Thursday, April 22, 2010

I Need [Another] New Doctor

I consider myself a reasonably healthy individual. In fact, so healthy that I have avoided my annual "well-exam" for about five years. Now, I do need to see a physician maybe once a year or so for a sinus infection or something minor. But, when my girlfriend recently had a hysterectomy I thought that maybe I, too, should schedule an appointment. The physician I'd been seeing (since 5th grade) is apparently facing some serious jail time, so I needed to find someone else within the practice to declare my "primary care physician".

I decided on a physician I'd seen a few times for above-mentioned sinus infections. I'd always found him professional, but kind (and willing to prescribe zithromax!). So, yesterday, I headed in, fully expecting to receive a clean bill of health. After waiting in a paper gown for at least 45 minutes, he finally came in. He did a great job, very thorough, caring, and knowledgeable. The downside: way too thorough. He looked at me like I had three heads when I told him I hadn't been running as much and that I ran maybe twice a week and did yoga twice a week. He said that if I lost ten pounds I could get my BMI a little lower and that ice cream and cheese (my primary sources of calcium) were fattening. It's not that I don't realize any of these things, but to have someone else point them out to you is a little disheartening.

Apparently in the next few months I need to have a mole removed, schedule some labwork, have an ultrasound, and possibly consult with a surgeon. We do have an HSA (basically a great way to trick yourself into thinking that you're not spending your own money on things your insurance should cover), but it's certainly not unlimited. I don't normally put a price on my health, but I just expected something else, along the lines of: "you're doing a great job, now get on out of here"!

So, I've decided that I need a new doctor. I would like someone at least 100 pounds overweight, a heavy smoker, one who thinks these would make a great breakfast



Perhaps it was my small form of rebellion that when I returned home, I immediately whipped up a batch of peanut butter cookies. Thanks to Betty Crocker, we all enjoyed these immensely last night.

Peanut Butter Cookies (courtesy of the Betty Crocker New Cookbook)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup softened butter
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
granulated sugar

1. Mix 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, peanut butter, shortening, butter, and egg in large bowl.
2. Stir in flour baking soda, baking powder and salt.
3. Cover and refrigerate for 2hrs or until firm.
4. Form into small balls, roll in granulated sugar and bake at 370 degrees for 9-10 minutes, or until light brown.




In other news, I've been obsessed with keeping my house clean this week. It's been a full five days and I've made my bed every day. I consider this the mark of a good housekeeper. Now, I don't fold my underwear, I consider that the mark of a total clean freak. I'm not sure how much longer this little trend of mine will last, but I'm enjoying it while it does! I feel so much better when I look around and see clean surfaces and no clutter.


9 comments:

  1. nice bed but you don't fold your underwear?! even I, a typical Neymeyer fold mine...everyone but Teague's and that's just 'cause they're too little! ok, so maybe somewhere deep within I am an organizer. I prefer my spices to be in alphabetical order and my pantry to have all labels facing the same way, hangers facing the same way, clothing grouped in an orderly manner...but then I have the typical Neymeyer piles. I think maybe there's a neat, tidy, organized lady within me waiting to emerge. If she can dig out from under the paper piles!

    and exercising 4 times a week is not enough/lose 10 lbs/no ice cream/no cheese?! seriously? sounds like a guy who needs some peanut butter cookies! :D
    Stacy

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  2. I agree with Stacy. Please email and tell me the name of this doctor so that I can AVOID him.

    Facing serious jail time?!? I need to start reading the paper. :)

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  3. apparently this guy is a health nut!

    yes, stacy, you are a neat freak! I am terribly impressed. do you have all plastic hangers or at least identical ones? I always think that looks so nice (I, of course, have all manner of different hangers). I do have my closet "grouped", but not color-descending. my spices? thrown into the cupboard.

    Marion- you really do need to start reading the paper...this is the second piece of big news I've had to break to you! :) on second thought, you're probably better off not knowing - except in the case of the "park arrests"...not a great thing to be stumbling onto!

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  4. I LOVE your description of the type of doctor you're looking for! That's awesome. I'd say that doctor wouldn't have too many patients, so you should be able to get quick appointments.

    Great post!

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  5. I'm intrigued by the possible jail time doctor...

    I'm empathise Kirsten. I'm on the lookout for a new doctor and frankly it's hard, because I'm looking for a doctor who will treat me if I'm sick and not lecture me about my bad habits.

    And I'm not looking at those cookies...I'm being strong. Maybe if I just sniff the recipe...

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  6. Mrs P
    I'm a sucker for anything peanut butter!
    The doctor story is that my former physician is accused of illegally prescribing 9,000 pills to a drug dealer over a several-month period. I'm still waiting to hear why someone [who knew they'd be caught] would act so recklessly. I'd like to believe he was being blackmailed or that there is more to the story. He's out on bail right now and waved his first hearing...
    I, too, like the "tell me what I want to hear so I can keep doing what I want to do" exchange :)
    I think I'll stick with the health nut for now, I was just a little taken aback, and feeling kinda old! :)
    Good luck on your search...and sniffing the recipe!

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  7. yes on the hangers (all white plastic - anything else is just way too expensive!).

    I think a doctor should gently encourage you to be healthy and make good food and exercise habits...but yours sounds like a health nazi!

    I just came back from my once-a-month workout with my personal trainer and I know that I really, really need to give up my carbivore ways. So I think I'll toast that knowledge with some buster bar dessert! (Eric's choice - mine would be homemade cinnamon rolls or dessert pizza or oatmeal cookies or chocolate chip pie or rhubarb cobbler or coffee cake or twinkie cake...I think I have a problem!)

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  8. I think some doctors use the BMI thing instead of common sense. Or any other sense - like visual. You look healthy, you actually exercise, and you eat a variety of healthy food. I, on the other hand, eat only carbs if I can help it (of the empty calorie type), & think that exercise would kill me & so I avoid it. If you go by my BMI - I'm healthy. If you go by actualality - I'm so unhealthy. Doctors need to use less brain sometimes and use more common sense.

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  9. Stacy-
    love the all plastic hanger idea...
    I love the buster bar dessert, but all of the rest sound really yummy, too! thankfully I'm finally tired of the rhubarb custard pie (after making four in the past couple of weeks).
    Emily-
    I probably would feel better if I lost about ten pounds, I just don't like someone else telling me! :) I am about 20lbs heavier than before kids. and, by the way, I love fruits and veggies, but I love carbs way more!!!

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