scale, which is HIGHLY unique. While its never fun (for me anyway) to weigh in, at least I was 6 lbs less than I was at the beginning of September when a bunch of us here committed to getting healthy and fit. That’s about a pound a week and when I told her what I was doing and the result, she was pleased to hear it.
It was not nearly so scary a doctor’s visit as I usually anticipate and fear (and have sometimes/often experienced due to the Wheel of Fortune way of picking doctors through insurers). So, considering I picked too her from our insurance providers list of doctors, I was pretty lucky. She minds me of a kind hearted and funny professor PLD, and I had in school and I felt comfortable talking to her—which absolutely NEVER happens to me.
So I went to the doctor today, and I didn’t die of fright. I’m pretty pleased. While it is M & P, it also was S I M S…with someone.
So, anyone else out there afraid of going to the doctor? I mean, really afraid so that you never go?
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