Monday, March 10, 2025

Two of my doctors are mummy's boys

I have three doctors I see from time to time, all female, including a dentist and a GP (general practitioner or Hausarzt), who are both Russian speakers from Ukraine. 

Recently, I have had to get used to the idea that they are now being replaced by their sons. Firstly, I went to the GP with pains in my shoulders, especially the left one. I was asked whether I wanted to see Herr Doktor or Frau Doktor. I don't care, I replied, so long as I see a doctor.

So I got an appointment with the doctor's son, fresh from medical school in Bulgaria. Quite a good-looking guy, if you like beards. At my second appointment with him, after receiving the results of an MRI scan (MRT in German), he wanted to send me to see some specialist for a further test. At one point, he made a call and spoke in Russian. I thought he had rung up the place he wanted to send me to, but at the end I heard him say "Spasiba, mama", and realised he'd rung his mum up to ask for her advice.

Something similar happened at the dentist's. I needed my dentist to look at something worrying I had found in my mouth and after an X-ray, he said that the tooth needed to be pulled to prevent any infection. Reluctantly, I agreed, and he made an appointment for me at 9 a.m. the following Tuesday. "Mum will be there," he said, and I thought that meant she was going to pull the tooth. As I told him, I had only been to female dentists for many years as they had smaller than male dentists and yet were just as strong. He looked down at his hands and said, "I take after my mother." And I have to admit that his hands were probably smaller than mine. 

Anyway, it turned out that he pulled my tooth and his mum was just on site - just in case he needed her help. 

I find it touching that they are respectful of their mothers' abilities and superior knowledge and experience, but only time will tell whether I stay with them. We shall see.

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