Dr. Grumpy: "Did anyone else in your family have Hufnagel's Syndrome?
Mrs. Helpful: "My sister did."
Dr. Grumpy: How old was she when she developed it?"
Mrs. Helpful: "She died when she was 38, in a car accident."
Dr. Grumpy: "But how old was she when she developed Hufnagel's Syndrome?"
Mrs. Helpful: "Well, she actually didn't have it. But if she'd lived, I'm sure she'd have gotten it in her 50's"
**shakes head** .....
ReplyDeleteIf you're really talking about Huntington's disease, it's not SOOOO farfetched. If they had genetic testing done.
ReplyDeleteNo, I'm not. That wouldn't have been funny.
ReplyDeleteUnresolved grief over the loss of a sibling. Much is made over the grief suffered when a parent loses a child. Little mentioned when a person loses a sibling. I know what she is feeling, you often think of where they would be in the course of their lives , if not cut short. 44 years later,as we approach anniversary, I still think of my brother, would he have married, had children, career, hobbies. Don't be too hard on her.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget the card, the flowers, the candy.
Sooooooo helpful!
ReplyDeleteLAUGH OUT LOUD!!!! Literally coffee out the snout.
ReplyDeleteI totally googled Hufnagel's Syndrome thinking I had missed something in my training...
ReplyDeletePacker I am sorry about your brother? How old was he when he passed? I don't think Grumpy meant anything by the comment. If Judge Judy asked that question she would say, "That question requires a yes or no answer!" Time with your MD is short enough as it is. He's not a social worker and I am sure he's truly sorry about the loss of her sister. But, if she didn't develop the disease while she was alive, he needs to move along so that he can get through the appointment so that Mrs. Helpful can get the best possible care Grumpy can give. If he stopped, spent a lot of time talking about that, the post would have read that she demanded her next appointment be free because she didn't get all of her questions/needs answered and addressed because they spent 40 minutes talking about her deceased sister and the Hugnagel's Syndrome that wasn't relevant in this situation. I make a list and order things by importance. We get through what we can! We stop early enough so that he can get me my scripts, orders, etc., and I schedule another appointment to go over the rest of the list. Sometimes I leave the list and he will call me and address what's left over the phone. It's a little different with each doctor.
ReplyDeleteGrumpy how long do you allow for new appointments, and follow-ups?
I have one doctor who has a sign up that says (paraphrasing), "Though you have a scheduled appointment, an emergency may arise or a patient my need some extra time. If you are not called back within 30 minutes of your scheduled time (not your arrival time) please let someone know. Your patience is appreciated as you will be given the same courtesy when you see the doctor!"