She Will Not Neglect To Tell You
DOCTOR/PHYSICIAN, HOSPITAL, LAZY/UNHELPFUL, USA | HEALTHY | OCTOBER 27, 2019
(I’m in the ER for what I later learn is a massive kidney stone. I’m on disability and Medicaid, which of course I tell the desk, so they can bill it appropriately. A doctor comes in later.)
Doctor: “We’re going to keep you overnight and give you [pain medication] to help.”
(He leaves without any more information. At this point, I’ve only received Tylenol, which is doing nowhere near enough for the level of pain I’m at. I’m moved to a different unit in the hospital, and for the next eight hours, I’m in a painful daze as I still didn’t get medication. Word gets to my mom, who, while having the voice and appearance of a fairy godmother, also knows when people aren’t doing their jobs. She comes to visit and speak with a nurse.)
Mom: “Has she been given any medication?”
Nurse: “No, until [Doctor] actually sends through the order we can’t give her anything but Tylenol.”
Mom: “What?! He saw her early this morning and he hasn’t done something this simple?!”
Nurse: “I know, ma’am. I’ve tried paging him and he keeps saying he’ll get to it.”
Mom: “Can you page him up here?”
(I can see the nurse get a HUGE grin.)
Nurse: “Absolutely, ma’am. Just one minute!”
(After even more painful waiting, the doctor finally comes in. He looks bored and annoyed at having to come personally to me.)
Mom: “Are you her doctor?”
Doctor: “Yes, ma’am.”
(As soon as he confirms, my mom TEARS into him. She yells about how I’ve been suffering, how she got a call from a nurse about me being here, how I didn’t know what was going on and wasn’t given anything because of his incompetence. The man looks utterly terrified.)
Mom: “Now, you are going to get her whatever medications she needs right now. I am going to make some phone calls that are going to make your life h*** because I sincerely doubt my daughter is the only one who’s been treated this way by you!”
(I was blissfully medicated within the hour. My mom did, in fact, make some calls. I was quickly assigned a new doctor, and later found out the first one was fired for patient neglect.)
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