It had been a typical overwhelming week for me at the office. I was working 10-11-hour days, and finally it was Friday. Working as a physician in family medicine is a grueling job, at times. All day, I must put a smile on my face and be attentive to everyone's needs and help solve their medical problems. Today was half a day, so I knew I could get through the morning.
When I arrived, I checked my schedule, and it was packed with physicals, which seem to be all that I have been doing lately. I typically don't see any new patients, but at the end of the day, I saw that I had a new patient physical- a 38-year-old male. I asked my nurse about that appointment.
"That's odd." I said to her, pointing to the schedule. "I didn't think that we had any open slots for new patients."
She looked at me, shrugged her shoulders and replied, "I'm not sure about how this one got added on here, and you know I watch your schedule like a hawk. But at least he's young, so it should be quick."
I wasn't worried about it; it was just odd to see a new patient on my schedule.
I turned around to walk to my office and she said, "Wait!" I paused and came back over to her computer. She continued, "I just looked in his chart and he made the appointment online, specifically requesting you!"
"That's strange. I don't even recognize his name. Let's hope for the best with this one," I said begrudgingly.
After a long tiring, morning, I went to see my last patient of the day. I put my best "fake it til you make it" smile on my face and walked in. "Good morning!" I cheerfully greeted him.
"Good afternoon!" Cody replied, a smile on his face.
"Oh boy!" I stated, as I sat down on my chair. "I'm so sorry to keep you waiting this long."
"It's no problem," he replied, a smile appearing on his face. He was being sweet, knowing that I was running extremely behind.
That was when I actually looked up from my computer and looked AT him. In front of me sat a 38-year-old, tall, handsome man, with shaggy dirty-blonde hair, and eyes as blue as the sea. I found myself almost shaking my head to get myself re-focused.
Pull yourself together
, I thought to myself. I sat up straighter, and then I said to him. "So, I see you are here for a physical today. Is that right?"
"Sure. Yeah. That's exactly why I'm here." He paused, and then continued with a grin on his face, "...to do a physical exam."
I ran through all the boring questions about medical history- none; family history- none, concerns- none. It seemed like this was going to be a run of the mill physical and I'd be out of the room in no time and done for the day.
That was when I asked him to sit on the examining table, so that I could listen to his heart and lungs. He stood up and as he sat on the table, the paper crinkled. It was as if it was the only audible sound around me. It seemed like it echoed through the room, and that I could feel the vibration through my body. I shuddered. I grabbed my stethoscope and placed it on his back. I said, "Take some deep breaths for me." He nodded and began his deep breathing, so I could listen to his lungs. "Now, I'm going to listen to your heart." Using my right hand, I placed the stethoscope on his chest, and I rested my left hand on his shoulder. This is what I always do when I listen to someone's heart, but this time, I felt an electric vibe run through my hand that was resting on his shoulder. I could feel my breathing pick up slightly.
Why am I so distracted?