Probably like most prospective applicants to health care programs, any insight I have into health care has been gleaned from my own personal experiences. So, for whatever it is worth, here are a few things I learned this week when I took my cat to the vet and myself to the dentist.

Loyal readers of my blog will know that I have two cats in Chicago, Kahlua and Bailey. My older cat, Bailey (who is at least 14 but probably 15 or 16) underwent thyroid radiation treatment last summer and was shaved for the holidays. Because of her history and her age, I try to take her to see the vet every six months to make sure everything is fine. I am a big fan of the veterinary profession, as nearly all vets I have encountered genuinely care about their patients and it is apparent that they do. In addition to her usual bloodwork, I was concerned that Bailey may have developed a tumor near her ear, which fortunately turned out only to be a hair mat that was easily removed. She gained half a pound, which is great news for her since she now only weighs 7 lbs (related to her thyroid issues).

So, here's the lesson I learned. The vet left me a voice mail with the blood test results. I appreciate that he took the time to call me to give me all the results. However, not being a health professional, some of the details he left were difficult for me to interpret. He could have simply said, "I have analyzed Bailey's results and everything is normal." I think that was the basic message of the tests. However, he went on to provide more specifics. For example, apparently she has a high white cell count. He said he thought that was OK, since it wasn't causing any symptoms and appears to be consistent from the last test. I, of course, have no idea what an elevated white cell count in a 7-lb cat indicates, but it will likely make me worry. The moral of the story for me is that if the results are normal, leave a voice mail message with that information. If there are some results you need to explain more fully, ask to be called back. I am going to call the vet back today to make sure I understand all the results, so I don't have to worry about my poor old cat.


Photo: Bailey has an elevated white cell count.

After taking Bailey to the vet, I had to stop at the dentist's office for a consultation with the periodontist. I have a great dentist that I have gone to for almost 20 years. I have some gum recession around one tooth, so I needed to see the periodontist to see what he could do to correct it. I am now scheduled for a gum graph, where they will take skin from the roof of my mouth to fill in around my tooth. They promised it would be painless; it sounds horrible. I'll let you know.

Here's what I learned at the dentist: Don't brush your teeth too hard! My gum recession is the result of overly vigorous brushing. I have always been blessed with "good teeth" and few dental problems. However, with age, bad habits tend to catch up to you. I never thought vigorous brushing was a bad thing, but now I know it is. The other thing I discovered is that I am missing a canine tooth! I have a full mouth of teeth, but apparently I have a bicuspid where a canine should be. The periodontist took the time to show me this, since no one had ever told me about my "missing" tooth for 42 years!

How much information to give and when to give it is always a judgment call of health care providers. This week I learned too much I couldn't understand about my cat's blood test and realized I didn't know about a dental issue I had for my entire life. The question remains: How much is enough to tell your patients? Will they understand it? Will you take the time to explain it to them? I'm sure these are questions you will face as health providers. Hopefully, you'll be able to talk to your patients and find the right balance.