GOOD PEOPLE-3   

I'm beginning this blog with a statement about myself that might be surprising to some of the professionals and my friends, who know how involved I've been in the medical community (of late). Until recently, I truly haven't had much confidence in conventional medicine.

Hardly a stunning revelation coming from someone who was (in early life) a vegetarian, then for 6 months a fruitarian. I've worked in a health-food store, and I still have an acupuncturist/Chinese medicine practitioner that I see.

 Inundated by the non-conventional health community with the evils of "hybriding corn-seed" , the evils of inoculations, and the terror stories of antibiotics and steroids in mainline store meats, I was a convert.

 Even, as I have aged (not so gracefully) my suspicion about the AMA-approved medical community has maintained steadfast.

   Because I have had an illness treated by standard methods (type 2 diabetes), our insurance dictated a process, that I knuckled down and acceded to.

I learned that some Primary Care Practitioners (as least ONE that I can think of) don't like practicing medicine very much...or maybe he just doesn't like patients...or maybe he just didn't like me. It matters little, a string of PCP's had me thinking that they were a necessary evil to the insurance process (what I've come to think are the real culprits in the healing system, imho).

 For some time I've had the same Primary Care Physician, going in, on the pre-required intervals.

Dr. Ruberte' would come in with his computer, ask me questions (including what prescriptions I needed) and zoom out of the room. It was a bit like a medical hit and run. Although, I kind of liked that, because I seemed to have the same attitude he did. Lets get this done and move on.

We went along like that until this February, when , on my regularly scheduled appointment, I arrived in his office with bronchitis. He listened to my lungs, diligently, ordered some antibiotics and said "if you're not doing better soon, don't wait, call in".

Actually , as it happens, about three days later (2:00 am) found my husband taking me to the Er, for shortness of breath. They infused me with elixers and sent me home. My follow up was ok, but Dr. Ruberte, looked at me bewildered and said "what the heck happened?".

A week (nearly) later, I'm admitted to the hospital through the ER. Every morning, Dr. Ruberte' came in with energy, and enthusiasm. So intent on finding out what was wrong with me.

The X-ray's a-typical for pneumonia, he's a bit confused but "we're going to find out what it is".

He calls in specialist, and each morning explaining what's going on and saying "we're going to figure this out. We're going to get well."

After my release from the hospital, my recovery has (obviously) not been stellar. I visited Dr. Ruberte again. He patiently explained the difficulties of prednisone. When I mentioned my pulse ox, he immediately brought in (two) monitors, called my pulmonologist, and had me on oxygen (I had requested oxygen from my home care organization after hospital visit, and was told my vitals were "too good" for the oxygen).

After this visit, I asked if I could say something to Dr. Ruberte' from my heart.

He said "Sure" and looked up from his computer.

I told him "From February, when I came in with bronchitus, ALL you and your staff have done is try to make me well. I appreciate that more than you know."

He stopped for a beat and searched my face.

 "That's what we do here, Kimberly. We make people well."

I have to say, even though it's been a rough several months,

Dr. Ruberte' is starting to make me a believer.

In my eyes, he is Good People.

Until Next time,

Eat something wonderful

and live a life worth loving.