Hello all,
Telehealth sure is difficult. I managed to get Face Time working last Wednesday, 2nd time I've done that with my PDr, while all other telehealth has been as a usual phone call, while he has not seen patients face to face.
I know he is not asking for me to make face time calls work to spite me. He & his colleague - it's a small practice, have many patients & are doing their utmost to keep us all COVID free. It's not just his practice, either.If I was visiting him, I need trasnport, a driver, (whether taxi, bus, or with my helper). & therefore putting them at risk.
& that's even if I could wear a mask.
It's not easy; I find I do feel I am more closely observed, than I did when I first met him in his room. Gradually I felt more comfortable. Trust is also a big issue for me. I have to trust that he isn't scrutinising me, as if looking to see all my faults, or to identify my vulnerabilities to exploit them - indeed, I am physically safer using telehealth.
& he said he could only (most of the time) see my right ear - because, with my poor vision, I can't tell what he's seeing. I had to ask! & I can't see him anyway.
We will work through it. 😸We uncovered something I haven't directly addressed much over the years: my discomfort with people looking at me, thinking they may be assessing & negatively judging me, looking for faults & weakness, stuff like that.
There's pros & cons to using telehealth. & I can't imagine it is a picnic for any health workers.
I am very much in favour of trying to make this work, before even thinking of trying to find someone else, someone who would see people face to face. That is a most uncomfortable idea for me!
I wonder, how far away from my phone can I sit & still be clearly heard while using Face Time? If it was further away, he'd be seeing more & I'd have less screen brightness in my view. (But he may also see more of my room, things, in the background...ooo I dunno!)
mmMekitty