I was all set to write an uplifting, positive post … and then I got an email. “The clinic note from yesterday’s doctor visit is available in the patient portal.”

If you remember (and even if you don’t) I needed to change doctors, etc. because of a change in insurance. I have a new primary doctor and mainly interact with his fellow. For now this is fine, the fellow is a young guy, very nice, knowledgeable, etc. This was my second time seeing him and he obviously reviewed my record. And just to be prepared, I brought along some of the paperwork on the needed preparation for surgery.

To see his notes I needed to sign into the patient portal, so I braced for it, and yes, it is still there …

Whatever happens, do not let the patient forget that they have the NUMBER 2 KILLER growing in their butt!

I then find the clinical note (the instructions in the email on what to click on to see it are wrong; are you as shocked as I am?). Here is the first part of it I would like to share:

As stated at the end, I am taking duloxetine as it is effective for peripheral neuropathy and depression. I have managed any depression without meds but with the added stress of having rectal cancer, well, this helps.

During the visit I guess I may have mentioned my “frustration” with the hospital’s healthcare system. I may have shown him the paperwork I received. I may have been a bit cranky. But I did specifically ask him about this:

and this

And as he so eloquently documented for posterity in his note:

The prescription instructions have confusing instructions for each medication. We did our best to decipher them.

And he’s a doctor! Yes, we did our best … and failed. He promised to contact the surgeon’s office and ask “what the fuck?” … well, that is my interpretation.

Then I scrolled down to see what else is in my clinic note. Oooh, social history! Being the social animal that I am …

I realize that I am cranky, curmudgeonly, expect people to be competent in their jobs, and just an all around nice guy but that aside, some of these items are a tad problematic.

“Tobacco use: Never smoker”  That is absolutely correct. I was asked if I ever smoked and I said “never” and he notated “never.”

Yet, when asked “Do you have multiple sex partners?” I responded “no” yet the notation is “denies.”

When asked if I use “recreational drugs” and I said “never,” once again the notation is “denies.”

What does Google have to say about this?

And yes, I get it, deny can also mean declare untrue but its connotation, as shown by being the primary definition here, is more of refusing to admit.

“Sexual activity: Present”  I was not asked about “sexual activity” and am perplexed by the notation of “Present.” Does that mean I have sexual activity with the present I was given (a few years ago, there was this gag gift from a couple of women friends … but I digress)? Or does it mean that I was having sexual activity in the place where I was present? And / or having it at the present time, in the present place, with the present I happen to keep in the car?

By now some of you are screaming at the computer screen wondering why I am avoiding the “Sexual orientation: Female”  item. The best I can figure is that yes, I am sexually oriented towards females. Or yes, I prefer female orientals to males (don’t go all “inappropriate-wording” on me, they wrote it, not me). Maybe during the physical exam he noticed the pink lace man-thong I was wearing and got confused. And no, I was not wearing a pink lace man-thong.

It was in the wash.