I can't recall exactly what my in-laws' relation is with Dr. Perez -- I think my fiance's mother used to work for him -- but let's put all that aside for a moment because it's really irrelevant.
I'm terrified of doctors. It's a totally irrational thing, but I hate going to see doctors because I'm afraid they're going to ask me if I exercise regularly & eat healthy & all that jazz, & if I say no (because I don't) they're going to tell me what a horrible person I am. My paranoia is so bad that if the doctor isn't friendly, I get the compulsion to lie & say I do everything right; & even if the doctor IS friendly, I usually get so stressed out that I start crying while I'm there -- for something as basic as a routine exam! This isn't helped by the fact that one doctor I had told me that my sudden onset of knee pain was because I was overweight (by all of 10 pounds...) & there was nothing I could do to relieve the pain other than lose weight, so I should come back & see her again in 6 months. THANKS, BITCH.
But I digress.
Dr. Perez puts me totally at ease. He talks to me like a friend, & it helps, of course, that he's known my fiance since he was little & he knows my in-laws & asks after them. I've never had a family doctor like this, & after seeing Dr. Perez I deeply regret that.
He chats about all sorts of stuff with me while doing the exams (I've seen him for abdominal pain, shoulder injury, common cold, knee pain... bunch of stuff) -- school, work, travel, hobbies -- anything to put me at ease. He's gentle as can be in the physical examinations & when he prescribes me medicine he'll tell me if he knows a pharmacy that carries my rx cheaper than the rest.
His staff are great -- Melissa, one of his nurses, is the most adept blood-drawer I've ever met, including Red Cross blood drive attendees. I feel NOTHING when she does it.
Seriously, I don't ever want to see another doctor again other than Dr. Perez because I just feel so comfortable & so free to explain my problem & not feel afraid that I'm going to get scolded. read more