Читать книгу How to be Your Doctor’s Favorite Patient - David Claytor - Страница 8

“How’s it goin’, doc?” asked Dave Carter as he extended his beefy hand to Dr. Jess Heinz, who accepted it and got a no-nonsense, bone-crunching shake. This security guard was accustomed to using his handshake to transmit a sense of his strength and establish his territory–not to show mere friendliness. “You know, doc,” he said, as if using the familiar and diminutive form of address to keep Dr. Heinz in his place, “I’m starting to lose a lot of hair, and I wonder if I could get some of those pills to make it grow back. It doesn’t matter to me, of course, but women seem to like hair.”

It was a simple problem and a simple request, and Dr. Heinz, a busy man most days and especially so today, did not try to delve further into the matter. Handing Mr. Carter a prescription, he said, “It doesn’t work for everybody, but what the heck, you can give it a try.”

As the physician was heading out the door, Mr. Carter asked, “Do you think we should do a testosterone check first, doc?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Well, I was just thinking, maybe, uh, I don’t have enough in my system and that’s why my hair’s falling out.”

“If low testosterone were the cause, women would all be bald.”

“But, uh, wouldn’t it be a good idea to check it anyway?”

Dr. Heinz looked his patient in the eye and said firmly, but with a smile, “Look, Dave, I want to help you, but I don’t have time for all this beating around the bush. What’s the real problem?”

“Sorry. It’s just kinda hard to talk about. I’ve been having trouble lately getting an erection.”

So after further discussion (which revealed that Mr. Carter was also urinating excessively and losing weight) and a blood sugar test, the man who almost left the office with a diagnosis of male-pattern baldness left with a diagnosis of diabetes with secondary erectile dysfunction.

“I think we’d better check your testosterone level today.”

Male-bashing has become a popular, even accepted, practice nowadays. Men’s sexist domination existed for so long (still exists?) that knocking them down a few pegs doesn’t seem unfair, and many of them try to “take it like a man.” Even as society is nearing gender equality for employment and other legally-mandated areas, some men cling stubbornly to behaviors that seem not only out-of-date but which can be harmful. Being a workaholic, drinking too much, and denying feelings (both emotional and physical pain) can have disastrous consequences for a man–or anybody.

Letting their guard down can be difficult for men to do, even in the presence of their physicians, who to some may seem to represent intimidating “father figures.” Even if they view their doctors as allies, men often conceal things from their “buddies” for fear of appearing weak. Their relationships with their physicians then often suffer the same way their relationships with their loved ones do: from a lack of communication.

 Do tell your physician your intimate problems. Even if he does a complete physical, he still can’t read your mind.

 Don’t worry that the physician will laugh at you, and do expect him to show concern for you.

 Don’t expect your physician to conspire with you in down-playing or overlooking a medical problem because you’re afraid of it.

 Do see a male physician if you prefer, or

 Do consider seeing a female physician if that would make you feel more comfortable talking about certain issues.