Doctorfobia

In my 8 things about me post I failed to mention one thing which I consider quite defining. My aversion for doctors. I admit I did this intentionally because it turns out both my husband's parents are doctors and I know they read this blog very often (bonjour Adrien & Hélène!). I certainly don't want them to feel offended because it is nothing personal against them or their profession.... but I just can't help it: I HATE DOCTORS.

I always have. Always will.....

Any doctors: ophthalmologists, general MD's, gynaecologists even non-threathening dermatologists!.... It doesn't matter, if their name includes the prefix D-R I will unconsciously take 3 steps back.

You can type it out to mean anything you want (a childhood drama, fear of the needle, etc...) and I'll even admit that a very wrong diagnosis which changed my life (and quite a few others close to me!) might have a little to blame.... but deep down I think it all boils down to this: How can you trust someone to know you better than you know yourself?

So it sounds irrational but there you have it.

Each time that I've had to see a doctor I have always left their office feeling that they got it all wrong ... and, don't believe me if you don't want to, but a lot of the times I was right!

Thank heavens (knock on wood + knocking on my head *wink at mexpat*) I haven't had to see that many doctors throughout my life (except my PIL that is ;)) but that's mainly because there were a lot of times when instead of going to the Dr, I preferred auto diagnosis (thank you internet!) and self prescription (thank you mexico pharmacies with your "no questions asked" policy!)...............Ok, now I know I've gotten my grandma all worried.....

Don't worry Mimi! It's impossible to do this in France! :D

When I arrived in Paris I realized I would have to be much more careful of my health if I wanted to avoid going to see the man in the white lab coat... plus, everything is sold with a prescription and with the crazy health system they got going here .... well, let's just say I can count on the fingers of my hands the amount of times I've been in a Dr's consultation room in the past 6 years (and I still have some fingers left!)

This doesn't mean I haven't been sick... it just means that I've made two important discoveries: 1/ the amazing powers of aspirin and 2/ I have a pretty high pain tolerance.

Which brings me to today's dilemma: my toothache.

I have a tooth that's been killing me for the past year (literally! I called my dentist earlier and checking my record he realized that my last appointment had been in November 2006!)... It began as a little pain which after 2 months would not go away... then suddenly it did but by then I'd gathered up my courage and already made an appointment with the...... *shivering!* D-O-C-T-O-R, cf my Nov 06 appointment .... after using that awful little bzzzzzing thingy and basically drilling a hole in my poor tooth he came to the conclusion my tooth was dead (error #1) He then put on a cap to fill in the hole and make sure I didn't get any further pain (error #2).... Said cap fell off 2 weeks later.... (error #3)..... Like I said... it took over 12 months and me getting pretty tired of having food stuck in my tooth at every meal before I went back to see him last week.... and get this: he put on the same type of cap... again! (error #4)..... Of course, the cap fell off .... AGAIN (do I have to keep counting???) and now best of all my tooth, my poor drilled-in, cap-missing, never-once-hurt-me-in- those-12months tooth is now hurting like h*ll !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, people, can you really blame me for pledging alliance to the allmighty Aspirin God? (which btw I'm going to go buy a whole bucket of a soon as I finish this post!)?

Fned.