Is there any way for me to disguise myself as a 35 year old, well-educated man not given to hysterics? Because if I could manage that, I might get treated by a doctor as a human being with half a brain, and hell, the doctor MIGHT even think that I'm worth sticking around and talking to.

I went to see the surgeon about my shoulder today. I kid you not, the sonuvabitch was trying to escape after less than 5 minutes of being in the room with me and not performing anything resembling an exam. He asked how I was feeling, and I told him better, and he tried to get out of the room with nothing more than a "Great, keep up the PT."

OH no. Nuh-uh. I don't think so. Fuck you and the degree you rode in on.

"Wait just a minute! I have questions!"

Exasperatedly, he walked back in.

"I wanted to talk about the differences between what you said and what the folks at Physiotherapy said. You said that I have impingement in my shoulder, and they're saying it's instability."

He came over, bent my arm, and pushed it back asking, "Does this hurt?"

"No."

Then he pushed it forward. "Does this hurt?"

"No."

"Well, I hate to disappoint them at Physiotherapy, but there's no instability there."

Number one? I don't give a FUCK if anyone is disappointed. That's not my problem.

Number two, I have a hard time taking the word of someone who has spent a total of 20 minutes (and I'm being GENEROUS) with my shoulder over someone who has spent a minumum of 15 hours with it.

Number three, I do NOT stand for ANY doctor who treats me like something to be shoved out of a fast food drive-thru window. That's why I no longer have a Primary Care Physician. My last one now works in an urgent care facility, and I can't find another one that doesn't want to move me on down the production line.

Finally, I'm a little concerned. The doctor never read the report from the PT, so he had absolutely no idea that they thought I had instability. It does me not a shit's worth of good if these people aren't communicating. I mean, if it turns out that it's an impingement, and they keep treating me for instability, I'm not getting fixed, right?

I'm dead serious when I say I'm considering getting a second opinion. But, fuck, like I have that kind of time and money! It just makes me want to scream, and I'm so damned frustrated I could puke.

Time and time again, I've seen men get more attention, information, and decent care for the same complaints that I have. What the fuck?!? My insurance company pays just as well for me as they do for Corey, so what the fuck?

So from now on, when I go to a doctor, I will ask them to first imagine that I'm that afore-described fellow, and to read my chart before they start asking stupid questions. Like my gynecologist - the same one who performed my hysterectomy - will stop asking when my last period was. Or they'll see that I've HAD a hysterectomy and stop asking if there's a possibility that I could be pregnant.

I swear, the next ER doctor that asks for a sample for a pregnancy test is going to get one - in his shoes.

the last trail...the next path