Patient Experience
I'd been to three different doctors about this nagging fatigue and stomach pain. Everyone said it was stress. Dr. Bhatia was the first one who actually sat and listened to my whole history, even the parts I thought were irrelevant. He ordered a specific test the others hadn't, and it turned out to be a tricky vitamin deficiency affecting my gut. It wasn't some dramatic disease, but finding the real cause after months of feeling awful was a huge relief. He just explained it plainly, no fuss.
Had to get a colonoscopy, which honestly scared me more than it should have. The prep was the worst part, obviously. On the day, Dr. Bhatia's team at Apollo had it down to a routine. The nurse cracked a joke about the gown, which helped. I remember being wheeled in, Dr. Bhatia saying 'We'll have a look and you'll have a nice nap,' and then I was waking up. It was all very straightforward. Got the all-clear a week later with a simple note. Sometimes boring is good.
Parking at Apollo was a nightmare that day, I had to circle for ages. By the time I got to the clinic, I was flustered. The lady at the front desk saw it and just gave me a warm smile, told me to catch my breath, and sorted my papers quickly. The whole place was busy but calm, not chaotic. Even the person who took my blood samples was really gentle and talked me through it. It made a stressful check-up feel manageable.
Look, I'm not great with doctors. I get nervous and clam up. My first visit with Dr. Bhatia, I probably gave one-word answers. He didn't rush me. He just chatted about my work for a minute, which got me to relax, and then circled back to my symptoms. He has this quiet, patient way of talking that doesn't feel like he's reading from a script. When he explained my treatment plan, he drew a little diagram on his notepad. Felt like he was actually talking to *me*, not just treating a chart.