Apparently I don’t have a doctor

I dropped my parent’s hot tub cover on my toe on Saturday. It hurt a lot at the time. My toenail turned purple.

When I was a kid, my dad’s toenail would do something to his toe (he used to jog a lot) and his toenail would turn black and fall off. This was kinda gross, but it would grow back and he seemed generally resigned to it. So I sort of resigned myself to the same fate. Ew. It takes a year or so to grow back.

It doesn’t really hurt anymore. It just feels weird. And it’s annoying wearing shoes.

But then I decided to go online and see what I could find out. Along with a thorough squicking, I found out that I could drain the pressure and maybe save the nail. I could even do it at home! But a little voice inside my head told me that an infected toenail was even would be even worse than what I had. But hey! I have a doctor! I phoned them up this morning to make an appointment.

First I get a busy signal. Then they hung up on me after I make it through the pre-recorded message (I’m pretty sure that was an accident…). Then I phone back, sit through the message again and wait on hold for a while and eventually get a friendly receptionist.

I make my appointment and give her my name. “Do you sometimes go by another name?” she asks. Uh oh. I give her my OHIP number. Nope, not there either. Yes, I’d seen him before. Oh.

Somehow, I no longer have a doctor. Fortunately, they’re still taking new patients! I just have to show up for an interview next week. For my toenail, though, I get to go to the ER (ugh, no) or a walk-in clinic.

I don’t know if I should go back to these jokers. I didn’t like the main doctor guy much the one and only time I’d gone to see them. I never get the impression they want to have much to do with me, besides collect money from OHIP. On the other hand, I doubt there are any other doctors accepting patients around here who are really any better.

Ugh.

2 thoughts on “Apparently I don’t have a doctor”

  1. Oh, dear–you poor thing! I fully sympathize. I had a regular doctor since 1988…and my daughter went to him too, ever since she was born in fact. But, alas, he decided to retire a few years ago. Finding a new one was a daunting idea! Fortunately, my roommate’s mom works at a clinic, and so got us on as patients there. I really like the nurse–we click very well. But although I don’t dislike the doctor, that same connection just isn’t quite there. She’s nice, but a trifle distant and brisk, which always leaves me feeling a little…adrift? Impersonal?

    But, I think perhaps we made a little headway yesterday. I was in for a regular annual appointment, but then later in the day also had to take my teen in–she’s been having alarming spells of vertigo with increasing frequency. Turns out the doctor also has a daughter (older than mine) who suffered the same condition at roughly the same age. Odd, the things that can finally break ice, wot?

    Meanwhile, I’m hoping my daughter’s condition is not serious or life-threatening–the doctor (having been through something similar) has some theories and ordered some tests and has started my daughter on a possible solution already–but do you know? Tuesday night she missed hockey because she was too dizzy to get her gear on. And believe me, she tried! So, yeah. Missed HOCKEY! The same kid who always plays, no matter what…through fevers, through colds, through ‘flu…heck, just a few months ago she played with bronchitis! Silly kid couldn’t even breathe (her chronic coughing fits could be heard up in the stands throughout every game that weekend), but she was NOT going to be kept off the ice! Needless to say, if she’s now that bad…too dizzy to even finish getting geared…then there is nothing for it–off to the doctor! Whatever it takes, whatever tests to figure it out, however many trips…we’ll just hope it’s something that can be resolved soon and somehow we’ll find a way to pay the bills.

    But you know you can’t just wait it out, not now that it’s big enough to interfere with HOCKEY. Aackk!

    Btw, good luck with the toe/toenail. Those can be quite daunting (and as you noted, annoying). My daughter’s grandma went through it. But, maybe better to suffer the irritation of a trip to the clinic than to end up getting your foot amputated in a month, yes? ;> Oh, and have you asked any of your friends or co-workers for recommendations? That’s how I found my first doctor, and now my new one. It might at least give you a tiny shot at finding a good one…

  2. Thanks, Tink. The toenail’s still purple, but otherwise okay.

    I pretty much decided I’m not going back to that doctor. Unfortunately, it’s a bit of a seller’s market for medical services around here. Even so, I’m pretty sure I can do better. Even going to walk-in clinics.

    Hope Junior’s okay. It doesn’t sound like a lot of fun. We can’t have her missing too much hockey.

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