I love the guy. Sanji Dutta. Nyc u & columbia med diploma. It took me years to find him. But hes been a magician with my care. & He treats me like a hindi god the minor miracles hes read, witnessed. So a very very good dr. Patient relationship. He Came to America as a 7yr old boy. Lived with his Uncle in the bronx, who drove a cab. his parents and sister eventually arrived when Sanji was a teen. And his after school jobs helped get thr family to america.

Hecsure aint no trumper. And we are candid with e/o. Half of my dr. Appts. Im just doung my 3 month check up CBC. and so we chat aboutbour spoiled sons & ungrateful women. Qe laugh & crack jokes about life as a back end boomer daddy. I feel a shlton ofmutualbtedpect inbthis telationship. Fwiw. White folks too far removed from immigrant roots probably dont see life similar to we 2. It doesnt matter. Its probably something of a nostalgic anchor carrying too much dead weight. He & I both have lived inside a guant bubble that placed do what it takes to get " it" done. Maximize your education and double down on the kiddos edu.

We both bemoan the results.
Im setting up the scenario of the visit here. There is a tight bond sneaking into dr./ Patient relationship. And we make each other laugh.

So today. Im 30min. early for the visit. In Wa. All medical interactions begin with the standard Covid questions. Travel, cough etc. the receptionist knows me there too by 1st name. He calls me over, smiles says high. One word- " Covid?".

Nah, no changes. Ok. He clicks the keys for my appt time.... "Wow, youre rarly" I said, "yeah, i wanted to getbin & quarantine beforevtheviffice filled up. I have shingles so im active for chicken pox, I think." Offers quick empathy, says brb, gonna ask the nurse....he comes back to window. Nurse will be out shortly...
Im notcsirting for 2 minutes. Nurse comes and gets me into exam room. Cna comes in behind her. Checks the vitals. Very pleasant gal. She sats, dr. Is just finishing next door. Said he'll be right in... And he was.

He walks in. The grin actoss his face is likevthe cheshire cat. " Nr. Danny! My goodness. You made it! He walks over, arms wide, iffering a hug. I said " arent I contagious?" ... "Come here", like a true brother in arms- a quick embrace. Ge starts chuckling under his breath. Says excitedly. Im reading your journey acros our medical complex. 5 Er & Urgent care visits? Is that right. I said yes. And still rhey dont gave you on the right combination if medications. He shakes his head. " Your resiliance never ceases to amaze me!"

He switches gear to clinician expression. Shoots me the instructions." Youre here now. I've already looked through all of the meds & notes on your various visits" he hands me a printout. I'll call in the 3 new scripts, stop taking this, this & this. You'll feel much better by tomorrow. i apolgize for all the many mistakes from my collegues." His voices fades off as he stares at his shoes shaking his head. Suddenly, Hes the excited bright eyed sanji, "Well, tell me the story, this should be a good one, . He sits down learns forward grinning, and i tell him every step of the way. Tossing in my standard- "lawyer up malpractice moment, eh" comment which he knows is my way of unloading my anger at a system he was the 1st to tell me is "officially broken".
Never more important to be your own kindly but emphatic advocate.

He's laughing as i tell the story, and im snickering a bit and shaking my head.

We get through the story. Hes just staring at me now. Smiling. Finally he chirps in. How did you diagnose this? I told him. It was AI that finally put 2 & 2 together, but that initially. Gemini had the same concern as i. The sudden onset matched the timeline of eliquis and mertopolol gathering up full strength residual body effect. Many drugs are like this. The full benefit occurs 3-4 weeks after the course has begun. Ai/ my diagnosis were in line on wednesday morning. A hives like rash on right shoulder/ neck. Severe neck stiffness. A sharp headache that had started 10 days earlier radiating on the oricess nerves/ temporal bone. The actual blusters had just begun in my scalp. Perhaps tues night? Wed morning. They felt like gnat bites. And with me living in the forest? Its normal in this indian summer stretch of evening showers, humid mornings & windless dusks for the biting critter population to bloom.

It was later. Late wed night, early am thurs. That i tealized. I had 60-70 " gnatbbites" and all on the right side. The classic indication of shingles. I added than infobto hals i furmation and he spit out the diagnosis. 99% certainty of shingles... Yet. None of the ers git itvright. It took 4 more visits to finall get an " ok, well try this" rx on saturday for the antiviral acyclovir.
My personal Phys. Dr Sanji added in a massive dose of prednisone + gabapentin, & Methocarbomal.

Told me follow the intial dose precisely when you get home. Youll sleep. And when you awake. Youre goingbto feel very much better.

Well. I got home around 11 am. Took the meds & one more bath soak in colloidal oatmeal. Getting a quart of water in me to dave my limping judney the stress of more meds atop more meds and on & on.
I was barely dry as i stumbled from tub to bed. Im sure I fell asleep instantly. Around 6:30pm i awoke. And here i am.

And thank you lord, friends forbprayers that manifested today. A savior some 50+ years in the naking. From bombay to spijane washington vis the bronx and all the immigrant hatred in these many years betwuxt.

My immigrant dr kicks ass!

You know who doesnt?

Every white cracker asshole dr that misdiagnosed me. One of them even nade an off color commentcwhen ibtold her my primary dr's name. And shes thebidiot that lectured me that and er is for lufesaving treatment. Not an acne flareup. Use better hygiene was her prescription

🤨

You know who else sucks?
Every red repugnant rrpublican selfish arsehole that made the collapse of american schools and medicine possible. That is the current AMERICAN moment.

This is the meaning of my story. Fk trump and all the rest. Every racist cracker or burnt crumb. It crosses ethnicity. It aint just white racists.





Its all of em and their arroganr ignorant brains.
A curse from this old man. A P0X upon you that hates the " others" w/o 1st trying to understand why " I/ME" sees OTHER instead of BROTHER.