Finding a New Doctor in the South by Rhonda Frankhouser

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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

Degenerative/Herniated Lumbar Spine
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.