Doctor, Doctor Give Me the News, but PutYour Mask on First
Just a quick rant.
So, the other day, I had my first consultation with an ENT group in my hometown that specializes in thyroid issues. I’m not here to discuss my thyroid although I might have some firsthand information and experiences to write about later. What I’m here to rant about today is this …
Drum roll, please
No one in the office was wearing a mask. Not the nice ladies behind the desks who admitted me nor any of the patients in the waiting room. Not even the nurse who took my vitals nor the nurse practitioner who conducted my consultation. No one!
Don’t get me wrong. In every other way, things appeared professional and well run.
So there I am, sitting in a tiny consultation room sporting my Kn95 mask while the professional, the nurse practitioner, is three feet away from my face examining my neck without a mask.
I kept thinking — something is wrong with this picture.
Needless to say, I went home a bit perplexed. I mean these professionals work with plenty of patients who are battling cancer as well as other immunocompromised health issues. WTH!
Has something changed in the medical world that I wasn’t aware of, I kept asking my husband.
No, my daughter-in-law told me. She thinks this group is an exception in our region. She had just been to the doctor recently and everyone wore a mask including the patients.
So, now, I’m left wondering what I should do.
Do I insist on a nurse donning a mask especially for me? I’m to have a FNA in a few days. Do I want to request that she wears a mask right before she starts probing my neck with needles?
Yikes! I certainly don’t want to offend her. After all, she’s the one wielding the needles.
Do I try to find a doctor elsewhere? Do I just wear my mask and call it good? I’m sure that if I end up requiring surgery that the doctor will wear a mask. That’s been standard procedure long before COVID.
Right?
Finally, I was left with this thought. Life has gotten to be quite complicated these days. Being your own advocate in a world where everything is either politicized, corporatized, radicalized, or automated is too much for this old lady.
I’m worn out.
Teresa Roberts is a retired educator, author, world traveler, and professional myth buster. You can find her books on Amazon.
