My neurologist would not be a good fit for everyone, I don't think. He's chatty, opinionated, eccentric. He is an excellent doctor: knowlegeable, patient, optimistic, supportive, attentive. His office uses a computerized record-keeping system of his own design, that organizes (from what I can tell) all the information I give him at each office visit in a very accessible way. "Let's see," he'll say. "We were ramping up your buspar to try to counteract the side effects of the Effexor. How are we doing with that? You reported more moderate headaches in April than in February and March; any idea what's going on with that?" [Answer: something bloomed.] He does an exemplary job of communicating with my other doctors, in particular my also-excellent hematologist--it's no coincidence that he's the one who referred me to her. He is stingy with referrals. When I told him I was looking for a new primary care doctor, he printed out a list of his recommendations--six doctors, two of them an hour away. He likes to rant about the low quality of our local doctor stock; he credits this to the influence of the local College of Osteopathic Medicine, about which he also likes to rant.
He didn't set out to be a neurologist. It was his fall-back career after his writing and filmmaking career stalled out back when he was a younger man. Now it's his day job, and finances his creative work. Because I am also a writer, and because we are both chatty, my neurology check-ups are the closest thing I have to writing group these days. This is more-or-less what my checkups look like:
Dr. Chatty: So, your prophylactic meds are working well. The daily headache is non-intrusive.
Me: That's right.
Dr. Chatty: That's good, that's very good. But you're still having these flare-ups, and the baclofen isn't always interrupting them.
Me: Yes.
Dr. Chatty: We need something to back up the baclofen, that you can take when it just doesn't do the job. [Studies screen, clicks buttons.] We can't give you an NSAID because of your bleeding problems...likewise no vaso-constrictors. Ah, OK, let's try this. The only caveat is that it contains an antihistamine, so you can't take your Allegra on a day you've also taken this. That's important to remember. Antihistamine overdose can cause arrythmia.
Me: I can remember that.
Dr. Chatty types a little more, continues to read the detailed notes the medical assistant input: "Still some minor side effects from the effexor--let's try ramping up the buspar a bit, see if we can make it possible for you to cry again, that kind of emotional tethering is not something you should have to live with.
Me: Sounds good.
Dr. Chatty: Any insomnia, swelling of extremities, digestive problems, problems with anxiety or depression?
Me: Nope.
Dr. Chatty: And how's the writing going?
Me: Good! I've been posting something to my blog every day this month.
Dr. Chatty: You have readers?
Me: A small but devoted following. I'd like more, of course.
Dr. Chatty: What writer doesn't?
Me: J. K. Rowling?
We laugh.
Dr Chatty: Still thinking of a book project?
Me: Yes, but I'm a short-form writer, so it feels very daunting. And I wonder if I'm not setting myself up to fail by going outside the area of my talent.
Dr. Chatty: What helped me with my first novel is that I spent a lot of time--months--doing the research and writing a very detailed outline. So when I sat down to write on any given evening, I knew what I had to accomplish. Right down to the level of "Show something from this character's background that illuminates this specific character trait," I mean my outline was so detailed it told me what point in the book to do that.
Me: How's the new book coming?
Dr. Chatty: Well, the outline is coming along. I've got two major plot points I just can't work out. [He shrugs.] I'll get it. I just don't have it yet. It says here your Vitamin D test is still pending.
Me: Damn, I completely forgot about it. And I was just at the lab getting a CBC the other day.
Dr. Chatty: It's important to keep an eye on these fat-soluble vitamins, so get that done ASAP.
Me: Will do.
Dr. Chatty: Good to see you. Stop in the teaching room on the way out, Jane will go over your instructions with you and get you your prescriptions.
No comments:
Post a Comment