The optimist.

Remember Doctor D, the doctor I had the horrible fight with? She and I had a very interesting conversation today.

Essentially, we've both accepted that we're different. We seem to have accepted the huge problem with our communications. We didn't address it directly, but I'm suspecting our true issue is a simple matter of methods.

She's BLUNT. She's factual. I'm BLUNT. I try to be factual. The disconnect seems to be that her world is black and white. Mine is 24 bit greyscale. We're both equally irritating but we don't see life the same way at all.

She doesn't joke. I joke all the time. She wouldn't reveal half of what's written in this blog. I would never write the the research paper she would put in its place.

Neither of us is wrong. (Well, maybe both of us are, who knows.)

I'll give you an example of a small part of the exchange today. It happened as we were walking out of the exam room.

She said, "You look good."
I responded laughingly and with obviously feigned vanity, "I always look good."
She responded, "Well, I mean you look better than you did last time I saw you."

Yeah, re-read that. I don't think she was trying to be insulting. I think she was just considering her words against her perceived professional standards.

She is not a light-hearted woman. It's OK. I understand that now. I'll deal with it. She knows I'm not as serious as she. She's dealing with it.

But the important part is that we communicated positively today. I got her vision of the future. I got facts and results and plans.

I saw into her crystal ball and it was good.

She envisions a maintenance program. She has objectives and potential solutions for every issue I'm going through right now. She's being MY DOCTOR.

So believe it or not, I don't feel like a hot potato any longer. I feel like a patient. It's was reassuring, reaffirming, refreshing.

I never would have expected the source.