Dr. Pendergrass was my gynecologist for over a decade, and I saw Dr. Bird multiple times when Dr. P…read morewas out of the office. When Dr. P told me she wasn't going to be practicing any longer, I nearly broke into hives (more on that later), until she told me that Dr. Bird had agreed to take me as a patient - the relief I felt was like I'd been holding constant tension in my jaw, shoulders and upper back for as long as I could remember and someone just showed me how to relax - the solace I took from that statement sounds outsized, but when you're a female managing a genetic disease that manifests as if it's multiple, individual diseases, it is very hard to find doctors that understand and - this part is so important to me - **listen**.
Dr. Bird is empathetic and seems to actually care for her patients' well-being going forward, true preventative/proactive care wherever possible. Reactive care should not be as widespread as it is, but, it's infuriating to deal with when I come across other doctors. Not only was scheduling easy and the staff kind, but they actually knew me, which made me feel better about my care being in their hands. Dr. Bird was always attentive and listened with concern (even when I got off-topic, because, I do that, a lot, especially since medical science has been a special interest of mine since I was a kid).
I never felt anyone was being condescending or shaming me for making an appointment, or for needing to be seen. While this seems like it shouldn't need to be said, it's unfortunately more common as one might think. It is also a very big deal for me since, as much as I love medical science as a topic of study in a theoretical sense, I am absolutely terrified of doctors!
I had been asking Dr. P if she felt maybe a specific thing was worth trying, and then when she agreed, I panicked. She left the room to get paperwork and less than two minutes later, she returned to find my neck and chest covered in hives - I was intensely concerned that my suggestion would end up being wrong and she'd be disappointed in me. That's how severe my fear of doctors is; even when I'm with a doctor I know and trust, hives can still happen if I get nervous enough.
If I have a doctor I know and trust, I won't see another one in the practice - I will wait. I have waited months when I could have had a same-day appt, because I wanted *my* doctor. Dr. P had prepared ahead of time for me to see Dr. Bird and told me that she was patient and nice and would listen to me (pretty sure Dr. P had figured out I was afraid of doctors by this point).
Dr. Bird was just as lovely as Dr. P said she would be, and I'm so glad I'm her patient now, instead of trying to find another random gyn that would understand why someone in their late 30s would be in surgical menopause for ~15yrs. Anyone needing a gynecologist would be excellent hands with Dr. Bird - she's knowledgeable, empathetic and understanding.
