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Chapter 7 – A Visit To The Doctor’s Office
Situation: Laura has not been feeling well lately. Today she goes to see her doctor for a physical checkup.
Laura: Good morning, I have an appointment with Doctor Clark at 8:30.
Clerk: Let me pull your record. In the meantime, please sign-in and have a seat.
Nurse: Laura Nicholson.
Laura: Here.
Nurse: Follow me to Room A please.
Nurse: Here we are. What are your reasons for seeing Doctor Clark today?
Laura: Well, lately I have been feeling tired, and occasionally I have had really bad headaches and an upset stomach. On top of that, I have had this persistent cough for the last two weeks.
Nurse: When did you start having these symptoms?
Laura: I started feeling tired about two months ago; then, a little bit after that the headaches came. I got the upset stomach long before feeling tired.
Nurse: Are you taking any medications?
Laura: Only my vitamins.
Nurse: What vitamins are you taking?
Laura: I am taking a multi-vitamin tablet and extra Vitamin C every day.
Nurse: OK, let me take your vital signs.
Laura: How am I doing?
Nurse: Everything is good—normal blood pressure and no high temperature. Please wait here for a minute. Doctor Clark will be with you in a moment.
Laura: Thank you.
Doctor: Good morning, Laura.
Laura: Good morning, Doctor.
Doctor: I see here that you started feeling tired two months ago, and then you started having bad headaches. You also have had an upset stomach and a persistent cough. Did you run a fever too?
Laura: No, doctor.
Doctor: Let me do a quick physical check up.
Doctor: Please take a deep breath, hold your breath, and exhale. Do it again please.
Doctor: Were there any changes in your diet or your weight lately?
Laura: I ate the usual things, but I lost five pounds recently.
Doctor: Did you suffer from insomnia?
Laura: Well, it is pretty hard for me to fall asleep when I go to bed. I also woke up many times during the night.
Doctor: Do you drink? Do you smoke?
Laura: No.
Doctor: How are things at work?
Laura: There was a change of ownership three months ago, and I had to work a lot of overtime, even during the weekend.
Doctor: It looks like you have pneumonia. Other than that, I do not see any problems. You are probably under stress from changes at work, and the stress causes headaches, upset stomach, and sleeplessness. For now, try to relax and exercise. It may solve your problems. Come back to see me again if the symptoms persist, and I will do further tests. I am going to give you a prescription for your pneumonia. Are you allergic to any medications?
Laura: Not to my knowledge.
Doctor: OK, take this medication three times a day after you eat. Also, I want you to have some blood tests. Stop by the laboratory on your way out and have the nurse draw your blood.
Laura: I am anxious to know my cholesterol level. When will I get the results of the blood test?
Doctor: The results will be available in two weeks. Don’t stress yourself. I think everything will be OK.
Laura: Thank you, Doctor.
Doctor: You are welcome.
Questions/Answers Practice
Pair the students and have them practice the following questions and answers. Ask them to come up with similar questions and answers.
Q: How do you feel?
A: I feel fine.
- I think I have the flu.
- I have a cold.
- I have a runny nose.
- I feel sick.
- I have a headache.
- My throat hurts.
Q: Did you get a flu shot this year?
A: Not yet, but I am thinking about it.
Q: Why did they take you to the emergency room? A: They took me to the emergency room because I kept on throwing up.
| Q: Why did they take your vital signs? | A They always take our vital signs when we go to the doctor. |
| Q: What seems to be the problem? | A: I had severe stomach aches and diarrhea. |
| Q: What should I do to stay healthy? | A: You need to eat a healthy diet and to stay active. |
| Q: What are the possible side effects of this medicine? | A: You might feel dizzy or weak after taking the medicine. |
| Q: What might lead to heart diseases? | A: Smoking, high blood pressure, and high level of cholesterol in the blood. |
| Q: What is good for my health? | A: Increase your physical activity and maintain a healthy weight. |
| Q: Are you going to give me a prescription for my headache? | A: You do not need a prescription for Aspirin. |
| Q: Do I need to make another appointment? | A: No, we will mail the test results to you. |
3) Comprehension test
- What time is Laura’s appointment with the doctor?
- Where does the physical checkup take place?
- Why does Laura want to see Doctor Clark?
- When did Laura start feeling bad?
- What kinds of medications is she taking?
- How are Laura’s vital signs?
- What kind of information is Dr. Clark trying to get from Laura?
- What happened at work? What happened to Laura after that?
- What is Dr. Clark’s diagnosis?
- What will happen if the symptoms persist?
- What does Dr. Clark want to know before he gives Laura a prescription?
- How many times a day does Laura have to take the medicine for pneumonia?
- What else does Dr. Clark want Laura to do?
- When will Laura get the results of her blood test?
4) Discussion
- How often do you go to the doctor for a physical checkup?
- What kind of illness do you usually have? How do you treat it?
- How important is exercise to good health?
- What do people do for exercise in your country?
GRAMMAR REVIEW
VERBS
Verbs not only describe the action but also the time of the action. The time of occurrence is expressed through six tenses: the present, the past, the future, the present perfect, the past perfect and the future perfect.
Present tense
- The present tense is used to show that the action is happening now.
- want you to get a blood test.
I do not see any problems.
- The present tense is also used to indicate a true fact. The sun is bright.
It is cold in the winter.
- The present tense is also used to indicate habits or customary actions.
Susan always bites her nails. (Susan bites her nails in the past, today and she will continue to bite her nails in the future)
- go to the supermarket every Saturday. (In the past, now, and in the future, I always go to the supermarket every Saturday)
- The present tense can be used to replace the future tense after words that indicate time such as when, until, as soon as, before or words that indicate condition such as if or unless.
- will do further tests if the symptoms persist.
The doctor will see you when he is done with Ms. Anderson.
Present progressive tense
The progressive tenses are used to indicate that an action is ongoing at a particular time. The action begins at some earlier time, is in progress at the indicated moment, and probably continues for some time after that.
The present progressive tense is used to indicate that an action is currently in progress.
BE IN PRESENT TENSE + PRESENT PARTICIPLE
I am taking vitamin C.
Doctor Clark is seeing Laura at the moment.
Questions/Answers Practice
Pair the students and have them practice the following questions and answers. Ask them to come up with similar questions and answers.
Q: How is the weather in the summer? A: It is hot and humid during the summer.
Q: What did your dad tell you yesterday? A He told me that fire is very dangerous during dry seasons.
Q: Why do you wear sunglasses?
A: I wear sunglasses because the sun is bright.
Q: What do you do on Saturday?
A: I go to the market every Saturday.
Q: What does your youngest son do every day?
A: He goes to preschool everyday.
Q: What do you do when you get home every day? A: I cook dinner after I get home every day.
Q: What is he going to do when he meets Sarah? A: He will apologize when he meets her.
Q: When will he leave for Paris?
A: He will go to Paris when he has some free time.
| Q: When will you take the SAT test? | A: I will take the SAT test only if I am ready. | |
| Q: What are you doing? | A: I am reading John Young’s new novel. | |
| Q: Why is the baby crying? | A: He is crying because he is hungry. | |
| Q: How does Mary feel after her trip? | A: She is not feeling well after the trip. |