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This blog is far from cowboy related,
but even a sexy cowboy needs a good doctor!
Moving across country was an exciting adventure, but re-establishing a personal care network was an overwhelming undertaking, to say the least.
It’s
funny the things you take for granted when you live in the same town your
entire life. I knew everything about my central California hometown. What to do
in an earthquake. All the short cuts to avoid traffic. The best
hole-in-the-wall pizza places. Most effective schools. Fastest dry cleaner. Coolest
hairstylist. Cheapest gasoline. Even the highest ranked doctors…or so I
thought.
But
I knew zero about Georgia when I first moved here.
New
restaurants would be fun to discover, and trying a new hairstylist was only
risking a bad cut, but finding a good doctor would take some serious research.
So, I googled, read reviews, then finally I did what any respectable newcomer
would do, I asked around.
I
don’t know if I got lucky or if I just asked the right people, but what I discovered
in my search was astonishing. Not only did I find a professional, savvy, and
personable primary care physician, I was shocked by the differences between the
healthcare system in California compared to what I found here in Georgia.
On
my first visit, everyone on the staff greeted me with a sincere smile. I was
taken back to the room on time, and I waited no more than ten minutes
for the doctor to enter the room. When she sat down to talk with me, she moved
her computer aside and looked me in the eyes. Without interruption, she LISTENED
carefully as I explained my medical history and current concerns.
My
life changed with her prophetic words. “We’re going to figure this out and
bring back your quality of life.”
I
swear I heard angels sing.
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It’s
been almost two years since that first visit. Since that time, with the help of
some amazing specialists with a dogged commitment to helping me feel better,
the following ailments have been discovered, cured and/or avoided.
Colon Cancer
Gallbladder Disease
Gastritis/Esophogitis
Liver Disease
Varicose Veins
Turns
out, she was an angel. I can say without hesitation, if I hadn’t moved to
Georgia and found this amazing doctor, one or more of these diseases would have
continued unfettered.
Now
to be fair, I’m not sure if California has more regulations on doctors discouraging
them from ordering appropriate diagnostic tests, but having someone really listen
to me, then having a comprehensive care plan created to address my problems, was
a true miracle.
If
you are suffering with an unknown ailment, seek the answers you deserve. Don’t
settle. It’s not all in your head. Push for testing. It could save your life.
Rhonda
Frankhouser is an award-winning novelist, now living in the beautiful state of
Georgia. Follow her at www.rhondafrankhouserbooks.com.
*This
article is based on my own personal experience and is not to be taken as
medical advice of any kind.
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