I hate doctors. About as much as I hate politicians. Ha. Perhaps hate is a strong word...I don't actually hate them. I don't even really dislike them...it's just the system that I can't stand.
Prime example? When I woke up a few weeks ago and couldn't straighten my leg. I get that doctors can't drop everything to squeeze in every patient that has a cough or a sniffle. I understand...completely. But when I'm calling in tears because I can't straighten my flippin' leg, and some wonderful caught-in-the-cross-hairs receptionist tells me the soonest the doctor can see me is in two weeks...well, that's not acceptable to me. I don't have two weeks. I don't even have two minutes. And I also don't have the $2,000 to afford a visit to the ER. Frustrating...that's what it is.
Don't get me started on insurance companies either. Because that pretty much has me wanting to bang my head into a wall. (Speaking of which, you may want to keep me away from walls after my surgery...because I'm pretty sure I'll want to smack my head into them once I get the bill and realize how much I'll still have to pay out of pocket.)
But for as much as I can complain about the medical system (which is funny, because I'm pretty much the only person in my immediate family who isn't a doctor, so you'd think I'd keep my mouth shut, but alas...no.)...I'm thankful for the system that we have in America. I'm thankful that I (eventually) got in to see a doctor, and then a specialist, and then another specialist. I'm thankful that I don't live in a third-world country where X-rays and MRIs are out of the question. I'm thankful that I have access to educated medical professionals who are able to take full advantage of modern science and the advancements in technology that we so often take for granted when we're sitting in an exam room by ourselves 45 minutes after our appointment time, wondering where the heck the doctor is...and why his/her time is so much more valuable than ours. (ha!)
My friend's old football coach had one message for his players when they were hurt. "Ice it, wrap it, run a 200." Sounds simplisitic, and maybe a little harsh depending on the injury...but it isn't far off the mark for some underdeveloped countries...where people are suffering from far worse ailments than a torn meniscus. I guess what I'm saying is, I'm thankful for the medical care that we do have here (even if it is frustrating). I'm thankful that I have insurance (even if it doesn't cover everything). I'm thankful that I have access to said medical care (even if it isn't immediately). And I'm thankful that (in a few weeks from now) I'll be good as new (hopefully).
Prime example? When I woke up a few weeks ago and couldn't straighten my leg. I get that doctors can't drop everything to squeeze in every patient that has a cough or a sniffle. I understand...completely. But when I'm calling in tears because I can't straighten my flippin' leg, and some wonderful caught-in-the-cross-hairs receptionist tells me the soonest the doctor can see me is in two weeks...well, that's not acceptable to me. I don't have two weeks. I don't even have two minutes. And I also don't have the $2,000 to afford a visit to the ER. Frustrating...that's what it is.
Don't get me started on insurance companies either. Because that pretty much has me wanting to bang my head into a wall. (Speaking of which, you may want to keep me away from walls after my surgery...because I'm pretty sure I'll want to smack my head into them once I get the bill and realize how much I'll still have to pay out of pocket.)
But for as much as I can complain about the medical system (which is funny, because I'm pretty much the only person in my immediate family who isn't a doctor, so you'd think I'd keep my mouth shut, but alas...no.)...I'm thankful for the system that we have in America. I'm thankful that I (eventually) got in to see a doctor, and then a specialist, and then another specialist. I'm thankful that I don't live in a third-world country where X-rays and MRIs are out of the question. I'm thankful that I have access to educated medical professionals who are able to take full advantage of modern science and the advancements in technology that we so often take for granted when we're sitting in an exam room by ourselves 45 minutes after our appointment time, wondering where the heck the doctor is...and why his/her time is so much more valuable than ours. (ha!)
My friend's old football coach had one message for his players when they were hurt. "Ice it, wrap it, run a 200." Sounds simplisitic, and maybe a little harsh depending on the injury...but it isn't far off the mark for some underdeveloped countries...where people are suffering from far worse ailments than a torn meniscus. I guess what I'm saying is, I'm thankful for the medical care that we do have here (even if it is frustrating). I'm thankful that I have insurance (even if it doesn't cover everything). I'm thankful that I have access to said medical care (even if it isn't immediately). And I'm thankful that (in a few weeks from now) I'll be good as new (hopefully).
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