The thing I probably hate the most about moving to a new city is finding all new doctors, dentists, veterinarians, etc.
It’s hard to make wise choices when we are unfamiliar with the layout of a city and don’t know a lot of people to ask for recommendations. Every move, we’ve ended up just picking something or we’ve gone with a chain. Because at least we’d heard of them before.
Unfortunately, we haven’t usually liked what we’ve ended up stuck with. Once we’ve gotten used to the city and make some friends who know of good places, we just have to switch again.
And that is actually even more awful!
Because you have to break up with your old dentist/doctor/vet.
Personally, I want to sheepishly just NEVER GO BACK. But the new office always needs my records and apparently it’s illegal for them to ask for them… or something. So I have to do it.
There are awkward phone calls, where I try to make nice excuses for never darkening their door again. Like, “Oh, we just needed to find something closer to our home. Yes. Yes, I realize you have a location only 8 minutes from my house…” UGH!
It’s just that I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. I’ve been known to stay in an unpleasant professional relationship, just to avoid making someone feel bad.
So. Within the past few months we’ve switched pediatricians, dentists and our veterinarian.
I’ve been ignoring our old dentist’s calls and voicemails. Poor guy, he’s probably worried our teeth are rotting out of our heads. But I just don’t have the heart to tell him I couldn’t handle the guilt and constant up-selling of fancy procedures any more.
With the vet, our old one was a chain location and our new one is a little, local place. Up until this week, I hadn’t needed to “fess” about leaving the old one, but now Chester’s shots are overdue. So I had to make the call to get his immunization records faxed over.
I rationalized that the old vet is a chain, so they probably don’t care one way or the other, right?
They answered the phone, “How can I help your fur-baby?” Gah. The guilt!
But I was cool. I asked for her to fax Chester’s records “somewhere.” When she asked where to send them, I simply gave her the fax number.
Then she said, “What company is this going to?” DRAT DRAT DRAT
I told her the name of our new vet and then she added, “By the way, it looks like Chester is overdue on his shots.”
Seriously! Stop with the caring, already. I’m dumping you! Don’t you get it?
I mean, so far, we love all of our new dentists/doctors/vets. So it’s worth it.
…Right? Tell me it’s worth it.