Thankful Thursday/ Episode 29

I survived, people. It was a close one, but I pulled through.

I spent less than an hour in the Doctor's office on Wednesday and more than 20 minutes of that was in the presence of an actual physician, one of his nurses or a phlebotomist! Can you even believe that? The whole thing got me to a very thankful place.

Episode 29: "Today I am thankful for... accessible and affordable health care."

oh no, is she gonna get political? Is this post about to turn into another one of the many soap boxes littering the Internet right now? Because if it is I'm OUT OF HERE.

No, no, no, I promise I am not. Honestly, at my job I can see both sides of the health care debate. I regularly work with hard working single moms who fall into the health care gap. They do not receive medical coverage from their employer and make too much money to qualify for state provided health care. But yet, their current wage doesn't allow them to purchase medical coverage. grrrrr. And on the other side of the coin, I've had the great misfortune of witnessing state provided health "care" (and I use that word VERY lightly) that the moms who do qualify receive. Women are treated like cattle being herded into exam rooms where they are demeaned and dismissed and end up leaving having received the bare minimum of medical attention. So, hear me when I say, I DO NOT know what the answer to the health care crisis in our country is. I'd even go so far to say that there probably isn't ONE RIGHT answer because we are in such a mess.

ummmmm, that seemed a bit political. She better switch topics, because I'm getting tired of her preaching.

All that to say, on Wednesday morning I called my doctor's office. His nurse made me an appointment for that same day just a few hours later. I arrived for my appointment, barely had time to fill out the medical "get to know you" form for like the 20th time (why do I have to fill that thing out EVERY time? No changes means no changes...), and was ushered back to the waiting room. The nurse treated me with dignity and respect and we even shared a laugh. I waited approximately 5 minutes for my doctor to come into the exam room. When he arrived he stayed in the room for more than 10 minutes before sending me for a urine sample and blood work. I walked RIGHT from the bathroom to the blood draw without skipping a beat and was then escorted back to my room to wait for the results. My doctor came back in to ask some more questions and let me know he was going to run a different test. After waiting another 5 minutes, he came back to speak with me again! Can you say thorough? At no point did I feel like he or his team were rushing unnecessarily, but at the same time my time was being respected. I was being truly cared for as a person and not as a case number.

I have to say, I recognize that this type of experience is uncommon in our country.

I am so grateful that I am fortunate enough to have a doctor who is thorough, attentive and will see me the same day I call. I am grateful that we have insurance coverage (which while FAR from perfect) gives me the luxury of seeing a doctor WHENEVER I need to. I am grateful that we have been relatively healthy and haven't had to test the limits of that insurance. I am grateful that we are in a place financially where there is margin in our budget to cover a co-pay (and a prescription if I'd ever actually fill one... I have an aversion to medicine which is a WHOLE other post) at the last minute when I catch some sort of TN river flu bug. I am grateful that my health care experience is uncommon.

So today, I am thankful.