Skip to main content

My Guide to Not Driving a Health Care Provider Crazy

A while back I said I was going to post on things that my patients do to ANNOY me. Well, this week it seems they have really been on their A-game at driving me nuts. So, it reminded me that I have you dear friends to vent to. So, here goes.

  • Patients who bring so many family members with them that there is no longer enough oxygen/space left in the tiny exam room for me to co-exist. And what's funny is that sometimes they even act like I'm the one who's causing the crowded conditions. Solution: bring one dependable family member with you if you are A. unconscious. B. really old. C. worried about a bad diagnosis. (Exception: Infertility and pregnancy do not count here: I think husbands should go as much as possible.)

  • Patients and/or family who sit on my stool. I understand if you are 95 and can not climb up on the table. But it seems the elderly always manage to get on the exam table or in the chair. I had a young man with his wife yesterday who sat on my stool, wife in the chair and crazy, feral child on the exam table. WHERE do you want me to go? It's hard to write on a chart while standing in the center of the room. Solution: in this case, the husband and child should have waited in the waiting room. Otherwise, DON'T sit on my seat.

  • Patients who use my stool to prop up their very infected leg. Guess what? I do not like twound "juice" on my seat. And if I get some nasty infection on my buttcheek, guess who I'll be calling... Solution: don't get nasty leg infections. And if you do, refrain from propping it up on my seat.

  • Patients who bring extensive lists. Again, I understand if you're 95. You might forget something. And you actually have problems. But if you're in your 40's, chances are you might be a hypochondriac if you take a list. And please don't type it. It just freaks me out. Solution: limit each office visit to 3 problems or less. You should be able to remember those. If you can't, they probably aren't that important.

  • Patients who show up 14 minutes late. I don't have to see you if you're 15 minutes late, but now you just pushed back everyone else's appointments all day because you made it by ONE minute. And amazingly, it's always these patients who come with the most problems. And feel especially chatty. Solution: give yourself time to make it to appointments.

  • Patients who bring several small children with them who do not behave well. I had a lady this week needing a pelvic exam to check for STD's (having discharge) and she brought her unruly 2 and 5 year old kids with her. Needless to say, I could not possibly perform an exam on her while her kids tore our clinic to shreds. Not to mention that I don't really want to teach a 5-year-old boy about pelvic exams. Hmmm....weird. Solution: don't sleep around.

I really like most of my patients, but if people would just use common sense sometimes, it would make things so much better! Thanks for letting me complain. It's just been one of those weeks...

Comments

  1. Good things to keep in mind as you hardly ever hear of the Doc's perspective...

    Hope your week goes better!

    ReplyDelete
  2. LOL... I seriously think you should write a book... Patients dont have a clue what drs and nurses go through..

    ReplyDelete
  3. It did me good to hear of the doctors point of veiw! I am the type of patient who shows up way to early, doesnt want to bother the doc with too many questions, and NEVER sits on the stool, only the exam table... HOWEVER... I always wonder what is going through the minds of the doctors/nurses! =)

    And like njennmwc said.. You should totally write a book!

    Xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  4. Like any job it has its pet peeves. It sounds like yours are legit ones.

    I hope next week is less annoying. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I have a few to add to the list ('cause, after all - this should be comprehensive should it not?) :

    * patients who need scripts for drugs they don't know the names of ("well...come to think of it....maybe it was one of those herbs I take.")

    * "urgent" screenings for breast cancer patients who carry their cell phones in their bra and are now suddenly concerned about radiation and this new lump they can fill in their axilla. (seriously, I so obviously, couldn't make this stuff up)

    and my new favorite:

    * when gathering family histories for genetic counseling, patients who give you the history of medical problems of all the people in their family they share zero DNA with.

    I love my job...I really, really do!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'm in my 30's and take a list to the doctor of areas that concern me. I am afraid I will forget even if it's just two or three things because the doctor might ask me something (this has happened before) that gets me sidetracked on my original question. You might be a little more understanding on that area and not so put out. Also, the on the lady that brought her kids. There have been a few times I had no choice but to take my children with me to the doctor (not a pelvic though) if I couldn't get a sitter. Getting a sitter during the day is very hard if your a stay at home mom. I would hope though if I did have to take my kids with me for the pelvic that a nurse could have sat with them long enough for me to have it done.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Like any job it has its pet peeves. It sounds like yours are legit ones.
    grow taller

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Meet Our Little Miracle, Paisley Kate

The post I have been waiting 2 years to write is finally here and I can't really believe it. On Saturday, I woke up at 8:30 a.m. with BAD contractions. By the 2nd one, I knew I was in "real" labor. They were SO different than the braxton-hicks. I got out of bed and decided that I'd take a bath, until water ran down both legs. The pain after that got pretty unbearable immediately and I was having contractions every 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. So, I called Aaron at work to tell him it was "the big day". He decided I was kidding until I nearly leapt through the phone to wring his neck. :) We got to the hospital an hour later and I was dilated to a 4 and having very active contractions. They quickly got me moved to an L&D room. I got my epidural ( AMAZING - we'll talk about this in its own post soon) at a 6 and then my doctor broke my water. (Apparently at home, it had just leaked a pocket of fluid). After he broke my water, labor started picking up

The Resurrection

 So here we are.  It's now a blog graveyard.  The followers have long since moved on and infertility is something that I've somewhat put in the past (only considering I don't want any more kids).  So why am I here and writing again?  What's the purpose?   This was my safe place.  It was where I came when everything seemed much too hard and I needed to feel comfort.  I wanted to express myself in a venue that others would reassure me and even understand me.  I still love and have always loved this blog.  It guided me during some of the hardest years of my life, dealing with infertility and miscarriage. And you know... I guess it will help me again now.  Because life is freaking TOUGH.  You know the phrase "I've went through Hell and back"?  Yeah, I feel that in my soul now.  I could have a blowout in the middle lane of the highway during rush hour traffic, manage to pull over my car on the side and call for roadside assistance without my pulse increasing ev

I'm Going to Let You in on a Little Secret

My dear blog readers, Those of you who know me well know that I do not keep secrets. It's actually physically impossible for me to keep a secret. So, it's going to really surprise many of you to find out that I've been staying silent about something pretty big. So, without further ado, I'd like to introduce you to the little miracle that came into our lives 13 weeks ago: We wanted to keep it to ourselves for a while to make sure things went okay this time. It's been a very terrifying 13 weeks and we are just now starting to feel that things could actually go well. We feel incredibly blessed to be pregnant with this baby and we are so grateful for every minute. To my friends who are still battling infertility , I'm not even sure where to start. You've been there with me through it all. You've held my hand and given me a shoulder to cry on when times are tough. You always know the right things to say because you've been there before. And you pray and