Top Ten Reasons I'm Thankful for Dr. Dazzle

It's Thursday again. That means it's time for Thankful Thursday! Today I am Thankful for Dr. Dazzle. Here are the top ten reasons why:

10) We graduated from high school the same year. Yep, both from the class of '93. It took a while to get used to the fact that my doctor is a "young" as I am, because I am young...right?

9) We like much of the same music and we both have small kids, so there is never a lack of things to talk about after we finish talking about blood, snot and poop.

8) One of his little patients told him that he's cool, because he has good hair. I agree!

7) He is a perseverater...in that he perseverates. When a new symptom arises he mulls over the pro's and con's of the next move. You can actually see the wheels turning in that little head of his. Sometimes he thinks aloud and talks to himself. It shows me that he really puts a lot of thought into my care.

6) He is super duper aggressive in his approach to CF. Since I started seeing him in August my PFT's have risen by 10% from the baseline that I sat at for a couple years. That was lung function that I thought was gone forever. Today he told me not to worry much about the new MAC that I cultured. I am being treated for it now. He said that I will culture lots of bugs over the next 60 years. We'll beat them as they come. Yippee!

5) Dr. D ALWAYS emails or calls me back in a VERY timely manner. I appreciate this immensely, because I am one of the most impatient people to walk this Earth.

4) He doesn't treat me like I don't know what I'm talking about...even though I often don't know what I'm talking about. Basically, he doesn't treat me like I'm just a dumb patient.

3) Dr. Dazzle is both realistic and positive. He tells it to me straight, but then gives me the plan of action. When I was struggling with what to do with regards to the m. abscessus he told me that this was a very serious bug that is often responsible for very serious lung damage and sometimes death. However, we caught this early enough where we can treat, suppress and possibly eradicate this bug for good. I then got an email detailing the treatment plan and all potential side effects, along with what we were going to do monitor the side effects.

2) Dr. D texted my lab results to me on a Saturday during the Ohio State vs. Michigan football game. Seriously! My lab results were more important to him than that game! I have never gotten a text before that detailed my white blood count, platelet count and my last culture smear result...along with telling me to enjoy my weekend... It was good stuff!

1) He listens to me and actually hears what I'm saying. He remembers what I like and don't like, along with my thought process and he takes in all into account when offering a plan. I think we have a true partnership when it comes to my treatment plan. This is what I appreciate most!

It was really difficult for me to choose to change Pulmonologists over the summer. I was scared and nervous about what I might get, even though I knew it was time for the change. I truly feel like I've won the Pulmonologist lottery on this one... Yeah me! On this Thankful Thurday I am ever so thankful for Dr. Dazzle!