My Notebook

When a person has a new medical condition, it is like traveling in uncharted waters. Everything is new and confusing. There are many questions that need to be answered. When I went with my father to his surgeon last week, I took along a notebook. It was the kind we used in grade school. The old fashioned black and white composition notebook. I wrote all of my questions ahead of time in black ink and left ample space underneath each one for the answers. I brought along a red pen to use for writing the answers. When the doctor was with us in the exam room, I asked my questions and as he spoke, I wrote the answers in my book. The book would remain with my father, so if he needed to review the answer, it was right there. Nothing is worse than leaving the doctor's office and saying to each other, "What did he say"? Two days later we returned to the doctor for a follow up visit. After talking for a few minutes, the doctor looked at me and said, "Where is your notebook"? I took it out of my tote bag and was ready to write. He then looked at me and said, "How are you so organized"? I explained that I am the manager of a mental healthcare clinic that deals with OCD, so I know how annoying it can be to keep repeating a question to a doctor .I also told him that these are skills that I teach as a life coach. By having the notebook, I am organized and I ask once and have the answer forever. He then asked more questions about what I do and sat there listening intently to every word. He said he was so impressed with what I was saying. I laughed as I left his office. Here is a man that does vascular surgery into main arteries, and he was impressed with my notebook.