A BAD week is almost over.

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Not part of the bad week, but contributing to it, my birthday was on June 24th. A quiet day, because Hubby decided to celibrate it a week early. I don’t know why. Its not like I wanted to be 59 sooner. Oh, I fell down on my birthday. Nothing hurt right away.
The BAD week started with waking up to pain in my leg, where I fell, on Sunday. I’m bruised from toes to knee. Black, no blue.
Then Monday. The baddest day of each year, June 27th. The day Michael, my son, committed suicide in 2000. I slept and cried most of that day.
Tuesday, the leg was worse. I tried to pretend I was just focusing on it , but by Wednesday, there was no position that eased the burning and aching. Ice had helped up to that point, but by then the ice made it worse. So, hubby loaded me into the F-150 for a trip to urgent care. He was alternately, solicitious and angry.
We got to urgent care where the intake “nurse” was new; being oriented by Ms Burn-out 2005. He, the FNG, pushes the wheel chair into to my leg as he’s trying to get it out of the room, making me howl. Then, he put the blood pressure cuff on so wrong it pumped up to 300mm/Hg three times befor giving a completely bogus reading. He tells me its the pain… yeah. Sure.
Then comes the Doctor, or not. “Mr PA, but I think I’m a doctor” Starts telling me its just a bruise. He was so flippant and condesending he needed to be slapped. (no, I didn’t.)
He spoke mostly to my husband, making little asides like, “Women, you can’t… well never mind.” then he poked my leg and said, “does she whine like this all the time?”

Then I told him I was a critical care nurse. Surprisingly, he got worse. However, he did mention a few flash phrases to impress me. I told him my concern was ischmia, to which he replied “well, there’s nothing we can do about that.”
I mentioned that in the burn unit we used leeches for that very thing. He returns with “No, leeches are only used for compartment syndrome.” Then as an after-thought, “Did you work at Harborview?” (that’s the level I trauma center where the regional burn center is.)
After I told he that, yes, I’d worked there… in the burn center, then mentioned a few other prestiege laden places I’d worked, that he could merely dream of, he handed my husband some paper, told he to go fill the perscriptions and “take her home.”
The perscriptions were for Vicodan and full strength ibuprophen. :dubious:
I don’t remember yesterday. I just woke up from a dreadful nightmare, to find that its Friday. Ok, its 3:00 AM, but Friday, none the less.
I’ll be home alone today, hubby works for 24 hours starting at 6am. I think the pain is preferable to the medicine, although it doesn’t hurt right now.
Next week will be better… right?

2

Oh, dear. You poor thing. I’d offer to go and have a long talk with the doctor for you, but I’m on crutches, myself. Besides, I think you’d do a better job of it.

I won’t offer you medical advice; I’m a computer tech who normally avoids doctors. I can, however, help you word the letter of complaint I assume you’ll be sending to the hospital describing in precise detail exactly how unprofessional and condescending the doctor was and how surprised you were that sexist attitudes continue to persist even into this day and age. (I can also give you advice on looking naive.;))

If you want prayers or good thoughts, you’ve got them. I wish I could offer more. You see, it’s been a month since I woke up with a bad knee and I can’t thank the friends who’ve been looking after me enough, even while I wish I could lend you one.

Be well,
CJ

3

EEP! picunurse. Maybe you should summons your male harem. You deserve to be waited on hand and foot after this awful week. I hope you’re all better soon. Meanwhile here’s a virtual hug for ya. {{{picunurse}}}

P.S. I was thinking about you last night. I was looking at my swampfest picture, which occupies a place of honor on top of my computer desk. I was all smiley thinking, how that’s one of the coolest things anybody ever did for me. Get well soon!

4

Thank you both.
Swampy We miss ya’ up here! :cool:

5

picunurse, I hope your leg feels better soon!

Stoopid “doctor”–it sounds like he needs a different job. If it happened to me, I’d be filing a complaint.

6

That’s really the point. He isn’t a doctor. He’s a PA, Physician’s Assistant. He has less education than the average nurse, but he’s allowed to “play” doctor.
It happens all the time.
:rolleyes:

7

The :rolleyes: was for him, not you. :slight_smile:

8

{{{{picunurse}}}}

9

In that case, I’d be dead sure I write that letter so the hospital can find out what an obnoxious twit they hired. At least it’ll be on record, even if nothing’s done at the time.

Take care, and please let us know how you’re doing.
CJ

10

Silly, silly lady.
You fall-down-go-boom almost as much as me.
That’s not good. :stuck_out_tongue:
I won’t even torment you with the cat song this time*.
I will sing:
Happy [sub]belated[/sub] birthday to you,
Happy [sub]belated[/sub] birthday to you,
Happy [sub]belated[/sub] birthday, dear picunurse [sub]who falls-down, goes-boom[/sub],
Happy [sub]belated[/sub] birthday to you!

I hope you feel better sooner than soon, sweetie. :slight_smile:

*If you share the Vicodan, that is. :smiley:

11

[sub]I would, but, that would be :eek: illegal! [/sub] I’m done with it now. I took 2 doses. It makes me all weirdy. Not in a good way…

Thank you for the birthday ditty :smiley: You have a lovely voice, I don’t know why people tell you, “DON’T SING!” all the time. :cool:

You know, you’re right about the fallin’ down part… didn’t I fall down on my last birthday too???

12

Go to the E.R. Get some leeches going, so that you do not wind up risking the leg.

Fucking PA. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, especially when coupled with vaunting arrogance and blatant sexism. :frowning:

I wish you a speedy recovery physically. Emotionally… take your time and know you’re cared about and respected here. Hugs.

Cartooniverse

13

I second the vote for the ER. You need to be looked at by someone who takes you seriously. And please take good care of yourself!

14

Thanks for the good advice.
But its looking better today. It still hurts some, but not as bad as it did. I should have just waited another day.
I’m taking an anti-inflamatory dose of ibuprophen, which seems to help a lot more than the stupid Vicodan: weird dreams, dry mouth, itchies. no thanks.

15

Glad to hear that…thought you were a goner. :smiley:

16

[sub]don’t sing.[/sub] :cool:

17

:stuck_out_tongue:

And to add insult to injury…
Found it. :wink:

18

I hate, hate, hate arrogant health care providers.

Some years ago, I had to take my daughter to urgent care. I knew she had pneumonia, because I’d been through this with her before. Unfortunately, the doctor who attended her was an arrogant, sexist, elitist jerk! After much rolling of eyes at me, talking down to me, then basically shouting at me that drugs are not the end all, cure all he told me she was fine. I was fuming and so angry that I was seeing red. I had to take my daughter back to her pediatrician the next day, who promptly sent her for x-rays, and of course, she had pneumonia. She was prescribed the appropriate meds, etc. and she eventually was better. BUT…I was not done. I filed a complaint against the doctor who had seen her at urgent care. I filed it the same night I saw him, and then in writing. As I worked at a hospital at the time, I was well aware of what my rights and my daughter’s rights as a patient were.

I factually outlined the entire visit, the conversation, the doctor’s attitude towards me and my daughter, everything. I received a phone call from the HMO the day they received that letter. They apologized profusely. I also received a letter from both my HMO and the doctor.

NEVER, NEVER mess around with a mama who has a sick child.

At any rate, picunurse I am glad to hear your leg is doing better, but I still wouldn’t have put up with any of the crap you received. I hope you write a letter of complaint, at least.

19

I may do the same. Although, you had more reason. Your daughter got inapproprate treatment.
The PA did basicly the right thing, or as right as the Cooperative allows. He was simply rude about it.

harmless… You’re misbehaving again, Do I have to call… the “correction team”? Hal? I’m sure there are others, missy… :wink:

20

I think I got a PA fired once, or at least, my complaint was the last straw, as I’d heard others complaining about him.

I used to live in a very small town (pop. 3000 during the summer, 9,000 during the winter) with one medical clinic. I went in because I’d had a sore throat for a week and my ears had closed up. I knew before the day was out that I’d have an ear infection. I tell the PA what’s going on and ask for a course of antibiotics to head it off. He took a swab from my throat and tested it for strep. Since it wasn’t strep, he said, I didn’t need antibiotics.

Really? Because here I’d thought that strep was the ONLY bacterium discovered by humankind up to that point. Everything else that grew in the back of my throat could be classified as fluffy bunny happiness.

I did the best I could with decongestants and hot tea, but sure enough, by the next day, I was running a 101+ fever, BOTH my ears were killing me, and I couldn’t stand up straight. I ended up missing five days of work. I went back to the clinic and demanded to see the regular doc, who was a very cool guy. I told him what happened and got a baffled “Didn’t you tell him you’re a teacher?” Uh, well, no. It hadn’t occurred to me, and even if I had, I don’t think the PA would have realized what that meant in regards to exposure to a Very Large Pool of Germs.

After that visit, though, I never saw that PA guy around in the clinic or around town.