Wednesday, September 23, 2009

My Daily Dose of Sympathy

Yesterday afternoon I was seeing a lady who'd called for an emergency work-in for her back pain.

Dr. Grumpy: "So, how did you hurt your back?"

Mrs. Snob: "My cleaning woman left me. Just left me. I've had the same cleaning woman for 10 years. So on Sunday I had to clean the whole damn house myself. And I wrenched my back. I've always had a bad back, that's why I have a cleaning woman. Then, yesterday, my husband and I were at a funeral, and there was no place to sit. You'd think they could have chairs or something. And standing for the whole thing made my back even worse."

Dr. Grumpy: "I'm sorry to hear that. Was it a relative's funeral?"

Mrs. Snob: "No, it was the cleaning woman's."


I was surprised she even went.
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37 comments:

  1. Suzanne LucasSeptember 23, 2009 at 7:59 AM

    Well then. That cleaning woman should have given two weeks notice. That's what we require.

    ReplyDelete
  2. MOJITOGIRLSeptember 23, 2009 at 8:19 AM

    I have a mother like that. That's why I live FAR AWAY....

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  3. The Lonely MidwifeSeptember 23, 2009 at 8:39 AM

    I think her kids go to my kids school. Ugh--that would be I would be in the parking lot late so I don't have to speak to those people. Least you can bill for it--

    ReplyDelete
  4. Grumpy, M.D.September 23, 2009 at 8:42 AM

    Yeah, usually these are the people who will gladly mow down my kids in the Costco parking lot so they can get a good space for their SUV.

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  5. UnknownSeptember 23, 2009 at 8:42 AM

    RIP Cleaning Lady.

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  6. The Good CookSeptember 23, 2009 at 8:50 AM

    I agree with Evil HR Lady - two weeks notice would have been nice. I think that woman was a former boss of mine. Emphasis on FORMER.

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  7. AnonymousSeptember 23, 2009 at 8:59 AM

    She went to the funeral to see if there were any other potential serfs available.

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  8. EdSeptember 23, 2009 at 9:04 AM

    Doc, you should totally be paying your patients. Material like that is priceless.

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  9. MomNurseWifeSeptember 23, 2009 at 9:09 AM

    People like this make me want to spit. On them. What a despicable excuse for a human being.

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  10. moppieSeptember 23, 2009 at 9:12 AM

    *play's world's tiniest violin for Mrs. Snob*

    ReplyDelete
  11. Grumpy, M.D.September 23, 2009 at 9:13 AM

    Ed- Yeah, I can see a Mastercard ad:

    Office co-pay: $40

    Brain MRI: $800

    Entertainment provided: Priceless.

    ReplyDelete
  12. DorisSeptember 23, 2009 at 9:33 AM

    You know, I think that cleaning woman died on PURPOSE!

    >:p

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  13. LizSeptember 23, 2009 at 9:44 AM

    That's just breathtaking.

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  14. AndreaSeptember 23, 2009 at 9:52 AM

    Wow. I bet that cleaning lady is thanking her lucky stars that she escaped Mrs. Snob. Holy hell.

    P.S. Found you through a twitter link yesterday and have been thoroughly entertained in your archives since. I really enjoy your perspective! And snark. Maybe I'll even learn how to be a better patient myself. At least not one that puts my foot in my mouth.

    ReplyDelete
  15. The D-Bag DailySeptember 23, 2009 at 10:29 AM

    She could've at least cleaned the house before she "left."

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  16. UnknownSeptember 23, 2009 at 10:32 AM

    Wait...your on Twitter now Dr. G??

    ReplyDelete
  17. Grumpy, M.D.September 23, 2009 at 10:35 AM

    No, I'm not. Someone else must have posted me.

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  18. FordoSeptember 23, 2009 at 11:13 AM

    I wondered if your patient may have had something to do with her cleaning lady's death. Kind of like, "Yyou can't leave me. You'll pay!"

    ReplyDelete
  19. The Imscon ManSeptember 23, 2009 at 11:28 AM

    "There were three quarters missing from the little change dish on the kitchen counter, and I was going to ask the cleaning woman about them when she came back the next week, only she didn't come back because she died. So I thought the funeral would be a good opportunity to just check her pockets quickly, only I couldn't because it was closed casket and they wouldn't let me open it even though I told them I'd close it again as soon as I checked her pockets. All of her relatives that I asked during the service claimed that they didn't know anything about the quarters, and her daughter was very rude when I asked if I could go to her house and look through her things to see if I could find them. I don't know what these people are trying to hide, which is why I reported them to the FBI."

    ReplyDelete
  20. Suzanne LucasSeptember 23, 2009 at 12:22 PM

    I agree with Imscon Man. That is definitely what happened.

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  21. rxgirlSeptember 23, 2009 at 12:35 PM

    and you worked her in? should have let her suffer a few more weeks of back pain.

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  22. Grumpy, M.D.September 23, 2009 at 12:44 PM

    Rxgirl- when I agreed to work her in I didn't know the whole story.

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  23. The Good CookSeptember 23, 2009 at 12:51 PM

    I think Imscon Man should get the award for the best funeral scenerio. That is sooo what happened. Now my husband, the FBI man is going to be late for dinner what with the investigation and all.

    ReplyDelete
  24. modestypressSeptember 23, 2009 at 4:31 PM

    Doc,

    Do you have a medication for irony-deficiency?

    ReplyDelete
  25. Serious Replies OnlySeptember 23, 2009 at 6:56 PM

    Well. The least she could have done was find a replacement before she died. Some people have no consideration.

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  26. thegooddrlauraSeptember 23, 2009 at 7:54 PM

    What Dr. Grumpy left out: "That bitch. I hope she's burning in hell right now for leaving me and making me actually pick up after myself."

    Seriously, I feel so bad for the cleaning lady. Rest In Peace. In Heaven or The Next Life, or whatever her equivalent is, I hope she has someone waiting on her, taking care of her.

    ReplyDelete
  27. AnonymousSeptember 23, 2009 at 8:27 PM

    Um... Wow...

    After reading that, did anybody else have the thought that the dude from Flipping Out would probably react the same way Mrs. Snob did if his housekeeper died?



    L.

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  28. AnonymousSeptember 23, 2009 at 8:29 PM

    Damn....you just can't get good help these days...

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  29. LizSeptember 23, 2009 at 10:07 PM

    Thank you Imscon Man, since Dr. Grumpy didn't post anything new I dejectedly checked the comments and you made everything alright again! That was just great!

    ReplyDelete
  30. AnonymousSeptember 23, 2009 at 10:09 PM

    Is Mrs. Snob related to Mr. Jackass?

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  31. Grumpy, M.D.September 23, 2009 at 10:12 PM

    Liz, hang on! I'm writing one right now!

    ReplyDelete
  32. BrittaniSeptember 23, 2009 at 10:53 PM

    I still can't believe they didn't put out chairs... how rude.

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  33. LipstickSeptember 23, 2009 at 11:31 PM

    How in the world did you avoid doubling over in side-splitting laughter?

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  34. JohnSeptember 24, 2009 at 5:21 AM

    That cleaning lady is definitely in a better place, now.

    ReplyDelete
  35. MOJITOGIRLSeptember 24, 2009 at 8:06 AM

    You are a man of many talents. Forget Grumpy---the new dwarf in the group is SNARKY!!!

    REALLY, ever thought of making a living in Vegas at the poker tables. Because you've got to have the straightest poker face known to mankind to be able to DEAL day in/day out with these village idiots.

    ReplyDelete
  36. FizSeptember 24, 2009 at 1:18 PM

    it's a shame you aren't a chiropracter - you could break the biatch's neck!

    ReplyDelete
  37. BezSeptember 27, 2009 at 4:27 PM

    Haha, that reminds me of an episode from Better off Ted: #8, "You Are the Boss of Me". Watch it if you have a chance.

    ReplyDelete

So wadda you think?