Week Thirty-Eight: The Doctor

Following up on the medical/health theme from two weeks ago, we venture into more memories:

*Who was your doctor or health practitioner when you were growing up?

*How often did you go to the doctor? Every year for a check-up, or just when you were ill?

*Did you have a lot of illnesses as a child? Or were you fairly healthy?

*Did you have any injuries (broken bones) or surgeries? Have you ever had to be hospitalized?

*What specialists did you have to see?

*Did you have to see an optometrist and/or wear glasses?

*Was going to the doctor a pleasant or unpleasant experience? Share both your most unpleasant and your favorite medical memories.

*As an adult, how do your current medical experiences compared with those of your childhood?

*Do you still see the same doctor?

*What kinds of health problems are prevalent in your family? Are there any genetic diseases of which your relatives should be made aware? How have you attempted to avoid these risks or diseases?

*Are there any doctors, surgeons, specialists, nurses or other health practitioners in your family, or in your ancestry?

*Are there any stories about certain medical problems or injuries, or about interactions with medical practitioners that have been handed down through the generations?

Craig Manson of GeneaBlogie blogged about the Surgeon General's Family History Initiative and how to use the "My Family Health Portrait" feature, which is a wonderful tool to use and print up to take with you to your next physical exam. The Surgeon General has urged people in the past to ask questions of their family members during holiday gatherings to uncover and keep track of potentially genetic risks.

Next time: Heat Wave! It's summer in the Northern Hemisphere, and we'll be sharing our favorite summertime memories.

Week Thirty-Seven: The Dentist

I'm back from my hiatus and appreciate everyone's patience through the last few weeks. A recent visit to my dentist prompted my idea for the following questions:

*Who was/were your childhood dentist(s)? Was he/she your family dentist?

*Did you like or dread going to the dentist? Why?

*Did you ever have cavities as a kid, or were you one of those cavity-free kids?

*Did you ever need oral surgery or braces?

*Did you ever knock a tooth out (accidentally or on purpose)?

*What was the tooth fairy tradition in your childhood home? If she visited your house, how much did she pay per tooth? Did she find the tooth under your pillow or in a glass of water?

*What was the worst dental exam or procedure you had done?

*What is your favorite memory of the dentist?

*How have your adult experiences at the dentist compared with those of your childhood?

*Do you still have the same dentist? Why or why not?

*If you have children, what is/was the tooth fairy tradition for them?

*Have you had to have dentures or bridgework?

*Describe your oral health history and relate your opinion as to the causes behind your good or poor oral health.

*Are there any dentists, oral surgeons, orthodontists, dental technicians or assistants in your family tree?

*Are there any stories in your family history about going to the dentist and the kinds of treatments experienced in the old days?

Next week: Open wide and say "Ahhh!" We're going to visit the doctor.