Urgent Care

Last night I had to take my partner to the doctor. Actually in this case it was an "Urgent Care" facility. One of those "Doc-In-A-Box" facilities. They aren't emergency rooms but they do take patients on a walk in basis and can do x-rays and simple lab tests.

Now taking someone to the doctor is no new experience for me. My wife and I raised two kids. You spend your share of time in a doctors office or emergency room. But this was my first experience as a late breaking gay introducing myself to the medical staff as "his partner."

If it wasn't so important to get him medical attention I would have been more apprehensive about it. Instead adrenaline kicked in and I just took him. Had I thought I would have worried about what they would say or if they would let me be in the exam room with him etc. Instead I just did what needed to be done (which was get him there and be with him) and I found to my delight that the staff treated us just like anyone else.

With this one exception. As the doctor was telling us (and I do mean us) the results of his diagnosis he said that my partner needed to be watched carefully because his condition could worsen and he might need to be taken to the hospital for IV fluid. We were both listening quietly but then after a few moments talking about other aspects of treatment he came back to this point: my partner needed to be monitored closely for the next 24 hours.

I responded that I would watch him very carefully. The Doctor smiled at me and said "I was hoping you would say that." He wasn't being judgemental of our relationship. He didn't doubt my commitment to my partner. He just didn't know. For the Doctor, as a heterosexual man, there was a question in his mind regarding what it meant for us to be partners. As a doctor he wanted to make sure that his patient was properly cared for.

It all went well. My partner is recovering nicely and my faith in straight people has been strengthened. However, this side note, the doctor needs to reconsider what size scrub medical pants he wears. One or two sizes larger would make his package a little less obvious. I mean OMG buddy, I am impressed, but not right now.