Doctor, Doctor

For my contribution to this month’s theme-of-the-issue, matters of health, I asked if referring to health professionals by name would be inappropriate or insensitive. I was given the green light.

Insensitive or not, facts are facts, and one reason I feel I must include a local doctor’s actual name herein is because I have a specific doctor-patient conversation to report that simply doesn’t work without including his name.

The report results from my having blown out my right-ankle Achilles tendon.

“It happened to a buddy of mine in college,” said my friend Rob. “He was running toward the high jump, and when his Achilles blew it sounded like somebody fired off a gun. Everybody in the stadium could hear it!”

I’ve heard victims say, “It felt like somebody kicked me in the back of the leg. I went down, looking for who did it.”

Mine was not the classic sudden snapping of the tendon, where the victim drops to the ground in agonizing pain. Mine was a gradual blow-out. The tendon over the years shredded like a piece of beef jerky, injury by injury, semi-healing by semi-healing, until it wasn’t semihealing anymore. I had a floppy foot. I finally went to my doctor, who was clearly disappointed in me. He said, “Why did you wait so long?” He sent me for x-rays and a visit to the orthopedic surgeon, a specialist at Orthopedic Associates of Northern California.

“I’m Doctor Hu,” he said. He explained in careful detail the surgery I would require, which was tricky because of the shredded Achilles tendon.

As the surgery date approached, I was able to reserve as my anesthesiologist, my old friend and real estate client, Roger, one of the brightest, most capable, and caring people you could ever meet.

Surgery day, with Roger at my side and Dr. Hu performing the tricky work, went perfectly. My care and recovery have gone exactly as stated by Dr. Hu.

On my recent follow-up visit with Dr. Hu, I said, “I have a joke for you.”

“Oh, really,” said Dr. Hu.

“Knock, knock,” I said.

“Who’s there,” he answered.

“Doctor,” I said.

“Doctor who (Hu),” he said.

“Thank God,” I said.

Dr. Hu liked it. And I meant it.

Doug Love is Sales Manager at Century 21 in Chico. Email dougwlove@gmail.com. Call or text 530-680-0817.