One My Knees In the Waiting Room
Yesterday I went to a doctor's office. While waiting in the waiting room for the doctor to make his grand appearance (he was late), I was called in to speak to him. I sat down and he looked at me irritated, "well, we didn't know if you were coming back?!" "Well," I said, "Our schedule has been impossible and we have been busy every day except Friday and you are closed on Friday so there was no way we could ever make an appointment." He glanced at me sideways, "Well, you could have called, we did all this work and we didn't know if you were coming back!" he said irritated.
Now I was already anxious, scared and in a bad place physically, emotionally and mentally with regard to the day and the appointment, and now I am getting reprimanded by this guy? What the heck? So then he proceeds to give me bits and pieces of information that has no conclusions or diagnosis, or helps me in any way, but merely makes me scared, worried and feel worse about the situation. All this while looking at me sideways over his glasses.
Then as I go back to the waiting room I hear him irritatingly call his secretary into the hallway. I can hear them arguing about my health insurance and whether or not he is going to get paid. I hear him frustrated about what I am doing, and feels that I can't possibly be covered by insurance and that she must call RIGHT NOW to make sure that he is going to get paid and that all is ok.
The secretary then makes her angry, irritated way back to her desk in front of me. She picks up the phone while huffing and puffing and begins to dial my insurance company. I am honestly aghast that all of this is going on in front of me, while I am paying for this hour and while I can hear all of the irritation and disgust. As the secretary waits on hold, rolling her eyes, huffing and puffing I sit there watching, wondering if it would be right of me to stand up and smack her and the doctor right across their damn disgusted faces.
So as she announces our names, dates of birth and Medical insurance ID number across the waiting room and gets the answer that I knew that she was going to get, I say to her "I can go to any doctor I want, 10 times a day, 100 days in a row and they will pay all of you so I am not quite sure what the problem is!?" She looks up at me and I continue, "just like they paid you last year, 100% without any questions and you got every penny, so I am not sure why everyone is all of a sudden so upset?"
I want to kill everyone.
So as Jim and I discuss later that day, THEY WORK FOR ME!! I don't work for them! I have hired them to do a job for me so if I don't want to come back for six months or call or stand on my damn head, that is my right. I pay them. I PAY THEM DAMMIT!! And hey, it wasn't like everything they did last year, if I did fall off the map, was for charity! They got paid to do it and if nothing ever came of it, isn't that my loss, my problem, and I AM HERE NOW SO ZIP IT!
Oh, and if you want to bitch and complain about one of your clients, don't do it while they are paying you to help them. And don't do it when they can hear every single word you are saying?!!! And when someone is coming to you for help, don't just throw little scary pieces of information at them and leave them knowing nothing, JUST FOR THE EFFECT!
We need to remember that people are fragile and when they come into a situation needing help, they don't need to be scared further, given a hard time or embarrassed. It isn't easy asking for help, it isn't easy hearing what the answer is and it isn't easy to make those phone calls to admit something is wrong and you can't fix it. When someone needs help you should imagine them as being on their knees with their head down and eyes up and treat them as such. We should hold their hand, touch their shoulders and honor their fears, because one day, we may be in the same boat.
And rolling your eyes and sideways glances don't help anyone, especially this mom on her knees begging for help,.... even if you can't see it.
Click COMMENTS to leave a comment!!! Like what you read today? Post it to your Facebook page so everyone can read it! Click below to share!
Now I was already anxious, scared and in a bad place physically, emotionally and mentally with regard to the day and the appointment, and now I am getting reprimanded by this guy? What the heck? So then he proceeds to give me bits and pieces of information that has no conclusions or diagnosis, or helps me in any way, but merely makes me scared, worried and feel worse about the situation. All this while looking at me sideways over his glasses.
Then as I go back to the waiting room I hear him irritatingly call his secretary into the hallway. I can hear them arguing about my health insurance and whether or not he is going to get paid. I hear him frustrated about what I am doing, and feels that I can't possibly be covered by insurance and that she must call RIGHT NOW to make sure that he is going to get paid and that all is ok.
The secretary then makes her angry, irritated way back to her desk in front of me. She picks up the phone while huffing and puffing and begins to dial my insurance company. I am honestly aghast that all of this is going on in front of me, while I am paying for this hour and while I can hear all of the irritation and disgust. As the secretary waits on hold, rolling her eyes, huffing and puffing I sit there watching, wondering if it would be right of me to stand up and smack her and the doctor right across their damn disgusted faces.
So as she announces our names, dates of birth and Medical insurance ID number across the waiting room and gets the answer that I knew that she was going to get, I say to her "I can go to any doctor I want, 10 times a day, 100 days in a row and they will pay all of you so I am not quite sure what the problem is!?" She looks up at me and I continue, "just like they paid you last year, 100% without any questions and you got every penny, so I am not sure why everyone is all of a sudden so upset?"
I want to kill everyone.
So as Jim and I discuss later that day, THEY WORK FOR ME!! I don't work for them! I have hired them to do a job for me so if I don't want to come back for six months or call or stand on my damn head, that is my right. I pay them. I PAY THEM DAMMIT!! And hey, it wasn't like everything they did last year, if I did fall off the map, was for charity! They got paid to do it and if nothing ever came of it, isn't that my loss, my problem, and I AM HERE NOW SO ZIP IT!
Oh, and if you want to bitch and complain about one of your clients, don't do it while they are paying you to help them. And don't do it when they can hear every single word you are saying?!!! And when someone is coming to you for help, don't just throw little scary pieces of information at them and leave them knowing nothing, JUST FOR THE EFFECT!
We need to remember that people are fragile and when they come into a situation needing help, they don't need to be scared further, given a hard time or embarrassed. It isn't easy asking for help, it isn't easy hearing what the answer is and it isn't easy to make those phone calls to admit something is wrong and you can't fix it. When someone needs help you should imagine them as being on their knees with their head down and eyes up and treat them as such. We should hold their hand, touch their shoulders and honor their fears, because one day, we may be in the same boat.
And rolling your eyes and sideways glances don't help anyone, especially this mom on her knees begging for help,.... even if you can't see it.
Click COMMENTS to leave a comment!!! Like what you read today? Post it to your Facebook page so everyone can read it! Click below to share!
Oh my gosh! I wouldnt have been able to keep quiet, I would have let them have it! I was in nursing for 10 years and it is unacceptable when doctors act that way!
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry that you went through this.