* * Anonymous Doc

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Clinic day!

"Do you think you could check me for strep throat?"

"Does your throat hurt?"

"No, but I usually get strep throat around this time of year."

"Do you feel sick?"

"No, but I figure it would be better if I didn't wait until I'm sick before I try and treat it."

"If you don't have any symptoms, there's nothing to treat."

"But what if I'm sick and just don't know it yet?"

"Then you should come back once you're feeling symptoms, and then we can figure out what's wrong and treat it."

"So I have to come back? When should I come back?"

"When you're sick."

"Like in two weeks?"

"No. When you're sick."

"Can I make an appointment?"

"Call when you're sick."

"But you can't give me anything now?"

"No, you're not sick."

"I don't know if I think that makes sense."

4 comments:

  1. Eat garlic. Excellent profalictic medicine. Comes over the counter, too. Sold in most grocery stores, even.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I wonder if experienced docs all have a go-to placebo for this kind of situation.

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  3. Clearly the patient has the idea that preventative care is better, he just doesn't know the correct preventative care. Maybe you could have helped him plan out life style points that would best prevent that particular illness?


    My real question – Why is this guy getting strep so regularly that he is looking for preventative care? What's really going on with him?

    KrisW

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  4. Funny KrisW thought it was a guy. As I read it, I am picturing a woman. Is it because I am a woman? I don't know. Could go either way, I suppose. Plenty of this in both sexes.

    jlr

    ReplyDelete