I set out to search for a younger doctor after my middle-aged physician decided to retire

By John Toth

The Bulletin

A while ago, my primary physician told me that he was retiring, and I needed to find another doctor.

I chose him 10 years ago so he could tell me once a year what earthly pleasures I should part with for the sake of my health. Another reason was because he had photos of his young children on his desk, and I was sure that he would not retire before I did.

He didn’t tell me any specifics, but it was obvious that his mind was made up. Maybe he was just burned out or got the middle-age crazies.

I can see how doing the same thing day in and day out can grow mundane, even in the medical profession. Doctors go through midlife crises just like many others. I can’t remember having to do that. In the weekly publishing business, there is no time to ponder how boring something is. It has to be done on deadline, boring or interesting.

I have gone through many phases of this business (from pre-Internet, fax machines, layout sheets to totally digital production), but I can honestly say (actually, write) that I’ve never had a boring day in 31 years. I’ve had days when I had to put out a lot of fires, but those times are not exactly boring. They’re more like panic time.

Even when I worked for other newspapers, it was an adventure each day. I never knew what the day would bring. Some stories wrote themselves, others were a grind to finish, but they were all interesting.

One day, I covered the browned greens of the Freeport Golf Course, the next a triple killing at the Darrington prison unit. Each day, I met different people with stories to tell.

Maybe I should have suggested to my doctor that he chase stories for The Bulletin on his days off to change things up a little. We would have had to set some guidelines, like no hard medical words in a story.

I didn’t think of it. We just said goodbye on my last visit after he did the examination that has always been my least favorite. (It was actually not on my favorite list at all.)

My quest then began to find another doctor, someone who was even younger. Since my old primary physician decided to retire at middle age, I was looking for a doctor who had not reached middle age yet.

I did my research well, even more in-depth than when I research which cruise I want to go on next. So, you know I meant business.

I made an appointment for a physical and hoped for the best. I don’t like changing doctors, but sometimes the change is good. Each one brings to the table a different set of knowledge.

My previous doctor was thorough and often insistent, like when he talked me into getting my first colonoscopy, which wound up saving my life (or at least the type of active life I now enjoy).

I wrote him a nice thank-you note afterwards, but he never responded. For the doctor, it was just another day at work. To me, it was life-changing.

The new doctor knocked on the examination door. We were on the same page right away. He was young, talked about how he got married three years ago and has two children.

That’s in my favor. With two young children, he won’t be retiring for a long time, not even if he gets the middle-age crazies. Those kids are my insurance policy that he’ll stick around for a while.

“I see that you’re due for another colonoscopy,” he said after he read through my records.

“Yes, I’m aware of it. I hate them, but I hate colon cancer more,” I replied.

We had a great discussion about my health and all the do’s and don’ts. There are a lot more don’ts now than when I was younger. It took a while.

john.bulletin@gmail.com