A Word About Pap Smears

I mean, seriously...

I have the utmost respect for doctors (except the one at Doctor's Care on James Island). They work hard. They generally deal with sick people and stressful situations all day. I respect nurses more, because I think that they actually do all the work, but really, I have no problem with doctors.

Except when they lack bedside manner.

Now, it's the first week of March. And during the first week of March for the past six years, I have gone to get my hoo-hah examined. This is all fine and good, a necessity. I complain about it less and less with each visit. And today I wasn't going to complain at all! I mean, I sat in the waiting room for only 5 minutes before getting my vitals taken. Another ten minutes and I was in the exam room being asked to, "take everything off as the doctor will be in shortly."

Shortly...as in...45 minutes later. Now folks, Charleston, SC has never seen cold like it has seen cold the past two weeks. So laying on a table in my altogethers with the "sheet" of paper provided to keep me covered up...for forty-five minutes? Even that is all fine and good; perhaps there was a little baby being born somewhere as I froze to death in the next room.

But when my doctor breezed in and exclaimed, "so I see you're worried about your weight...," things truly went downhill.

So, a little advice for my doctor friends.

(1) If your patient must wait in the nude for you, provide a heated bed.

(2) US healthcare benefits suck. In the five minutes you spend with me, I would like you to be concerned with me. I would rather not pay out the nose, plus the deductible, plus the co-pay to hear about your daughter's science fair project.

(3) When your patient is butt-naked and freezing cold, it's probably not the best idea to bring up her weight, and then to proceed to tell her that her methods of exercise really are not exercise at all. Even if it is the truth.

(4) It's probably not the best idea to continue to talk about how wonderful your methods of exercise are as you cram a speculum up your patient's vajayjay. A little respect. Perhaps some lavender scented candles. Soft music. A glass of wine. But don't go on and on about how you run 6 miles every evening on your fancy treadmill (that you can afford because you're a doctor) while you accost your patient.

(5) Go ahead and have that scrip for Zoloft filled out before you even walk in the door.

A passionate blog from a passionate person. And my hoo-hah is just fine.

Read more...

Bedtime Blogging

So, this blog has morphed about five times over the course of 30 minutes, namely because my computer crashed and had to reboot and restart and restore. In that time, I flipped through the notebook I've kept for close to two years and have finally decided that instead of trying to come up with anything new, I would share a few poignant (or not so poignant) things that have occurred to me as of late.
I've worked through a few Bible studies (David: 90 Days with a Heart Like His, Becoming a Women of Grace, Becoming a Woman of Prayer, Becoming a Woman of Purpose) since the summer of '07, prompting this writing.

9/16/07
Being consumed by God's grace, I cannot help but share it! Apart from his grace, I am only flesh and bones. I seek to be more...to be justified, sanctified, forgiven, free, faithful...all of which is available by grace. A humble, gracious woman. A kind heart. A quiet spirit.

Isaiah 30:18 "Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him!"

3/30/08
Father, how awesome to read back over the last 8 months - to consider Your constant work in me. I praise You, Lord for your action in my life. I praise You, Lord for strength and quiet. At times my heart is so heavy - my mind thinking too quickly and despite my best efforts to completely spaz out, You still me. I praise You, Jesus for the Cross. I praise You, God that You know me - that I am created as Your child. May my focus be on You, Your glory, Your sacrifice, Your power.

4/29/08
For my future husband: I pray that you would find joy in loving me, just as Christ loves the church and has given Himself for her. I pray that you are enabled to understand me, to show me honor as a co-heir of the grace of life. I pray that I respect you and submit to your authority, even as you submit yourself to His.

4/30/08
SACHAH: to bow down, to prostrate oneself as an act of respect before a superior being

5/7/08
Discerning God's Will
The biggest challenge is definitely he confusion in identifying what it is that I want for me and what it is that He wants for me. Ultimately, the two should be in tandem and that is certainly my goal. Differentiating between a door He has opened and a narrow space through which I am trying to squeeze myself can be tricky...I've learned that God's way is not necessarily the easiest, but it is the blessed. I know that He is more aware of my needs and how I can serve Him than I am.

"The cows obeyed the Creator of the cows."

I write these things because they are the thoughts that I like to share with friends who convict me. Who ask me the hard questions. I'm thankful that I have a Creator, Savior, Redeemer King who seeks intimacy with me. And I'm thankful that He has given me friends to remind me to consider Him in everything. Blessings on a new week!

Read more...