June 10. Song of the Day. Harry Nilsson: Coconut.

June 10. Song of the Day. Harry Nilsson: Coconut. 

The past couple of weeks, I've been fighting off some type of illness. So, yesterday, when I realized I'm getting dangerously close to having a throat so swollen I won't be able to eat, I made an appointment to see my doctor at Student Health. No, I won't stand for not being able to eat.

On my way out of the office, Dr. Hanson, my doctor, realized this was likely (and hopeful, in the case of this illness) the last time we would see each other. She wished me luck in Flagstaff. She told me to stay in touch. And then, she opened her arms and gave me a hug.

I guess not everyone has this type of relationship with their doctor, particularly at a clinic on campus. But Dr. Hanson and I go way back. She was the first doctor I saw at Student Health. I remember walking in there in substantial pain from what later was dubbed, Carl the Carbuncle. He was a somewhat stubborn clogged boil or something of the sort located in my armpit. Yeah, sexy, right? In my mind, he was humongous. But Dr. Hanson, calmly, eased me through the bludgeoning of Carl. She was kind and gentle and firm. I had to go back daily for almost two weeks to change out the bandages and so we got to know each other quite well.

She also helped me through the whole "heart skipping a beat" debacle and "sensitive nose" situation. She never judged me for coming in once every six months for a round of HIV/STD testing, but rather praised me for being a conscientious patient. And, thankfully, she always kept an eye on my mental well-being as related to my physical health. When she noticed I lost 30 pounds in the summer of 2011, she asked me about it. We went through a series of blood tests to find out if I had any related problems, like with my thyroid. When I rebounded those 30 lbs and then some, I shyly made a little joke about it, she said, "Well, that was a really rough summer for you, wasn't it? It is good you are back at your normal weight."

Cheers to Dr. Hanson, who will likely never read this, but yet, I felt the need to pay tribute to her...particularly given that hug today. I'm grateful.