Being Patient

Something's been bugging me about how I've been treated by doctors since I've become an adult (when I've noticed more how people interact with me). I feel as if I've been treated with an apathetic attitude, as if I don't matter all that much. I'll go to review sites and see that most of the other patients really like the doctor so that I feel that I've seen a completely different doctor.

I now have a doctor (actually a nurse practitioner) whom I trust and think would take steps to see that my problems or concerns are addressed. When I ask questions, I'm not dismissed or given monosyllabic answers. It's a refreshing change, and unfortunately, I'm quite unused to it.

The doctor I had before her 1. did not answer my questions 2. did not seem concerned that I felt ill 3. was overall kind of rude, as if I was keeping her from doing her job somehow, even though I was her job. Yet I see the reviews and no one else has a problem. There have been many occasions in which I have been misdiagnosed (ulcers, stomach infections, obesity!) because various doctors have not felt it necessary to give me simple tests that would have shown the cause. They treated me as if I'm lying about every symptom I have.

My son's doctor is getting better now that he's getting to know us, but why should how long he's known us affect how well he treats my son? The last doctor I took him to kind of held us at arm's length. He also did that annoying thing where he asked why we were there when he was the one who requested that we make the follow-up appointment. So while the current doctor needs to work on his bedside manner, he's an improvement. I hope he takes my concerns about my son's legs seriously on our next visit.

And my husband? His experiences are sickening. For instance, two years ago he had a simple problem, but when he went to see the clinic, the doctor stood at the door and wrote him a prescription after he gave her a short description of what was wrong. She also said something might be wrong with his liver and then left the room.

The ethnicity of the doctor doesn't matter, though gender does (my family and I have been treated horribly by female doctors). Black doctors (including an Nigerian one), white doctors, Asian doctors, etc. all have a record of poor service for me and my family.

I have no idea what this means.

Who Are Budgets for, Anyway?

Budgets are not for me, I can say that much.

They are a way to manage money. How can someone manage what they don't have? I might as well learn about investing my money too. How about retirement funds? What a waste of my time.

If all of my money is going to bills, with less than nothing left over, what am I budgeting exactly? Some people try to make me feel guilty about it. The reason why you're so poor is because you are wasting your money and are not spending it wisely. 

Ex...cuse me.

The Fattest of the Fattest

We're number one! We're number one!

For 2008, Mississippi is boasting the title of fattest state of the USA. I'd like to thank all of the fast food restaurants, video games, and television programs, because without you, we could not have done it. But, let's not think that those things were the cause - give it up everyone for lazy, misguided Mississippians. Thank you.

Thank you for not exercising and not eating healthy or just plain eating too much. Thank you for being an example for your children to follow so that this will become a cycle of obesity that will be nigh impossible to break. Thank you, doctors, for being so ignorant that not only are you a part of the problem by not properly educating your patients, but also by being obese yourselves.