Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Finished prep for the items I'm taking to the potluck. Breakfast at home: part of yesterday's burrito, hot water. Rode Muni to work. Office breakfast potluck to celebrate CBW's birthday. I brought organic rosemary-garlic oven-roasted potatoes and sliced green onions. Linkchecking, Flickr work, kiosk work. Met 1-on-1 with Shirin about PID and EventBrite. Management activities. Followup with Frances about international activities. Sent Erin H feedback about their new blog: The Better Presenter. Followup: international activities. Followup with ITS about YN legal name change. Followup with ITS and Housing about wireless printing for campus residents. UCSF shuttle to Mount Zion. Visited the podiatrist. A few months ago I noticed a problem with my middle toe on my right foot. Part of the toe between the joints had some hyperpigmentation, pain, and enlargement. I recalled a party I had attended in which some people—like me—removed their shoes before entering and some did not, and someone had accidentally stepped on my toe. I remember it being painful at the moment—I remembering saying, "Ow!"—but didn't think much of it until many weeks later when I noticed a problem with my toe. I visited a substitute primary care doctor who ordered a foot x-ray and later told me that the x-ray showed no problems. She offered me a referral to a podiatrist, and I accepted. Today the podiatrist told me that the x-ray revealed that the bone had broken and that it has healed with perfect alignment. We talked about other minor foot issues. She seemed very knowledgeable, helping me understand things about my feet that I have misunderstood for years. She referred me to an orthotics specialist who was nearby: Dr. Joseph W. Hewitson, DPM, MSMEd (ProLab Kaiser Outpatient Services / Podiatric Applied Biomechanics / ProLab Orthotics, 1-800-477-6522, 2186 Geary Boulevard, Suite 312, San Francisco, California, 94115 USA, cross street Divisadero Street). I was planning to visit Dr. Hewitson's office in person just to make an appointment for a future date, but I learned that they had a empty spot in their schedule at that exact moment and could be seen immediately. I don't think this has ever happened to me with any medical provider. I spent a few minutes taking care of paperwork and then was examined and fitted for orthotics. Dr. Hewitson and his team were amazing to watch. I was told that he has been doing this for 30 years. He works very efficiently in a calm, exacting manner that is difficult to describe, and it is obvious to me that he is an expert in his work. It must be a wonderful experience to work with him. A medical student named John assisted with my exam with Dr. Hewitson frequently checking in—a nice balance of John building his skills and experience, Hewitson ensuring accuracy of my exam and casting and guiding John, and me getting what I needed. John easily created rapport, clearly communicated his expertise, and ensured my comfort at all times. Another staff member Nicole participated in the hallway-walking portion of my exam, clearly demonstrating her expertise as well as an interest in my health and their work. At least one other staff member worked nearby on other tasks, peripherally taking an interest in my exam when possible. They were all friendly and acted like a team that had been working together for years. (John told me that it was his first day in this office.) I noticed at least 3 other patients who came through the office during my visit, and for a few seconds I even shared a room with another patient getting prepped while I was exiting, but I never felt rushed. I felt like I was being treated by a family more than a medical team, and I would recommend this family to anyone needing orthotics. Dr. Hewitson said that he had just moved into this office 2 weeks ago. His casting chair is brand new. My podiatrist at Kaiser warned me that the address on the photocopied brochure she gave me was incorrect, but I failed to remember that even in my short walk across the street and still went to the wrong office. Even the business cards in Dr. Hewitson's office do not yet have his correct office address, so I expect there to be some confusion for at least another few weeks until new print materials for his office are created and distributed. To clarify, his office is #312 in the same building as the Honeybaked Ham store on the corner of Geary and Divisadero, aka 2186 Geary Boulevard #312. UCSF shuttle to Parnassus. Followup with Lucia's Win 7 installation. Tested autoadd for Asana. Followup with Melanie D about the new UCSF Alumni Online Community website. Finished edits and pushed the new academic calendar live for Cindy. Followup with Sue and Susie about the Honors and Awards database. Created a CAPSLEAD headshot sheet for Cindy. Sent Julie and Darlena a suggestion for the IT Service Desk: send me only 1 email instead of 2 after a ticket closes. Followup with Joel about my suspicion that some monitors are not sleeping properly. (I believe there is nothing to worry about.) Rode Muni home. Dinner at home with Patrick: grilled asparagus with garlic, garlic naan, vegan sushi from Tofu Yu, water. Dessert: one cashew roca.