Familiarity breeds.......
Dec. 11th, 2007 01:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
osodecanelaThere's a man in my practice I've known since I arrived here in the county. He was an acquaintance of the lesbian couple I shared an apartment with (that is until LJ moved here from the city and we purchased our first home together) which means I met him 24 years ago. He's a odd duck to say the least.
He was in earlier today with his current wife, for appointments for each of them. Now they here just last week, he for follow up on a number of medical problems and she for a problem with fatigue. Now last week, she walked out of here without the lab slip I'd given her for the blood test on her thyroid, which meant when she returned today, I had no results to share with her. I handed her the labslip again and said "Go get this done now and come back in a week to a week and a half."
As I turned to start addressing his problems, she made it clear SHE was not done and blurted out with a giggle, that she thought she might be depressed. I asked why she thought so and she said because she slept all the time, had no motivation, and was having trouble losing weight (precisely why I was checking her thyroid). I asked her about some of the vegetative signs of depression; this included inquiring how her sex drive was. She said she had none. Then I looked over at her husband, and so help me, I said, "Well, of course not. Look who you're sleeping with!" This was met with gales of laughter out of both of them.
I then went over his results with them both and then shared my displeasure that he'd simply stopped everything he'd been given last spring, without any discussion with me. I had given him prescriptions for 5 different medications, and feeling somewhat confused and anxious, he'd decided none of them were really needed and so he stopped all of them, which is not a good idea when your triglyceride level is higher than your address. I noted that if he was keen on committing suicide, there were more efficient ways of doing it. That brought more laughter from them both. Shaking my head, I looked at them and said I wasn't kidding this time; he needs to be clear that with his medical issues, choosing to not take all of his meds was NOT a wise idea.
I still need a couple of more tests on him, so when I handed him his lab slip I said, "So I need you both back in 7-10 days"
To which she replied, "but you said a week to a week and a half."
"Yes, 7 to 10 days IS a week to a week and a half."
"Oh."
You've heard the phrase "not the brightest porch light on the block"?
This porch isn't wired.
He was in earlier today with his current wife, for appointments for each of them. Now they here just last week, he for follow up on a number of medical problems and she for a problem with fatigue. Now last week, she walked out of here without the lab slip I'd given her for the blood test on her thyroid, which meant when she returned today, I had no results to share with her. I handed her the labslip again and said "Go get this done now and come back in a week to a week and a half."
As I turned to start addressing his problems, she made it clear SHE was not done and blurted out with a giggle, that she thought she might be depressed. I asked why she thought so and she said because she slept all the time, had no motivation, and was having trouble losing weight (precisely why I was checking her thyroid). I asked her about some of the vegetative signs of depression; this included inquiring how her sex drive was. She said she had none. Then I looked over at her husband, and so help me, I said, "Well, of course not. Look who you're sleeping with!" This was met with gales of laughter out of both of them.
I then went over his results with them both and then shared my displeasure that he'd simply stopped everything he'd been given last spring, without any discussion with me. I had given him prescriptions for 5 different medications, and feeling somewhat confused and anxious, he'd decided none of them were really needed and so he stopped all of them, which is not a good idea when your triglyceride level is higher than your address. I noted that if he was keen on committing suicide, there were more efficient ways of doing it. That brought more laughter from them both. Shaking my head, I looked at them and said I wasn't kidding this time; he needs to be clear that with his medical issues, choosing to not take all of his meds was NOT a wise idea.
I still need a couple of more tests on him, so when I handed him his lab slip I said, "So I need you both back in 7-10 days"
To which she replied, "but you said a week to a week and a half."
"Yes, 7 to 10 days IS a week to a week and a half."
"Oh."
You've heard the phrase "not the brightest porch light on the block"?
This porch isn't wired.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-12-12 12:01 am (UTC)I've been giving Woody vitamins, with added Biotin, Folic Acid and B12; Vitamins C and E; DHA and SAM-e. That seemed to bring him back to the point where he'd remember to TAKE his meds.
no subject
Date: 2007-12-12 12:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-12-12 12:14 am (UTC)But, I do see your point.