Bee scared of the Doc

[Jon]

I remember reading a top marketer claim that he could guarantee someone to read something. He said, just put, "This page is all about [insert name here]." So, without further ado...

Yesterday, I tried to get an appointment at the Doc's. I phoned 7 times, getting through on the 8th try. The lines open at 8am and it was then 8:12am. "Sorry, all appointments with all Doctors are gone today. Try again tomorrow." I was miffed. I asked if I could turn up at 8am instead, and they said that could be a good idea. So today, I broke all records and got up at 7:06am! I can provide screenshots if no one believes me!

I arrived at the surgery at 7:50am. There was already a queue. Anyway, I managed to get an appointment and with my own doctor too. Very chuffed!

A while back, I found a lump. I figured it might be a harmless cyst or something. I'd been putting off going to the Doc's because a) I am male, and b) I couldn't get out of bed before 9:30am and so could never phone in time to make an appointment. Since my own personal revolution, I am now able to make Doctors appointments!

I sat in the waiting room, and the rather large TV display cycles through a host of different things, such as symptoms and potential ailments. As I watched it, I was thinking, "Nope, not me. That doesn't apply. No, I'm good. Wait! Lumps!" Then I started to read. "Have you had this lump for x months? Check..." And so on. I can't remember the other confirming questions that suggested a referral might be required, because by that stage I was building up a sweat! "How foolish I've been! I could have 2 years to live! OMG, what is the Doc going to say?" I tried to calm myself down by doing a bit of meditation, but was out of practice and so even that was relatively ineffective.

My Doc always takes his time with patients, so there generally are delays. I got there 10 minutes before my appointment at 8:50am, and had to wait until about 9:20am. People probably thought I had the flu or something, since no doubt I was perspiring.

I popped in to see my extremely overworked Doc and showed him a zoomed in photo of this "thing". I figured that would help since he is about 60 and probably has knackered eyes.

He had a look and confirmed my initial suspicions. "Looks like a cyst, probably a blocked hair follicle." I left a relieved man. I went for my usual Wednesday swim and even the floating plasters did not spoil my time. I was alive! I had another chance at life! I felt in such a good mood, relieved of a potential catastrophe.

I wonder if men don't live as long as women because they are more reluctant to go to the Docs... I wonder if sometimes we need deep adversity to clear our vision for the joy to be alive...

Bee grateful for your life, and remember, the Doc is your friend.

[I am accepting Pulitzer Prize nominations for my mini-storytelling abilities.]

 

[The_Doc_Man]

At my age, I have encountered those "every so often" check-ups and the month of May apparently has the "every so often" sub-title, though I don' t see it on the calendar. I am not generally afraid of doctor visits for things like dermatology, general practice, dentistry, or even the liver transplant team. (No, nothing scheduled; I'm on the list as a precaution if things go really bad on me.)

But... even though I have had the surgery for prostate issues, there is a reluctance to go back for a long-term follow-up for the urologist. He wants to put things where no other doctor wants to put things. Ultrasounds, no problem; I get those from the liver team twice a year and the technicians are often quite attractive. For proctoscopes and endoscopes, I'm sedated and that propofol is REALLY good stuff. I take one small jolt of that stuff and counting down from 100, I usually reach 99 and once even made it to 98. But cystoscopes? I am wide awake and I know something is going where things aren't really meant to go. That one visit gives me the shivers.

 

[Bee]

I think it's because men believe they are invincible. Truly.

The sad thing is that testicular cancer is very treatable and yet so many men I know who have a lump 'down there' haven't said or done anything about it until it's practically grapefuit-sized.

I am glad you went to the Docs. I am amazed you got up at 07:06. That is truly unheard of. But I'm delighted that the prognosis looks good, even though I'm simultaneously cross with you for not doing anything about it sooner

 

[Jon]

I guessed it might be a blocked follicle during my self diagnosis phase. Then again, I have never seen on before and I don't have medical training. If it started growing I would be on it fast. Even so, you can never be too sure. I look forward the the day when they start to treat aging as a disease, so we can do an 80 20 by focusing on the root cause of illness.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

With my skin being sensitive, I frequently get folliculitis. We have recently changed detergents for the clothes washer because apparently what we were using was too harsh. When I was younger, I battled a clogged pore that became a lump. Eventually I went to a dermatologist who had to do a minor slice-and-dice on it, but he apparently botched it because the damned thing came back. I went to another dermatologist and she did it in a way to pull out a cyst sac that had formed (which is WHY it came back). Since then, no problems. Even though I knew I was going to get sliced for that visit, I went because Dr. Michelle was really cute! (OK, I'm a dirty old man... 'scuse me - a sexy senior citizen. )