Hi Neighbor!
I rarely get sick. But then, about four weeks ago, I started feeling under the weather while on vacation at the beach. I figured a dip in the ocean would fix me right up – sun, salt, and surf, right? Wrong. My cough just kept getting worse, until my husband finally staged an intervention.
We’re going to Urgent Care.
I was diagnosed with a pesky sinus infection. No big deal, I thought, a little amoxicillin and I’ll be good as new.
Cut to this past Tuesday, my second visit and several calls to my beloved primary doctor in four weeks. My cough was still going strong, and I was starting to suspect pneumonia. We tried every remedy under the sun – prednisone, antibiotics, Mucinex, Flonase, cough meds, humidifier, and about 600 cough drops. Nothing was working. I hadn’t slept through the night in weeks, and I was feeling the effects.
The morning of seeing my doctor, I had a chest x-ray to give her the full picture (no pneumonia!). When I arrived at her office, I was hanging on by a thread. At this point, the receptionist knew me by name, and by the time I walked into the back office area, I was in no mood to step on the dreaded scale. It loomed in the hallway, taunting me.
She said, OK, can you step on the scale?
I said in rapid succession, No, I really can’t. I did last week. Do I have to? I just can’t today. It’s been a terrible few weeks. I really can not. It seemed like a cruel punishment.
She said, Just don’t look.
Suddenly, I began to unravel. My eyes welled up. And I said, I think I’m going to cry.
This lovely 70-something woman looked at me, eyes wide, dumbfounded.
I officially became unhinged. I said, OK, I’m NOT taking my shoes off or putting down my purse. Then I backed onto the scale, not looking, on the verge of tears.
I’m not one to get emotional over a number on a scale, but that day was different. I just wanted to feel better, to stop coughing, and to get some much-needed rest. I felt out of control, not able to get better. The scale was the last straw.
I went into the exam room and sat by myself, doing some deep breathing, which made me cough, again. Tears rolled down my cheeks.
As I sat in the exam room, trying to calm my racing thoughts, I realized that we all have our breaking points. And mine on this past Tuesday afternoon was that doctor’s scale. How can an inanimate object strike such emotion and angst? Is this the beginning of a midlife crisis? I thought to myself. This is not like me. And this is not a crisis! (Always the pragmatist.)
In hindsight, I should have just said to the receptionist, Sorry! Nope, not today. Use last week’s number. And walked directly into the exam room.
September 12 Newsletter
Finally feeling better (physically & mentally),
Regina
Know exactly how you feel. I’ve decided this routine weighing is an unnecessary invasion of my privacy and no relevance to why I am at the doctor. Also understand how when the get on the scale bullying can be a breaking point. I now just say “no”, except for an annual exam.
Know exactly how you feel. I’ve decided this routine weighing is an unnecessary invasion of my privacy and no relevance to why I am at the doctor. Also understand how when the get on the scale bullying can be a breaking point. I now just say “no”, except for an annual exam.
View lessLove it!
Love it!
View lessI don’t think the scale was necessary for what you were there for anyway. But I’m dying to know: what was the diagnosis? What made you sick for weeks?
I don’t think the scale was necessary for what you were there for anyway. But I’m dying to know: what was the diagnosis? What made you sick for weeks?
View lessA tough bout of bronchitis. She said there’s a persistent virus going around this summer and she’s seen it in a few patients.
A tough bout of bronchitis. She said there’s a persistent virus going around this summer and she’s seen it in a few patients.
View lessA different perspective on this one: If you have been sick for some time, and you were just at the doctor last week, if this week there was a significant change in weight (more than a pound in either direction) then that could point to something different in the diagnosis. Just food for thought.
A different perspective on this one: If you have been sick for some time, and you were just at the doctor last week, if this week there was a significant change in weight (more than a pound in either direction) then that could point to something different in the diagnosis. Just food for thought.
View lessThank you for your comment! I’ll keep an eye on that!
Thank you for your comment! I’ll keep an eye on that!
View less