My Blind Date with a Doctor

If I have to have a new doctor . . .

When I called to set an appointment for my annual physical, I was told my family doctor was "retiring from clinical practice. She's younger than I am, and I'm not fifty, so I was thrown a bit off balance.

It's the time of year for flu shots and drug renewals. The nice receptionist told me the last names and medical degrees for the two doctors taking new patients. I felt that asking about gender would be sexist, so I took the one with the soonest appointment.

I'd rather not have one quite this new.

Apparently my new doctor is so new that the web site hasn't caught up. No clues there. I had to wait until I arrived at the clinic and saw business cards with HIS name on them--Dustin.

My last two family doctors have been female and that's nice, but I can handle this, but Dustin sounded very young.

I've taught lots of Dustins. I did teach with one, but he was also very young.

I've gotten used to a young dentist who looks like she's still in high school, but I was still a bit apprehensive.

Fortunately, my new doctor looks at least thirty, therefore older than my children. I like to ease into the idea of all the authority figures in my life being younger than I am.

But he is definitely a millennial and has the obligatory neck beard, but no man bun. The clinic has become a very hip place. A beautiful young NA with a pierced nose took my blood pressure. The receptionist has a leaves tattooed on her arm and the phlebotomist has a safety pin through the top of his ear. My blue hair fits right in.

Looking less than conservative didn't make any of them less than professional. Everyone was knowledgable, considerate and friendly.

Dr. Dustin is kind and thorough. We went over all my meds and vaccinations. He praised my weight loss and was sympathetic to my struggle to exercise.

Do all TV doctors have crooked smirks?

Next year I will need tetanus and shingles shots in addition to the usual flu shot. I will have to schedule a colonoscopy and a mammogram. What I won't have to do is worry about meeting a strange new doctor.

My other doctor, a rheumatologist is about my age, and therefore will probably retire in the next ten to twenty years. I hope it's not too soon.

Blind dates, even when they turn out well, are pretty stressful.