by Paul Galinski More than 20 years ago, I left Powell River for a vocational opportunity. One of the many things I left behind was an excellent family doctor.
I quickly had to find a new family physician because I have chronic medical conditions requiring prescriptions and monitoring. A colleague at my new job revealed that a husband and wife doctor team had moved to the community and were accepting patients. Testimonial about the female physician was good so I made an appointment to see if she would accept me as a patient.
She invited me to become part of her practice. The first order of business was to schedule a full physical examination to establish a benchmark for my general state of health. I conveyed that I had great trepidation about intimate examinations. I was told that it was no big deal, she’d performed innumerable such examinations, and that it would be brief. She did, however, insist on a chaperone to protect her.
The dreaded day came and we progressed through rudimentary procedures, such as taking blood pressure and testing reflexes, without difficulty. However, when the examination went below the belt, the flight or fight response went into overdrive. A wrestling match ensued, but finally, I stilled sufficiently for her to go about her business.
Heading home, I felt the way I imagine I’d feel if I’d been assaulted. Clearly, there was no impropriety. The examination was witnessed by a chaperone. Still, I felt horrible and allowed the exam to define my response to health care for the next 20 years.
Eventually, I returned to Powell River for a new vocational opportunity. I was very fortunate in finding an excellent family physician. She was very hands-off, so to speak, which seemed a blessing. A little voice kept saying, however, I was running from something essential.
I’m in my late 50s, have a wife, two daughters, and now, two grandsons. My health is not just about me. Common sense prevailed and I confessed last year, with great trepidation and embarrassment, my fear to my doctor.
I discovered that provincial health insurance pays for patient counselling. I asked my doctor if I could set up appointments to tell my story and confront my demons. She agreed. She told me to schedule for her last appointment of the day and even gave some personal time to listen. We developed a strategy for my first full physical in two decades.
The appointed day came. My blood pressure was through the roof but a caring and committed doctor helped me through the ordeal. It wasn’t pleasant but it wasn’t traumatic.
The moral of this story is committing to self-advocacy. I wrote today’s Peak front-page story on men’s health because life is too precious to avoid life-giving interventions. We must find solutions to the obstacles.
In the article, Dr. David May outlines a men’s health forum he sponsored called: “How to Dance at Your Grandchildren’s Wedding.”
Liam and Beckett, I plan on attending, dancing a dance that you should never have to witness.
Paul Galinski is a writer and photographer currently contracted with the Powell River Peak.
