From today's NYTimes--

"I recently took care of a 50-year-old man who had been admitted to the hospital short of breath. During his monthlong stay he was seen by a hematologist, an endocrinologist, a kidney specialist, a podiatrist, two cardiologists, a cardiac electrophysiologist, an infectious-diseases specialist, a pulmonologist, an ear-nose-throat specialist, a urologist, a gastroenterologist, a neurologist, a nutritionist, a general surgeon, a thoracic surgeon and a pain specialist.

He underwent 12 procedures, including cardiac catheterization, a pacemaker implant and a bone-marrow biopsy (to work-up chronic anemia).
Despite this wearying schedule, he maintained an upbeat manner, walking the corridors daily with assistance to chat with nurses and physician assistants. When he was discharged, follow-up visits were scheduled for him with seven specialists."

This made me think about my health care. I have a lot of different doctors, which sometimes makes me feel well cared-for and other times it makes me feel like a whiny hypochondriac. I used to have a reproductive endocrinologist. Now I have a podiatrist, orthopedist, cardiologist, pulmonologist, osteopath, massage therapist, gynocologist, internist, gastroenterologist, psychiatrist (of course), chiropractor, optometrist, physical therapist, acupuncturist (thought I haven't been to him in two years)and I'm sure I've forgotten someone else who's poked me or injected me with something. Does it make me feel special? Do I think all of these people know my name? Some of them do but plenty of them I see rarely. I've been going to my optometrist for 23 years. I've been seeing my internist for 15 years and he's a wonderful doctor who knows me well and laughs at all my jokes. We won't even go into how much my psychiatrist knows about me. My cardiologist wants me to relax and realize there's nothing more he can do to prove to me that my heart is fine. But I could still have a heart attack.

Right now I feel really healthy but I'm a year overdue for a mammogram. Only need to have pap smears every other year. Have cholesterol checked 3 times a year, take statin to keep that low. OK, I guess I've overdone it on the specialists, but that surely is how we do health care in America.