Thanks Jaynedough and Snakecharmer for your replies. I feel much better now that there is hope. I wasn't going to return to healthcare for anything, but if old Pdoc is back then I'll give it another shot. Maybe after talking to him I'll be able to sort things out with my G.P. who was always great, except when he's an insensitive bonehead. It happens, but he's still a pretty good guy and I'd rather not have to start over with a stranger.

I sent old Pdoc a card a year ago to thank him for his help and let him know that I always left our appointments feeling very well cared for, so I feel like he knows, and when I saw him in the street he thanked me for it again. It was funny how I started actively searching for him in the grocery store that day, and then walked into him in front of the liquor store 10 minutes later. He could have been in Zimbabwe for all I knew, and I don't think he was ever in the grocery store but I knew he was somewhere near. If I hadn't been taking some steps out of my way to give a busker $5 I would have missed him. Seems like fate. And then that interaction got my friend to take it a step further with her secret letter to him. I have some pretty great friends.