Thursday, January 20, 2011

Wednesday afternoon

Dr. Grumpy: "Are you allergic to any medications?"

Mr. Grief: "Penicillin... Doc, will this visit take long?"

Dr. Grumpy: "Maybe another 30 minutes. Do you have another appointment?"

Mr. Grief: "No, but my mom's funeral is in an hour."

14 comments:

Julie said...

well at least they showed up for the appointment ...

Mr Mobius said...

Well I guess if you miss your appointment then you have to wait another month or 2 (not sure what is like in America but I imagine similar).

donna said...

Damn. I would not be able to think during the appointment. I hope she did not have far to go.
That has to be the worst.

Grumpy, M.D. said...

Moebius- I have appointments available this week and next. He knew that, too. I have no idea why he didn't reschedule.

Sarah Glenn said...

He may have forgotten the appointment entirely until the day he got up. Some places charge you if you don't give them 24-48 hours' notice. Death can distract you - or maybe he hoped for a distraction by seeing you.

Anonymous said...

Just noticed Dr. Grumpy wrote back to Moebius, yet the tag reads Mr. Mobius. Graphic novel fan, Dr. G.? Metabarons....John....Lt. Blueberry?

oh....inner geek grl rearing her muzzle.....full moon

Grumpy, M.D. said...

Just lazy typing.

Anonymous said...

The tip off--Will this take long ?

That shows that the person is extremely distracted and really wants to be somewhere else. Common in persons dealing with grief.

Grumpy did you offer condolences. If yes -Thumbs up. If no--well let the gallery decide.

Grumpy, M.D. said...

Of course I did! I was just shocked he came at all.

Anonymous said...

I had a " will reschedule you in 4 months, and if you don't come in it will be $350 office charge" for a pulmonary specialist at the big deal university. My internist basically begged for me to be seen there.

Mom died on a Sunday, appointment on a Tuesday. He had a 72 hour cancellation notice. I would have had to call on FRIDAY not to get hammered with the bill. You suck mom for not dying at a more convenient date. Lol ;)

Cliff notes version, office drone couldn't/wouldn't help. Internist called to plead my case and got shut down by pulmonary doctor. So..off to a two hour doctor appointment, and put the rest of the family on hold planning for mom's funeral.

I guess the pulmonary doctor figured she was dead, so what was the rush? God, what an twit. I still get grief from family members over this.

SkullCandy

Anonymous said...

Go along with the 'distracted' thought. Patient could be so upset that needs a little time away from 'it' to deal with 'it' more objectively. Patient probably would know Dr. G's policy very well and could do with someone with a kindly and objective attitude at the same time. I've never met an unsympathetic healthcare practitioner in my life. They're probably out there, but as a patient I have a right to be human after all!

My mother called me the middle of the night before first day of last semester before rotations in pharmacy school to tell me of my sister's accidental death.

My husband and I were pauper students and lived thousands of miles away; didn't have $1800 right then and there to head home.

I went to class anyway, and held it together until we were discussing insulin treatment algorithms and started sobbing. The Dean came in and advised me to get on home and arrange for the trip.

Packer said...

ANON@11:23 I offer my condolences. I know that distracted thought process very well. It is like shock, akin to battle fatigue, mind shuts out some things. System just can't process all that needs to be processed so it puts a person on auto pilot.

ERP said...

Lemme guess, he needed some valium for the service? At least that would make some sense.

The Mother said...

I have to have this appointment on this day! Nothing else will do!

Oh, wait. Maybe I should do it on...

 
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