Prescription for Patience

Yesterday I had my first appointment with a new doctor, and I was anxious to meet her, to see if we had a good rapport, and to hear her thoughts on my slow weight loss. 

Dr. F is amazing!  Not only is she kind and caring, but she seems so knowledgable.  My last doctor always seemed so noncommittal and passive, and I really wanted to find someone who would be an advocate for me.  Dr. F definitely fits that bill. 

Our rapport was great, and I think I’ve finally found a doctor that I really like.  My previous doctor was sort of blah and the one before that was more like a drill sergeant than a doctor.  Dr. F is compassionate, down-to-earth, and she inspires a great deal of confidence. 

Now, as far as her thoughts on my weight loss, she said that she wanted me to be more patient.  (This is definitely one of my major problems – I am very impatient about most things, including weight loss).  She said that I’ve been doing everything right – she loved that I had joined WW and that I was working out with a personal trainer.  She said that the Wellbutrin definitely causes weight gain (this is the 2nd doctor that has confirmed this now) and that it took a long time to get out of the system.  She encouraged me to keep a positive attitude and to continue to do the things I have been. 

As far as my thyroid, she said that when I had the tests last spring, they checked my thyroid and that the levels are all within the normal range.  She attributed the slow weight loss to the fact that the Wellbutrin was still in my system.  She also mentioned the whole “once you start weight training, muscle weighs more than fat” thing.  I don’t know why I always have the impulse to roll my eyes and scoff when I hear that phrase, but I know it’s true.

She said she wants to check on my progress in 3 months, and recommended that I make a new appointment in January. 

I’m so happy to have finally found a doctor that I can relate to and whom I’d like to build a lasting relationship with.  It’s such a weight off my mind.

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A visit to the doctor

I was anxious for my doctor’s appointment on Friday for a couple of reasons.  First because I hadn’t met her before, and I wanted to see what she was like.  (I had a different doctor a couple of years ago whose cold demeanor wasn’t doing it for me, so I chose Dr. Chau from a list of available doctors.  She looked good “on paper,” but the true test is meeting the person and seeing whether or not your personalities meld.

After waiting almost an hour (ugh!!!) to see her, Dr. Chau finally entered the exam room.  She was terrific!  A very sweet, friendly doctor, which is so nice.  She really listened to what I was telling her about my symptoms. She gave me a neurological test (following her finger with my eyes, tapping on my knees, etc.) and everything came up clear on that.  Thank goodness!

After listening to everything I said, she ordered two tests for me – an ultrasound of my legs (who knew they could ultrasound your legs?) and a blood test that would test for all sorts of things, including diabetes, cholesterol, and potassium levels.

In order to make it to the ultrasound with my crazy schedule, I had to take Monday off, as well, but again, this is what sick days are for.  I’ve only called in sick 2 other days this entire year, and I really want to get to the bottom of this numbness.

I asked the doctor about continuing my training, and she said that it would be alright for me to do the Mermaid 5K with LC this Sunday, but that she wouldn’t recommend the 10-mile walk I was supposed to do on Saturday at Natural Bridges in Santa Cruz with TNT.  She said that she’d like to figure out what was causing the numbness before I do any long walks like that, so that I don’t exacerbate the problem.

I left her office feeling like I had more questions than answers, but happy that at least I was taking the necessary steps to figure it all out.

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