Annie: "Dr. Grumpy's office. This is Annie."
Mrs. Daughter: "Hi, Dr. Grumpy saw my mother last week, for Alzheimer's disease. We're trying to get her long-term care approved, and need him to fill out the forms. I forget to ask him when we were there. Can I drop them by the office later today?"
Annie: "Certainly, but he's out of town this week, so won't be able to do them until he's back. We can mail or fax them back to you when ready, or you can come get them."
Mrs. Daughter: "What do you mean 'he's out of town?' "
Annie: "Family vacation stuff, his kids are off for fall break, so..."
Mrs. Daughter: "That's ridiculous. I want these forms done NOW."
Annie: "Well, he'll be back next week, so will be glad to do them then, or you can see if your mother's internist can..."
Mrs. Daughter: "The internist is the one who referred me to you. Obviously, I wouldn't have come to you if I'd known he was THAT kind of doctor!"
Annie: "Um, what kind of doctor?"
Mrs. Daughter "The kind who takes vacations when his patients need him!"
"Well, you could just drop by his house and see if he's in. Go to 22A Runcorn Avenue, just by Blenheim Crescent. You can't miss it. Lake Pahoe is right there."
ReplyDeleteWelcome back ~ have you been "dis-banded"?
ReplyDeleteYes ~ how DARE you have a life ?!?!
You have some brass grumpy, we trumpet your talents hoping to drum up business for you and you string her a long by taking a vacation?
ReplyDeleteWe banded together during your absence and believe it is instrumental for good health to have some time off. Perhaps she could suck it up a bit. On that note I will march off.
Amazing, simply amazing. I took 5 days off in March, 5 in September and client very seriously said I can’t believe he is on vacation again.
Never felt so much like a tool as them. Enjoy some of your life folks because soon enough you become tired and old as I found out last week as I laid in a hospital bed for the first time in my life.
And he's baaaaaaack!
ReplyDeleteSame problems. I have patients that are offended if I take time off. I actually had one that said that doctors are expected to sacrifice their personal life.
ReplyDelete"Look, this is an emergency. We need to get her into a home by 7:45 pm at the latest if we're going to make our dinner reservations."
ReplyDelete"Well, we would not have taken you on as a patient if we knew you were that kind of patient."
ReplyDeleteLook, Lady, Alzheimer's is a real disease. It's nasty and it never goes away. None of us are automatons. Let the good doctor enjoy the people in his family while they're still around. To paraphrase a line from Fiddler, "Even a poor doctor deserves a little happiness." (or, something like that)
ReplyDeleteAhh, nothing like entitlement to remind you just why it is that you take vacations.
ReplyDelete