Three different health professionals in town have now told me that my Neurosurgeon is “brilliant”, their words. My GP went one better adding that she is meticulous. He then somewhat soured the mood by telling me that Neurosurgeon’s don’t go into the brain anymore unless they absolutely have to.

When I saw him yesterday to confirm the surgery date and get him to prepare my travel assistance request for the NT Government, we had gotten through everything and as he turned to hand me the papers, concluded by saying, “Well that’s everything.” To which I replied (rather dryly I might add), “Yes, the only thing left to do now is have brain surgery.”

My new GP  has a reputation for being ‘medically’ excellent but rather gruff in nature. He strikes me as very ‘let’s get down to business’ like and I don’t mind that. I need a GP who can help me manage all the complexities of my care and he has been very proactive and helpful – when I told him I needed surgery, he momentarily looked stunned but then proceeded to go through three text books until he found a good picture of the part of the brain in which my aneurysm lurks, so he could show me and make sure I knew what was going to be done.

Yesterday, after my surgery quip, he actually sort of grinned and then as he walked me to the door, wished me well, said he’d see me when I returned to town and told me I’d be fine and actually cracked a full smile.

I think he’ll do fine as my doctor – I just had to break him in.