A Medical History

Unlike many people I know, I have a high opinion of the state of medical care in the United States. Not all of my experiences have been ideal, but we don't live in a utopia. It was admittently disconcerting when I was on an examining table, asked my PCP a medical question and he responded, "I don't know, I'll call my wife and ask her." He called her right then , with me mostly naked, and told me her answer. His research method was unorthodox, but it solved my problem, so, no harm, no foul. Similarly unnerving was an appointment I had with a gynecologist. I chose him because he accepted Medicare, had appointments available immediately and his office was on Park Avenue in the 70s. How bad could he be? No other patients were in the waiting room. Suspicious, I thought. I was called in to see him immediately. He was 95 years old and his hands shook so badly that I was terrified to have him examine me. I also wondered if he remembered where the relevant gynecological parts were. However, all went no differently from any other gynecological examination (which doesn't say much for gynecological examinations in general), so again, no harm, no foul. At my last wellness exam, I asked my PCP a question. She's lovely and unpretentious, told me she had no idea of the answer and would google it. She did and came up with the same answer google gave me, when I googled it. My most recent real world medical experience was with a new eye doctor. My beloved opthalmologist retired and his replacement was ridiculously young, disheveled, and like my PCP, delightly unpretentious. But unlike her, was not a deep thinker. After he confessed that he had no knowledge of how to write a contact lens prescription, I asked him not to bother examining me for a new prescription and to simply copy my previous prescription. He was relieved and did so willingly, but when the lens manufacturer asked him which was my dominant eye, he was stumped. So I googled it , wrote it on the prescription and sent it to the manufacturer. Again, no harm, no foul. . But I digress. Although I have never researched the matter, I am certain that no doctors anywhere take as thorough a medical history as our US doctors. Prior to seeing a doctor, not only are we required to provide a written history of every surgery and ailment we've ever had, and every medication we're taking and have ever taken, but we must also provide a detailed written medical history for our parents and siblings, even if they're long dead. To insure that we made no mistakes in our written accounts, doctors spend the first 15 minutes of the allotted time for an examination asking us for the same histories we've just provided in writing and which they have in front of them. Recently, I was astounded when, prior to receiving treatment, I was asked specific questions different from any I had previously been asked. Before I tell you what the questions were, for those few of you who don't know me, let me provide context: I'm a 4'10 retired lawyer in her 70s who has lived in NYC her entire life. My medical plan is Medicare. Now that you have the context, here are the questions: Prior to receiving a MRI of my shoulder,the receptionist, who had just scanned my Medicare card, said " Are you pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant." The second question was posed when I was making an appointment for physical therapy for that same shoulder. "Have you ever worked in a coal mine?" In case you're wondering,I was not pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant. I have never worked in a coal mine. In case a very thorough doctor cares to know additional history: I am not curently nursing. I have never installed asbestos insulation. I have never lived near a toxic dump. My last period was likely before the doctor was born. I do not engage in sports more extreme than strolling. I do not have a ferret or any other exotic pet. I have never met anyone who worked in a coal mine. I hope that's thorough enough.