"I love my doctor! She's the best." "Aww.. thank you! You're going to set some unrealistic expectations for him from the get-go... see you next time!" Turning to A, my new scribe, I pondered out loud after exiting the room, "I don't know what it is about having you here, but all of a sudden people are coming out of the woodwork saying nice things. It's to fill the awkward silence of having someone new in the room, I think. This is not typical. AT ALL. You can't ever let this stuff get to your head, because it just makes the bad days worse." Watching A nod his head, probably in an effort to patronize me, I couldn't silence the inner monologue. You're just teaching him foreboding joy*, M. Don't pass on your maladaptive coping skills way before his time.
