tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955795008250025126.post2906660108347692453..comments2023-08-08T12:47:59.423-07:00Comments on Food for Thought: dear doctor, do you want to be my friend?Marta Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17371851400493543025noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955795008250025126.post-49158155926337898912010-03-29T15:20:36.429-07:002010-03-29T15:20:36.429-07:00I vote with Anna - that it is bad form to ask the ...I vote with Anna - that it is bad form to ask the doctor to do his professional stuff for you for free unless he is your father or you have some cost-saving favor to offer in return. Doctors have a lot of overhead expenses in their businesses and our copays and not bad, relatively speaking. However, the co-pays are going up when the health insurance group plan renews in May. If there are things you feel you should see the doctor for but are waiting - it will cost you $10 more after May 1, just FYI.<br /><br />What your post brought to mind, though, was the "Symptom Advisor" that you can access through the selecthealth.org website with our insurance. It won't solve many of your problems, but it might help you feel better about some things or else give you the peace of mind about it being worth it to spend the money and see the doctor. You have to set up a login to use it. I like it for looking up kid symptoms where I have to make the decision about whether to go in without actually being able to feel the symptoms myself.<br /><br />I was also looking on their website to see if they have a "Phone a nurse" option that I could tell you about. I didn't find it, at least yet, but one insurance plan we had in the past had that and I found it very helpful for the sort of things you describe. Call Select Health and ask if they do. <br /><br />My pediatrician lets me email him about the kids for free. I do agree that it would be nice if my doctor let me do the same!alyddallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06910519516057876032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-955795008250025126.post-61387941788461694872010-03-28T19:15:14.968-07:002010-03-28T19:15:14.968-07:00I have been friends with doctors and never have fe...I have been friends with doctors and never have felt good about asking them to do their job as part of our friendship. That's just awkward. I wouldn't want them to ask me to copy edit all their letters, you know?<br /><br />Anyway, re the accident proneness, I have that too. I have noticed that sometimes it seems related to hormonal swings, bus mostly it comes from hurrying too much and trying to do too many things at once.<br /><br />I have been working on a little deep breathing practice, just 6 seconds inhale and 6 seconds exhale, 20 breaths before I go to sleep at night. This was recommended by my M-W-F fitness class teacher at the YMCA. It helps me sleep better and I am hoping maybe it will help me be more generally calm and present in my life, so I won't get so many dumb owies.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14545496730057771946noreply@blogger.com