The concept behind Concierge Medicine is simultaneously fantastic and sad.  It’s fantastic insomuch as it allows an exponentially higher quality of care and attention; alleviates waiting around reading old copies of Highlights for Kids (seriously, the scissors are in the tree), and one deals only with friendly nurses and courteous staff.  It’s sad, because, I’m pretty sure that, until the late-‘80s, this was just called Medicine.

Before moving to Las Vegas, I don’t ever recall waiting in a doctor’s waiting room for more than 10 minutes.  And believe you me, as someone who’s been under the care of countless pediatricians, dentists, orthodontists, ENTs, orthopedic surgeons, endocrinologists, dermatologists, and sleep specialists, not to mention three-and-a-half decades of psychiatrists, therapists, psychologists, and psychopharmacologists, etc. – it’s certainly not due to any fear of doctors, on my part.

So, this past week, when I felt a bit of discomfort in my nose, I thought nothing of just dropping by the offices of Dr. J. Corey Brown, M.D., my concierge doctor.  And it’s a good thing I did, because the discomfort I felt turned-out to be Cellulitis, and had I neglected to go to Dr. Brown’s office when I did, I might very well have died (from Sepsis or Meningitis), or at least been hospitalized.

But, since one of the benefits of concierge medicine is not waiting, (not to mention that Dr. Brown’s office is right down the road, from my house), I thought nothing of stopping by.

So, for the past week, in between waking-up looking like the lovechild of Quasimodo and W.C. Fields, and being feverish to the point of hallucinating, I’ve been receiving daily injections of antibiotics.  Heavy courses of antibiotics aren’t fun.  My side effects, for instance, have included nausea, itchiness, and babbling like a crazy person (and coming from a crazy person, that’s, well, kinda crazy).  That said I’ll take a couple weeks of constantly scratching my nose like a Jonesing coke-fiend over winding-up in the morgue, any day!

It’s a bit weird that I’m starting to talk like my Dad (lately, I've been regaling my niece and nephew with tales of my youth, like “When I was little, we played with Lawn Darts, nobody had a fence around their pool, and our playgrounds were built over gravel!”), but I’m delighted with my medical care, and feel better than I have in years; and Dr. Brown’s practice is a good part of the reason why.  So are the psych meds – but that’s another story for another time.

Dr. J. Corey Brown, M.D.
Concierge Medicine
4880 Wynn Road – Las Vegas
(702) 430-3820

Get into it!