Sometimes, you just have to laugh. I saw a doc yesterday to help me deal with spasms in my esophagus that kicked up again when I started taking multiple supplements every day. I've had the problem since I was a kid and usually it only strikes a time or two each month. Once I started popping tons of pills each day, I must have revved things up. Each time I would eat something, I'd feel that nasty squeeze that makes me sit at the table with a mouth full of food, waiting for the pain to subside so I can swallow again. I've reduced the number of pills I'm taking and have been cautious about the foods I eat. But the solution - a pill! So here I am explaining that I can't swallow pills without pain and he gives me a pill to fix it. That is just too ironic. I guess the medical philosophy is to fight fire with fire!
What's even more interesting to me is that I will follow the doctor's advice, even though it seems silly to me that I have to do something, for at least a little while, that doesn't seem to make sense. Why? Because I trust my doctor. I've been to him before and I have to say he is just about the nicest doc I've ever dealt with. He has a way of making me feel totally comfortable and able to ask any question I have floating around in my brain. He looks me straight in the eye when we talk and after I have had my say, he looks down and jots a few notes. He shakes my hand when he walks in and then again when I leave. His office staff is sweet and courteous and they make an effort to get me in and out quickly. I might also mention he is the doctor that introduced me to the wonderful world of the colonoscopy - so a visit with him is no joke! I trust his judgement, not only because he's pleasant, but because he knows his stuff and it shows.
It sure doesn't take much in this world to create a little comfort and security. A smile, a sincere thank you and someone that looks you in the eye when they speak, makes for a very civil exchange. In a world where civility seems to be in short supply, I am happy to encounter people who still walk the earth with grace. You know them when you walk into a shop, or are greeted from behind a counter. You see them at work and when they are playing on the field. They seem to carry themselves a little taller and confidently walk with us rather than on us. They look us in the eye when we speak and they listen when we have something to say. If they disagree, they do it in an agreeable fashion. My doctor is a gentleman and when I think about some of the physicians I have had to deal with on my fibro journey, he and my Lady Doc are at the top of the list. The others may have been smart practitioners, but an easy style and a sense that my needs are addressed and resolved, in a professional and friendly manner, goes a long way for me.
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