If you know me, you know that “my favourite doctor” is not a phrase or a title I take lightly. I am extremely critical of doctors and find that liking one is the exception more than the rule. But I have a couple of great specialists that I see and the one I saw today is by far my favourite. (No offense, to the other.)
Honestly, when I made this appointment, I was practically giddy. 60% of that was because I got to see him, 35% was because I got to see his staff, 5% was related to my health care.
Regardless of the circumstances, I usually find myself feeling inspired and rejuvenated after they’re done. I know how weird that may sound, but it’s true. Whether it’s a checkup or a pap test or a surgery, I always feel like the more I know about my body, the better off I am.
I used to have a naturopath who talked a lot about building a team. Unlike the team building that we talk about in sports or the “fun” activities you may be forced into at work, this is the kind of team that is put together to serve you and only you. As unique as we all our, so would be our teams. What I value in a caregiver is different from what someone else values, my needs are different than everyone else’s.
I’d once thought of that naturopath as the captain of my team, but that would be this doctor I saw today.
This is the first time I’ve seen him in just over a year and walking back into his office was like a reunion. I spent the first ten minutes catching up with everyone and finding out what had changed in that time – new equipment, new practices, who’d left, why. As I stood just inside the glass walled office manager’s office at the front, the doctor walked by and saw me. His face lit up and he waved. This, all of it, was nice and it was what I think healthcare should always be.
My appointment today was mainly a consult, a catch up, a where are we now and how to we move forward. I loved it. And I can’t wait to be back there again.
It also made me realize that I’ve been neglecting my team. We may be in a rebuild right now, but I’m excited to get back to it.
In a perfect world, my team includes:
- A naturopath
- An acupuncturist
- A therapist
- An esthetician
- A family doctor
- Required specialists
Who is on your team? What positions would you add?
