Sunday, October 21, 2007

Quack neurologist

This is my out-of-order review, but I want to remember how uncomfortable that hour was with that doctor.

He said that ex has two wives now. He asked how I get along with the second wife, if I tell her how to make his coffee. I replied that it is not my place to interfere with them, that she is a nice, respectful lady. He later concluded that I have large boundaries due to my ethics and he said he admired that.

Early on, I described the EEG clinician's office, that it was loud and made it hard to concentrate. He then asked how his office stacked up and, because I didn't know any better at the time, I said "so far so good." How could I have known otherwise yet?

When I described the EEG training I do at home, I told him of the workshop training I received, the guy who flew in from South America to do it. He said it sounds like a cult.

He asked how I could have stayed with a man who would cheat on me, negating the fact that I didn't know about the cheating. I gave him what he wanted and said I have poor taste in men, when actually it was b/c I loved him and was overly patient with the hitches in his life. I knew what his faults were and questioned them at every step.

He told me that I needed to find a man who is artistic like myself, then proceeded to talk art to me. I told him that I'd love to find an artistic man, but they tend to be the ones most unreliable, especially financially. He agreed.

He asked if I am easily impressionable. I replied that I am no more or less than anyone else, but actually I think I am less b/c I take a very long time to make some decisions. I am a cautious person.

When I told him I have HSV, he replied in disgust, "How did you get THAT?," when I think the answer is obvious. You'd think doctors would have some form of bedside manner about this; he's not the first to fail with me. In his phone dictation to his transcribing company, he mentioned the HSV no less than three times. Although I said it is little more than an inconvenience, a skin rash, it was a big deal to him, but has very little to do with my brain. It was an ick factor to him. Tough to get a word in edgewise, I should have said that 1 in 4-5 adults have it, but he'd have asked the study that provided those numbers. However, I should have questioned him if oral HSV would put him off so, as it is the same virus.

He pointed out that I am sweating a lot these days. It is an autonomic response, just like oily skin and tremors. He then asked if I shower a lot and he recoiled with an "ew" as if I were a BO factory, which I'm not, when I said I shower once a day. If I smelled bad, I would know it. I don't need to be prescribed more than one show a day, particularly considering I am generally at home. Another case of poor bedside manner.

He told me that I am intelligent and that I am unlike most of the patients they get. He said that's why he wanted to talk with me. He asked me my majors in college and level of education in a 'just how intelligent is she?' kind of way. I was overall skeptical, wondering why he would want to be buttering me up. I don't butter up easily. I am doubtful.

Speaking of buttering up, he asked me twice how I found him. I said I found the office north of me, but they had no openings, so I asked about the office south of me and found an opening in October. After I said this the second time (it was not the only thing he'd asked me twice and I'd wondered if he were senile), he said that I wanted to find the most brilliant, competent doctor and that's why I chose his office. Ohhh, I replied, that I get so caught up in being honest that I forget to go outside the lines and butter people up, but that he was the most brilliant, competent doctor I had ever met and I lucked into finding his office. He beamed.

I think he is a controlling puppet master.

When he dictated into the phone, he said that I had seven years of IVF, which is laughable, but I let it slide. What a toss up! Seven years infertile vs. seven years IVF. Both hell. My version is cheaper.

At the outset, he asked me about wearing make up and taking care of myself, taking time for myself. My face had a PMS break out and it was not attractive, but I wasn't putting on make up to go to the doctor's appointment first thing. Little did I know I would be judged for it. I was judged for my clothes, too, a simple dress shirt (which I had taken off for the blood pressure cuff and I don't think he'd seen) over a black T and jeans. He thought it was down dressing too much, I believe. On the phone he described my clothing as part of his report. Weird.

So he buttered me up and liked me until I told him about the HSV. However, he required that finding a doctor just because of an office opening wasn't good enough explanation for how I found him and he required buttering up.

Again, I'll get the prelim testing done, then I'll get rid of this creepy doctor.

6 comments:

Well-heeled mom said...

Hm. I, too, think it's odd that he would comment on your clothing and lack of make up. You were there for help, not interviewing for a job. Quack indeed.

brite69 said...

Heh. I take it back about the thorough comment. That seems a bit too thorough. o_O

Anonymous said...

Uh, wow.

I've never been to a neurologist, but, um, those seem like really, really, really personal questions to be asking of someone...

I'm with you, ditch this guy after you get your results.

Ron Southern said...

Weird doctor. Nonetheless, he sounds a bit familiar and I've never been to a neurologist! Now you've got me nervous!

Anonymous said...

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesh. And yuck. Yes, he does sound very, very creepy.

h2o girl said...

What the fuck? Why does he need to know your marital and dating history? What does that have to do with anything? And TOTALLY inappropriate on the clothes and makeup comments, as well as the HSV squickiness. Ewwww on him. Please get thee to another nuerologist, stat.