–said Dr. “D”, “…Don’t think about it as having problems and limitations. I like to try to look at this way. It’s more that your body just really likes to and wants to give out a lot of information about where it wants help. It’s very open and willing for someone to listen to it. It NEEDS help. It’s asking for it.”–that’s pretty much what I remember the Chiropractor saying to me today at my first appointment as he did his first information intake about my body to test EVERYTHING POSSIBLE. I had physical tests done that I’d never had done before and it showed me I had EVEN MORE “limitations” (or that’s how my perception is about me) and I was commenting about it sarcastically on the side with myself and him.
He really didn’t seem to see it that way. It was the first time I had EVER been around ANY medical professional of any sort from all sides of medicine whether it be Western or Eastern or any type of medicine in-between, that he didn’t sigh out of distress about what he found out about my body. He didn’t seem too stressed about it. He was JUST taking in data…just looking at and observing what my body was COMMUNICATING to him. That’s what it felt like. It was DEFINITELY the first time ANYONE looked at my ridiculously crazy long medication list that actually has gotten shorter (but you’d never know it by glancing at it and especially as a new person to my body’s situation) and said “THIS IS AWESOME”! Not kidding. He was baffled at what I was on and what I was going through but he didn’t show he was baffled. Just those words said it all.
So not only did he seem to observe my body on his level (if that makes any sense) as a body that might be able to benefit from his care BUT he also was funny, normal, seemed to have no ego whatsoever yet was quite confident with what he does and what he knows, he had me sit on a table and sat on a stool looking up at me yet I still felt like I wasn’t “below” him in any way or “above” him either, I didn’t feel too self-conscious when he had me stand so he could look at my posture or walk down the hall and back. Plus when he asked me when I thought I was EVER at my ideal weight (didn’t say anything else about how much I weighed or that he was concerned about it or that I was overweight or that I needed to go on a diet OR ANYTHING OF THE SORT) I laughed and then he saw the perplexed look on my face and said, “When you were born?” and I said, “YES! I think so. I think I was at an ideal weight then.” He DIDN’T HAVE TO POINT OUT THE OBVIOUS WHEN IT WASN’T NECESSARY.
After all the data was gathered he said he’d go over all the information (he actually wanted to take some real time to look at it and not just jump on me at that point with some treatment plan of sorts without knowing what he was getting into) and he’d like to see me within 72 hours to go over the results so that we can decide together if we were a good fit and whether he would accept me as a patient or not. I asked him what that meant (he even asked me if I had questions which is amazing. I know to ask anyway but it was nice to be given that opportunity.) and he told me that sometimes it might mean he needs me to do some more diagnostic testing elsewhere, he may need to talk to my doctors first (he wants be a TEAM with them about EVERYTHING!–FINALLY SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO DO THAT.) or there may be some other reason but he wouldn’t know until he had a plan in place. And then there was the factor of me agreeing to the treatment plan and then we could go from there. It’s TEAMWORK on all sides I guess.
GO FIGURE.
We’re all in this together.
CRAZY IDEA.
So after hearing a dear friend of mine mention this “Dr. D (will call him that for now)” soooooo many times and tell me how great he was and what he’s done to help her and how much better she feels after seeing him I figured it was time to FINALLY check out how a Chiropractor could help me. I had a Chiropractor on my list as a idea of treatment options to check out and since acupuncture is NOT covered right now by my insurance I thought it was time to try something new and it all fell into place. Plus his office is NOT far away from my home so that helps A LOT. BIG PLUS.
I see him Thursday. My homework is to give him a list of my doctors (Ha! I wonder if he’ll say “THIS IS AWESOME!” again when he sees how long the list is and what different kinds of specialists I have) with their contact information because he wants to be in contact with ALL of them (no way, crazy thought) and his homework is to assess me and all the information my body was apparently so willing to give out.
So from now on I’m going to try to keep the perspective in mind that it’s not that my body has limitations, it’s that it needs a lot of help and is willing to give out any information anyone needs if they are willing to listen. It’s also willing to get the help if it can. I am willing too so that helps. We can all work together.
Definitely curious to see what happens…
Will do my best to keep you all posted as I can.
Right now it’s time to rest. Being proactive is tiring…
Nahleen.com: On the Inside Looking Out 