Saturday, March 27, 2010

On call. And they do call.

Dr. Grumpy: "This is Dr. Grumpy, returning a page."

Miss Myelin: "Yeah, I see Dr. Cortex for my MS, and I woke up today with blurry vision, and I can barely walk."

Dr. Grumpy: "Have you had this before?"

Miss Myelin: "No, it's new. When my MS acts up Dr. Cortex usually admits me to the hospital for IV steroids."

Dr. Grumpy: "That's standard. I think you need to go to ER, and I'll likely admit you."

Miss Myelin: "Are you kidding? I don't have time for that shit."

Dr. Grumpy: "Excuse me?"

Miss Myelin "I don't have time for that. Can I schedule them for next week, like Wednesday or Thursday?"

Dr. Grumpy: "I suppose, but you'll have to call Dr. Cortex on Monday and... Look, if you're not going to let me help you, why did you even call on the weekend, anyway?"

Miss. Myelin: "Because I thought it might need urgent treatment."
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13 comments:

  1. AnonymousMarch 27, 2010 at 4:14 PM

    She does.

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  2. AnonymousMarch 27, 2010 at 4:38 PM

    she does

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  3. WunderwomanMarch 27, 2010 at 5:52 PM

    They ARE everywhere, and they do walk amongst us! LOL

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  4. redgirlMarch 27, 2010 at 7:01 PM

    ..or her deff of urgent is diff than yours lol

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  5. AnonymousMarch 27, 2010 at 7:14 PM

    She has 'spring fever' and was in the middle of getting life back on track...hasn't gotten 'round to the idea, yet, there may be a crimp in the plans.

    In the clinic anticoagulation service I have a new stroke patient I'm following. She told me up-front that she eats whatever she wants, hates to take medicine, and won't keep track of warfarin doses she takes each day. Though we're not at consistent INR yet she's leaving to visit relatives for spring break. I figure, after months of Dr. G., I just gotta work with it, and am glad to have gleaned the nugget that sometimes things in the brain e.g. MS, strokes affect one's personality.

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  6. mommy-medicMarch 27, 2010 at 7:55 PM

    It only needs urgent treatment if you need to walk or see. *eyeroll*

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  7. pharmacy chickMarch 27, 2010 at 8:02 PM

    LIke so many before her and so many after her. they ask for advice and refuse to take it.

    the joy of being a health care professional!

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  8. terri cMarch 27, 2010 at 9:29 PM

    I think you could make a case for either altered mental status or the ever-popular Diagnosis on Axis II.

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  9. ER's MomMarch 28, 2010 at 12:57 AM

    Are you sure she's not MY patient as well?

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  10. AnonymousMarch 28, 2010 at 12:09 PM

    I agree with differing definitions of 'urgent'. Hers, sounds like she thought it might be something more serious than 'just' an MS flare up, symptoms would most likely go away afterwards. After you've had MS (or other chronic illnesses) for awhile, I guess, you get tired of catering to your body's frailties, even rather significant ones, at the expense of living your life.

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  11. thegooddrlauraMarch 28, 2010 at 1:45 PM

    People are people. @$$holes are @$$holes. All @$$holes are theoretically people. They don't cease to be @$$holes just because they have an illness and are someone's patient, or because they've been lucky enough to survive a long time and are now elderly, or because they have chosen a given profession, or because they are related to someone you know. We have these idealized concepts of "sweet old people" or "sweet children" OR appreciative patients.

    @$$holes are @$$holes, no matter what else they are.

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  12. AnonymousMarch 28, 2010 at 11:55 PM

    hmmmm....possibly looking for a direct admit? ...wanting to avoid the ER riffraf?

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  13. Pharmd BikerMarch 30, 2010 at 2:11 PM

    document everything. $5 says she will try to sue you for not helping her... what has happened to our industry?

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So wadda you think?