Hospital: US Ebola patient in critical condition

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58. I'd recommend finding one or more female doctors.

I first was brought to my mother's gynecologist when I reached "that" age. Didn't care for him much. He was pretty haughty. There came a time when one of my examinations revealed cervical lesions. He recommended a D&C. After the recovery time had ended I had another examination and there were still problems detected. So he recommended in-office cryosurgery. And disappeared from the examining room. Hadn't explained anything to me. I was still a teenager and didn't understand what was going on. Because my mother was a former RN and VERY deferential to doctors and I had only one template to follow here - you just follow the doctor's orders and say "yes sir" and don't question His Almighty Godliness.

Well, I sat there alone in the examining room for quite awhile, until he and his nurse re-entered. He came in wheeling this big silver tank with tubes and wires and dials and knobs and other crap coming out of it and I took one look at that and PASSED THE FUCK OUT.

As I recall, I came to, later, in his regular office. He was sitting behind the desk. Looking shocked and incredulous. He was shocked that my reaction included fainting dead away on the examining table. Utterly stunned. He seemed to be figuring out that this particular patient (i.e.: ME) seems to have needed a little different handling. He apologized and told me in a quiet, measured, seemingly-concerned way that he didn't realize that someone had to EXPLAIN this to me. "I didn't know it had to be explained to you..." He spoke the same way you'd imagine speaking to a kindergarten kid. Well, gee, doc, sorry I ruined your routine. Sorry I forced you to have to take some extra time and provide counseling and for heavens sake, an explanation...

You know what I did? By then I resolved to find MY OWN gynecologist and SHE would be a female. How would a man really know or understand lady parts when he doesn't have them? And he doesn't know how it feels? And he hasn't faced or dealt with the changing conditions women deal with month-to-month. Hell, sometimes day-to-day. I found myself a female gynecologist and I have NEVER, EVER SINCE then, done otherwise.

I will NOT - NOT EVER - see a male doctor about my lady parts. Not EVER. It just makes no sense.