Doctors I Have Known, Part Three

My personal care physician is Dr. James R. Garner.  He has been with me through all eight years of my liver illness.  I saw him for the first time in January of ’03.  I was seriously ill and went to see him.  I remember being so weak that I had to lie down in his examining room and was impressed by how kind he was to me.  My other doctor was sick himself so I took a chance on Dr. Garner.  He is another of my doctors who is young enough to be my son.

I liked him immediately.  I knew him a little because his family attended our church, and I had his precious little daughter in school.  He has stood with me through this whole battle.  Even when Dr. Gurakar released me, Dr. Garner insisted that I have blood tests until my enzyme levels were normal.  I really appreciated that and felt that he had my best interests at heart.

In spite of my liver illness I am blessed with pretty good health so I don’t see him too often, especially since he is in Woodward now.  He still wants me to have copies of my other doctors’ reports sent to him so that he can keep up to date on me, and I do try to see him at least once a year so that we can catch up on my condition.  It is always a treat for me to see him, his wife, and precious daughter.  By the way, his daughter now towers over me in height!

Dr. Garner has an easy smile and a sense of humor.  That is just the kind of doctor I need.  I also feel that he cares about me.  Sometimes I have to scold him because he doesn't have a picture of his daughter for me to see.  Occasionally, though, he surprises me with having her there in person.  It makes my day!  

I feel special when I have an appointment because he and his wife both seem genuinely happy to see me.  They are wonderful people.  I finally got my picture made with him when he attended his niece’s graduation here at Fairview.  I took a camera to my last appointment but he sneaked away before I thought to have a picture made.  This is a terrible picture of me, but really good of him.  I think you can tell by looking at him why I like him so much.  His kindness shows on his face.

If you need a PCP, I highly recommend him.  Obviously, I think the world of him.