My Interview with the Doctor

After reading all about that drama of me having an internal self-professed battle with the choice of going or not going to the clinic, I finally decided to go after running through the whole list of my company's panel clinics and settled on one clinic near my neighborhood.

I walked into the clinic nervously (I can't believe I have this phobia of clinics and doctors NOW!)
It was a very old-fashioned clinic with those design of a clinic from the 70's; and the dim fluorescent lights and the spinning ceiling fan, you felt like you were transported back to those old times in the 50's-70's where I half expected some old men wearing a singlet matched with a short pant and a pair of Japanese slippers sitting on the wooden bench; holding a fan in one hand and putting his other hand on his hip.
I also imagined that there will be some women walking in; wearing samfoo-type of attire and holding a basket in one hand and a lace handkerchief in another while waving it at her short curly hair and trying amicably to avoid the stares from some of the men sitting there.
Ha...imaginative right?

The reception table was wide open and when you stand there, they even have potted plants around the area.
I waited patiently for the nurse; I would call her more of a clinical assistant to finish ransacking her drawers for patients' files to attend to me.
She seemed to finally notice me and pushing back her glasses, she took my card and requested for my IC; asking me crudely, "Is this your first time here?"
I almost uttered "Yes, mam" but I managed a yes to that question upon which I was asked a string of questions on my current address in Penang and also my cell phone number.

Shortly after, she asked me on my allergy histories; and I told her promptly.
She asked me, "Please spell those"
I almost gawked in surprise; but it's okay, now you know why I called her a clinical assistant instead of a nurse?
I made a mental note to personally remind the doctor later on my allergies again.

Anyway, I noticed that the nurses call for you from the reception or the dispensary counter and tell you to open your own door and walk into the doctor's consultation room.
They were short of assistants I believe but nevertheless, I find it very amusing.

When it was my turn, I walked to the door and hesitated whether I should knock or not and I did manage a small knock before I turned the knob of the door.
I saw a very old-fashioned room and for a moment, I thought I must have walked into the wrong room until I saw the doctor sitting at a small desk tucked away in a corner on my right.
(He should have made a noise or something to acknowledge his own presence there!)

I sat down promptly and told him about my predicaments.
He took my temperature and my blood pressure and then I related to him, on a side note on my right hand's discomfort.

Doctor: Do you work with the computers a lot?
Me: Yes, doctor (hence the discomfort I am feeling)
Doctor: Do you have Internet access at home?
Me: Yes, doctor
Doctor: Okay, go home, log on to Google, type in Ergonomics and read up. There should be about 7 pages long, but read those up and practise those exercises. It will help.
***Haha, this is one cool doctor, for a moment, I thought he was going to tell me not to get hooked onto the Internet too much***

Me: Actually I have started on those exercises, but it was after those pains. So, at what point should I start to worry? The pain is there now, I am not sure how serious it is
Doctor: Just do those exercises, it will relieve the pain. Typically, when things get serious, you may be required to do a small operation which will cut into your wrist to release that pressure there.
Me: But that's not a permanent cure, right?
Doctor: Oh yes, it is. But why would you want to cut into your own hand when you can prevent it by the exercises right? So find time to read and practise it!
Me: (speechless, nods obediently)

Doctor: Do you sleep well?
Me: Not really recently, it seems like my sleep is disrupted of its normal pattern
Doctor: Why can't you sleep?
Me: I don't know, it seems like I could sleep one night and the next night,I can't. Then following the fatigue of the night I couldn't sleep, I could sleep again the next night. It's like every other day I could sleep
Doctor: What time do you sleep?
Me: (pleased at my good bedtime hours) 9.30-10, doctor
Doctor: Why you sleep so early? Try sleeping at 11-11.30, then you can sleep without disruption
Me: (Stunned, for the first time, a doctor tells me to sleep late???!! My mind couldn't process any further) It's been like that since childhood
(Can you imagine how down I felt, shaking my head vigorously mentally)
Doctor: Oh, since childhood, regular sleeping hours ya? So you still get sleep about 5-6 hours, right? What time do you wake up?
Me: 6-7 or 5-6 sometimes; about 7-8 hours
Doctor: (starts calculating in his head) Wow, that's 8-9 hours...that's a lot of sleep
Me: (about to faint) Yes, doctor (smiles meekly)

I couldn't help feeling tickled by this whole conversation and I find this doctor really amusing and kind.
Frankly, I would not withhold any possibility of me going back to visit him in the future...TOUCHWOOD!
I do not want to get sick anymore in the very near future....

But I tell you, when doctors in Penang don't annoy me, they amuse me!
God bless these doctors...hehehe :)