Waiting times for doctors continues to be an open wound for some readers of our medical issue. Elsewhere, second opinions about honking, race relations, and the impact of hockey pioneer Willie O'Ree.
Painful Process
Miss Conduct's response about long waiting times for patients ("It Makes You Sick!," December 16) was too sympathetic to the doctors. Although I agree that all of the factors she identified can reasonably lead to long waits, patients can and should expect their doctors' offices to run reasonably on time most days. Every office ought to keep track of what percentage of patients wait, and for how long. If more than 25 percent wait an average of more than 15 minutes, the office should change its scheduling. Sure, emergencies occur, people call in sick, and some patients require significantly more time than anticipated. But if this is an everyday occurrence, then doctors need to adjust.
Steven Bergstein
Hingham
To the pediatrician who doesn't want his time "wasted" by parents taking cellphone calls while in an examination room with a child ("Miss Conduct," December 16), I say: What's the average wait for a child and parent to be seen by him? Generally, MDs are among the last group of people who have cause to complain about wasting someone's time. Does one rudeness earn another? I don't know, but after sitting for 30 minutes or more (without any explanation or apology), if one has to wait on me for a change, I can't say I feel bad.
S. Hogg
Newport, Oregon
More Delays
I thought the article "Adopting Caution" (December 16) would deal with the horribly long waiting period for international adoptions. Our paperwork has been in China for almost two years now with no end in sight, and the US government has been just as bad, with the Department of Homeland Security taking four months to process a simple adoption form, which expires in 18 months and requires another $800 for us to renew. The waiting periods right now make it virtually impossible to adopt from China unless one is willing to wait for many years. Regarding adoption, I would caution readers to consider options other than international ones if they are viable.
Lisa McDonough
Allston
Happy Searching
C.W. Wolff has a point about shrinks ("Coupling," December 16). While therapy can be a useful tool, there is an element of chance as to how sharp or how much of a fit that tool will be. A lot of us therapists are simply, well, whacked. If they're low on self-awareness or can't tune into someone else's frequency, it's difficult to enable behavioral change or acceptance. An effective therapist is the person who can listen, learn, live, and catalog a reservoir of experiences, then present them in a way to create meaningful options for the patient. I could wish that Ms. Wolff liked her therapists more than she did, but that's not important. I hope that as a result of those contacts, she's suffering less due to her subsequent adjustments.
Joseph Janas
Dedham
No Question
The timing of "A Clear Connection?" (December 16) that spoke of dairy's link to acne was an amazing coincidence. I recently learned by accident that the link is true with me. About a year ago, I had been diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis. What this meant, in part, was that I am unable to digest any fat. Nonfat yogurt and milk became an important part of my nutrition. Much to my dismay, I began suffering from acne on my back, neck, face, arms, etc. I thought the condition was related to the pancreatitis, but all doctors went blank when I suggested that. I took a trip at the end of November and I did not eat yogurt or milk. My acne vanished in one week.
David Carpenter
West Roxbury
True Love
Devon O'Neil's article about Willie O'Ree ("Lofty Goal," December 9) was outstanding. He told it like it was and, now, like it is. In the 1960s, Willie O'Ree was one of the best skaters I ever played against. Back in 2003-2004, I owned a minor pro-hockey team in Macon, Georgia, and I invited Willie down to put on a hockey clinic and demonstrate hockey fundamentals to the Southern population. When he came, his love of the game came with him. He stayed for three days, visited 10 schools, and talked with the students about sports, attitude, and desire to play. He gave his all and they loved it. Willie truly is the "spirit of hockey" to everyone he comes in contact with, regardless of color.
Dave Adams
Cape Canaveral, Florida
No Difference?
My jaw dropped at most of Kim McLarin's comments about race ("First Person," December 2), especially the one about black and white people "mixing" on an individual basis in the South. Puhleeeez. I am an African-American professional living in Georgia, and I have lived in the South all my life. I also visit Boston frequently. I find many African-Americans who live in Northern states have a romanticized view of what it's like in Dixie. They think it's somehow better. It's not. Ms. McLarin must have been on some as-yet-uncharted Southern fantasy island where she found the individual mixing she spoke of. Actually, moving in separate worlds defined by race and, to some extent, class, about sums it up for how all of us live. Boston has no exclusivity on that kind of living.
Barbra Chaulk
Augusta, Georgia
The Middle Road
There may be a happy medium for drivers between the passive-aggressive Berkeley and openly hostile Boston traffic environments ("Perspective," December 9). As a Portland, Maine, transplant from Boston, I've come to appreciate the polite (bordering on laid-back) habits of drivers here. A polite toot isn't considered "laying on the horn" by a pushy driver - just a gentle reminder to get a move on. And our middle fingers stay in close proximity to their neighbors.
Tim Baehr
Portland, Maine
Drop, Then Shop
I read in the green issue that the bags used in the delivery of the Globe are recyclable ("How Green Is the Globe?", November 18). I would love to be able to do so, but my town won't take them. How are they recycled?
Richard Davenport
Billerica
Editor's Note: At Shaw's, Stop & Shop, Hannaford, and Roche Bros. supermarkets, the bags can be deposited in the same bins used for recycling plastic grocery bags. And in case you're wondering, the products made with the recycled material include shipping envelopes, floor tile, furniture, and paneling.
