A year ago I saw my primary care provider for the third time in a row, – as in – three annual check-ups, consecutively. That was a first time experience for me, having grown up as a military dependent and then living in the Silicon Valley/SF Bay Area and job hopping or freelancing for twenty plus years. Insurance changes, doctors go in and out of network, and consistency in a provider was never to be had, nor expected, frankly.

The visit was pleasant, and I was pleased to hear that she’d been promoted to director of the clinic, but still wanted to stay in touch with patients, so would forego complete and total administrative hell in order to keep practicing. This seemed to make her happy and proud. Having her actually remember personal details about me was impressive and I complimented her on her memory. She said meeting with patients was her favorite part of her job and she appreciated patients like me who are so pro-active.

After she characterized me as “pro-active” from a medical perspective, I heard “neurotic” and haven’t been back since.