Do You Remember… Going Doctor
My small kid time doctor was Dr. Sexton. Whenever I got sick, needed a physical, get checked for broken bones, or patch my puka head – we headed for the children’s wing at Straub Clinic.
This is how I remember it – before it became a hospital and it was just a clinic. My mom would take me into the round lobby where she’d check me in, then we’d head over to the pediatric wing. I remember the examining rooms. They had sliding doors with a frosted glass window. And a different animal was painted on each window. A giraffe, an elephant, a hippopotamus – each with a friendly, welcoming smile.
And in the waiting area, I remember the Highlights magazine. I used to go directly to the last page to look for the hidden items puzzle. I used to hate it when someone had circled all of the hidden items.
Dr. Sexton was a good pediatrician. He was tall, bald, and had big ears. But he was super friendly to kids and always made me feel at ease. And let’s face it – there was always the anxiety lurking in the back of your mind that…
… you might have to get a shot.
And when the time came, I remember having to go the the medicine office where the nurse was and sitting on the chair waiting to get poked. But promises from mom that we’d stop by the drive in to eat later if I didn’t cry always seemed to work. Visions of Chun Hoon drive-in green river soda kept the tears away.
Oh, and the other cool thing in the nurses place was the air-tube system that they used to send records to and fro. They’d fill those bullet looking containers with papers, stick them into the vacuum tube launcher, close the door and press the button and zoom they were gone! It was so Jetsons-like! And the incoming tubes were cool too with a big thump that would kinda make me jump.
I don’t recall a coffee shop back then as it was just a clinic and not a hospital yet. But I remember in the green painted stairways, the vending machines. Especially the candy machine. And every once in a while, my mom would slip me a dime for a package of the salted peanuts.
I see that the original building is still there – right across of Thomas Square. Of course there is a hospital now built up around the old building. I wonder what it looks like inside now. I wonder if I’d be able to recognize any of the old hallways and stairwells that I used to walk down. Maybe it’s time I pay a visit… you know, for old times sake.
Here’s a story I wanted to share about “going doctor” that my older brothers told me. We grew up about 1 mile from Kailua town. My brother’s friends – also brothers – Walter and Gary lived on the other side of the block from us. And their doctor was located in Kailua town. Gary HATED getting shots. Not that Walter enjoyed them either. But this one time at their check-ups, Walter went in first being the older of the two. When he came out of the examining room, Gary looked up at him and asked him if he got a shot. As soon as Walter nodded yes, Gary bolted out the front door and took off running home – never looking back. He sprinted the full mile!
His mom should’ve promised him green river.
Do you remember your pediatrician? Where was your doctor’s office? Do you have any special memories of “going doctor”? Did your parents bribe you if you didn’t cry when getting a shot? Or maybe your doctor had a toy-box to bribe you? Got any funny doctor stories to share?
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Another big event coming up in April to benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Hawaii. Featuring an international buffet, candy bar, door prizes, special performance by Drill Team Hawaii, and most of all – live dance music provided by LS34 band!
jaydee
February 25th, 2013 at 4:26 am #
I remember that smell of alcohol and realizing it was time to get a shot. Ouch!
jaydee
February 25th, 2013 at 4:29 am #
Afterwards he’d give us a lollipop so it was all good.
M
February 25th, 2013 at 6:25 am #
Guud morning MLCers!
My doctor was Dr. Pang on Nuuanu Ave. I don’t remember going to see him that much, maybe because I never got sick too often.
Mark'75
February 25th, 2013 at 6:37 am #
Growing up, going to the doctor meant going to Kaiser Hospital. I had no particular doctor. At Kaiser back then, you got who you got.
At age 4, I went there for a broke arm.
At age 17, I went there for a broke arm.
A few years later, I went there for a……yep, broke arm.
That was pretty much it, except for the mandatory yearly physicals for sports.
KAN
February 25th, 2013 at 6:41 am #
My pediatrician (and our family doctor) was Dr. J.I.F. Reppun in Kane`ohe. His office was at the corner of Kamehameha Hwy. & Pua Inia Road, right on the edge of Puohala Village. I remember the smell of alcohol disinfectant whenever we walked into the office. I remember Highlights for Children in his office too!
eddyo
February 25th, 2013 at 6:44 am #
Good Morning,
Ours was Dr. Chung in Kailua. I think the building is now a L&L Drive Inn. When we got shots all us boys “took it like a man”, except for my youngest bro who would cry & get a lollipop. We used to rag him for being a crybaby, but when I think about it who got the treats!?
hemajang
February 25th, 2013 at 6:46 am #
Earliest recollection was going to Ewa Plantation Hospital for shots. Hospital is long gone. Thing is pop didn’t work for the plantation so they must have served the community in general. I was born at Waialua Plantation Hospital but all my brothers and sisters were born at Ewa. I do have vivid memories of Shriner’s Hospital where I spent a lot of time for bone cyst surgeries from age 3 to about 5 and had yearly checkups up to about 12. Had 3-4 operations. It was both frightening and fun times. Slept in a large ward with rows of bed on both sides, the nursing station on one end and the bathroom and whirlpool on the other. I only remember sleeping on the courtyard side. Most of time we ate in the courtyard, had a swimming pool on the other end that I don’t remember going into. I do remember playing around with the wheelchairs parked in the courtyard. Nurses in their starched white uniform were nice. I don’t like shots but had so many during my hospital stay that you got used to it.
lowtone123
February 25th, 2013 at 7:27 am #
I used to go to the Pearl City Medical Associates when they were in the building between Chevron and First Hawaiian Bank in Pearl City. One occasion I was chasing my cousin aorund the house when I turned a corner and slipped on loose gravel and opened a gash on my knee. My mom called Dr. Chang and he met us at the office during off hours and stitched my knee up. Nowadays you gotta go to the emergency room.
Masako
February 25th, 2013 at 8:27 am #
Good Morning! Wow this bring backs memories. Like you Rod, my Pediatrician was at Straub Clinic, Dr. Milner. Its was just like you described, I liked those sliding doors with the animals on it. Do you remember that nose suction thingy on the sink? I hated that.
Those tube thingy’s was cool. I remember waiting for Meds in the Pharmacy which was in that round building. Used to take so long and I would get impatient.
Once the hospital opened we would go eat at the cafeteria sometimes. The butterscoth pudding was my reward for induring the shot. That pudding was the bomb. I went years later and it wasn’t the same.
When I was around 17 Dr Milner retired and this young cute guy Dr Robbins took over. Thank goodness I only had to see him for one more year. It was embarassing to have such a hot doctor.
I also remember my dr’s nurse, Mrs Yen. She was the one who would give us those nasal treatments and shots.
volleymom2
February 25th, 2013 at 9:01 am #
I remember my nurse’s name too- nurse Teves! My brother and I went to Dr. Choi located up in Kaimuki so it was always a long ride for us. He was a real nice doctor. The one memory that stands out that I always remember is that whenever I went Dr. Choi I ended up with a shot (can’t remember why). I must’ve been sick plenty times. I can hear nurse Teves say “drop the pants”- then cold alcohol swab and shot- ouch ! Then when I got to intermediate grade I started going to my dad’s doctor- Dr. Wong. I was ready to drop my pants for my shots and nurse June said- oh, no shots- we giving you pills!! YIPEE!!! I never had any shots after that and Dr. Wong has since retired (6 years ago)?? Bless him!!
The BC
February 25th, 2013 at 10:05 am #
Hey!….. That was MY Doctor! I too remember the smell as soon as you entered the office. You knew where you were as soon as the door opened!
Rodney
February 25th, 2013 at 10:41 am #
@eddyo – That was the doctor that Gary ran home from. The building is now a parking lot. The L&L moved down the street to where Rob Roy’s used to be. I remember before it was L&L, it was Taco Hut. They had the best nachos.
LINDA KATO
February 25th, 2013 at 10:49 am #
Good morning MLCers
Happy Monday 
Have a great day
LINDA KATO
February 25th, 2013 at 10:57 am #
I’ve gone to Straub Clinic all of my life. My pediatrician was Dr. Myers until I was 18, then he referred me to an OB-GYN, Dr. Carty. I remember running away when it was time to get a shot and the nurse had to catch me first. They always caught me! My favorite nurse was Mrs. Saito, she would give shots but it didn’t hurt. Mrs. Saito later worked at Kapiolani Hospital helping new mothers with their new babies.
Which reminds me, must make all of those appts at their King St. location for my preventive screenings. I promised my doctor once we paid off our son’s motorcycle accident medical bills, I would make all of my appts. His bills all paid for last month so I’ll take care of my medical screenings in March. Thanks for the memories and the reminder.
LINDA KATO
February 25th, 2013 at 11:02 am #
Dr. Sexton was my children’s pediatrician until he retired and Dr. Robbins took over. There also was a female Dr. we went to when Dr. Robbins was unavailable but I can’t recall her name right now. She moved across the street from Straub into her own practice, our daughter went to her. All of the doctors at Straub are awesome. I’ve followed my internist, Dr. Monica Price to the Hawaii Kai Straub. She’s worth the drive over there. Dr. Price let our daughter shadow her for a week for her school credit. She’s a great doctor from her greeting “Hello, hello, hello, how are you today?” So friendly!
volleymom2
February 25th, 2013 at 11:24 am #
Hey, Rod- since we are on the topic of doctors (kid time), how about going to the dentist kidtime for the next one? I am sure there are plenty of stories to be heard about those silver capped kids – no, I wasn’t one of them, lol!! How about getting your teeth pulled without novacaine back in the day??!!
Masako
February 25th, 2013 at 1:03 pm #
@Linda Kato- I think the female Dr was Dr Lau, her daughter played softball with my daughter.
Rodney
February 25th, 2013 at 2:30 pm #
@volleymom2 – Dentist. I blocked out all memories of my small-kid-time dentist. j/k. Good idea. I did a post on dentist when I was blogging for the Advertiser. I’ll dig it up.
Rodney
February 25th, 2013 at 2:38 pm #
Speaking of the Advertiser – it was exactly 3 years ago today that we got the news that Gannett has decided to sell the Advertiser to the Star Bulletin.
The sound of Goliath hitting the ground could be heard around the whole State of Hawaii. And it wasn’t because The Advertiser was suffering from poor reporting or low ad sales. It was because The Advertiser was flourishing and making a profit – which made it the perfect product for Gannett to cash in on.
Forget about the dedicated employees who all agreed on taking a 10% pay cut to keep the company on it’s feet – just pull the rug out from under them and watch them fall down. Then point and laugh.
snow
February 25th, 2013 at 3:00 pm #
and to think that taking that 10% pay cut made the company all the more profitable!
i remember my pediatrician being a nice man, who wasn’t very strict with me. he had a large house that i could see from the freeway, close to the punahou offramp. i didn’t get many shots as a kid so not too many bad memories of them!
Rodney
February 25th, 2013 at 3:03 pm #
Back on topic… @Masako – Thanks for jogging my memory. I wasn’t sure if there was a pharmacy in the lobby area – but like you, I remember waiting impatiently in the round lobby. That would’ve been the perfect place to put a candy machine! LOL
ankleBYTERS
February 25th, 2013 at 5:13 pm #
KAN
I remember Dr. Reppun but mines was Dr. Sasaki, the medical building next to Benjamin Parker. Either I was a healthy kid or I don't remember seeing him much….I think the later…MLC…
NaPueo
February 25th, 2013 at 7:02 pm #
Don’t think I went to a pediatrician. I think the doctor I went to as a youngster was a General Practitioner. Worst injury I remember was a dislocated little finger.
dihudfan
February 25th, 2013 at 7:23 pm #
@Rod… bout the tiser… well spoken!!!
my doc wuz across the street from Straub at the Medical Arts building, Dr. John Kometani… shame to say this but he was my pediatrician and Dr. up to high school days… when I got sick during my intermediate and high school days, the nurses would rush me into a room, so that I didn’t have to sit with the kids… He wuz the bestest!!
Ynaku
February 25th, 2013 at 10:09 pm #
Keed time we went to the Plantation Dispensary. A doctor used to come several time a week. If you got really injured than you gotta go Hilo Hospital. Didn’t have 911 or rescue squad. You call the ambulance with the siren on the fender.
I remember almost cutting off 3 toes on my right foot. Went to the Quack…I mean plantation doctor and all he did was clean it with alcohol and wrapped it up. I did get a shot. I still look at my toes and see the scars and wonder why he didn’t stitch it.
Later we went to the Hilo Medical Group on Wailuku Dr in Hilo. Next to the river so we used to go across the street and watch the water coming out of the Hydro-electric plant. Spooky. Anyway, we get assigned whatever doctor working that day. General Practitioner takes on a whole different meaning.
Now I go to an independent Doctor. Nice guy.
4G
February 25th, 2013 at 10:09 pm #
So here is my story; you all are probably going to think that I was a really dumb kid. LOL.
My aunty was an RN. I remember when we were really young, she would bring home discarded syringes for us to play with (I bet it’s not so easy to do that, anymore). They actually made pretty good “water guns”, but I digress.
So, let the “desensitizing” (AKA brainwashing) begin! I was pretty young; I remember breaking my foot when I was in like pre-school. I’m pretty sure the conditioning had already been done by then. My parents used to play a “game” with us. We used to go through the motions of getting shots (with the syringes) – just like at the doctor’s office. We were told that shots were good for us, so there was no reason to dread them.
Most kids cry when they get a shot. With my sister and I, if one of us got a shot and other one didn’t, the one who didn’t get the shot would cry (cause it was good for you)! How stupid is that? LOL.
The shots you get at the dentist are more nasty than the one’s from the doctor, in my opinion. I always kind of smile to myself when the dentist tries to shield the needle so you don’t see how GIGANTIC it is!
4G
February 25th, 2013 at 10:12 pm #
Eh, what happened to beginning part of my post? Darn! LOL.
Here it is:
@Mark’75 – broken arm three times? Oy – no tell me they was all the same arm!
Hey, @Rod, @Masako and @LK – I went to Straub Clinic, too! @Masako – my pediatrician was Dr. (John) Milner, too! I don’t know if it was a typo in your entry, or my memory not working right, but I remember his nurse as Mrs. Yuen.
I remember seeing Dr. Sexton’s name – probably because it had “sex” in it. 
@Rod – you have a good memory. I don’t remember the kind of detail that you do. I do, though, remember the vacuum tubes (I thought those were soooo cool!). I swear, that pharmacy took an INORDINATE amount of time to fill prescriptions, too! I think the smell is what is most vivid in my mind when I think of doctor’s office visits. I think there were also some pretty large portraits hanging on the walls of the corridors (doctors and such). They were kind of, but not really, creepy looking – sort of like what you would see in haunted houses in the movies. LOL. I have a vague recollection of Highlights magazines. I also remember that there tended to be a lot of screaming and crying by all the kids there.
Rodney
February 25th, 2013 at 10:58 pm #
@4G – I kinda remember the big portraits. I think at the end of the pediatrics ward, it went to a big open lobby looking room. That’s the room with the glass doors facing Thomas Square. I’d like to walk in there again some day – just to see if it brings back memories.
Masako
February 26th, 2013 at 6:24 am #
@4G It could have been Yuen, I remember her as a haole lady, she must have married a pake. Yes that pharmacy took the longest time. A candy machine would have made lots of money in there. I remember the pictures too. I also remember a Dr Ho and a Dr Cashman in that office.
Mark'75
February 26th, 2013 at 6:37 am #
@4G: Yah, was.
M
February 26th, 2013 at 6:51 am #
Guud morning MLCer!
M
February 26th, 2013 at 7:44 am #
When I was very young, I didn’t see the doctor very much. Now that I’m older, I see the doctor often, like every other month. Not that I’m not healthy but to catch anything early enough to take care it.
LINDA KATO
February 26th, 2013 at 10:26 am #
@Masako, thanks, it was Dr. Lau. Dr. Shigeko Lau saw my children through their college years for physicals for school. Great doctors there.
LINDA KATO
February 26th, 2013 at 10:27 am #
Good morning MLCers
Happy Tuesday 
Have a great day
Keep healthy and happy
LINDA KATO
February 26th, 2013 at 10:29 am #
4G: You are so funny
dihudfan
February 26th, 2013 at 11:00 am #
@masako… my kids went to Dr. Ho… great doctor!!
kellyk
February 26th, 2013 at 5:21 pm #
@ Masako and 4G: same doc as both of yours, milner at straub. i remember very little except that big round building and the rooms with the frosted glass. i don’t even remember what dr. milner looked like even though i was there a lot with asthma problems.
M
February 27th, 2013 at 6:25 am #
Guud morning MLCers!
LINDA KATO
February 27th, 2013 at 11:16 pm #
Good evening MLCers
Hope everyone had a happy Wednesday 
