2003-04-10 - 11:20 a.m.

Shared Practice=never getting to see the doctor your appointment is set up with.

This is who I was *supposed* to see:

Abraham Mathews, M.D., received his medical degree from the College of Medical Sciences, University of Maiduguri, Nigeria and a diploma in Tropical Medicine, School of Tropical Medicine, University of Liverpool, England. He completed residency programs at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Nigeria, and Columbia University/St. Lukes-Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York, N.Y. He is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine.

This was who I *did* see:

James Commers, M.D. received his medical degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine (UNMC). He completed an internship and a residency in internal medicine at UNMC and completed a fellowship with the National Cancer Institute, Division of Cancer Treatment, Pediatric Oncology Breanch, Bethesda, M.D. He is a fellow with the American College of Physicians and is board certified by the American Board of Medical Oncology and the American Board of Internal Medicine

I just got home from the doc and I should be jumping up and down because we found out that I don't have cancer, but we don't know what's wrong with me. Dr Commers is wondering if maybe I'm reacting to the allergy shots I'm getting, but is sending off some more blood to be checked for immune system function and then we'll go from there. I felt stupid-I started crying in his office over this whole frustration over health thing and he just tried to reassure me that it WILL get better even if it seems like it's not.

These are the guys who saved my life back in 1998, and they remembered me when I got there today. Dr Commers walked in with such a huge, genuine smile on his face and shook my hand and took TIME to listen to my myriad of problems I've had since my last visit to their office in 1999. He checked me out, he looked at my blood under the microscope, he asked questions and even went so far as to check with radiology to see the results of my brain scan, CT, and all MRIs that I've had over the last 5 years. When I started to cry, he held my hand and looked at me with such compassion and did his best to assure me I *will* recover from all this.

If only it would happen soon....

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