Wherein I am gobsmacked

[Teefies2]

I'm on medical leave for 6 weeks, so don't have any SC, CoC, or MiM stories, but I did want to share what I saw at my doctor's office today when I went for my post-op visit.

I walk in (which is not easy when you've had foot surgery) and immediately sit down at the receptionist's desk. There is an older guy - like 70s maybe - in the chair immediately to my right. He is demanding to be seen ... not just demanding it, but cussing, swearing, and insulting the receptionist. As in .....

"It will only take 5 minutes!" "I know I don't have a GD appointment, but it will only take 5 GD minutes" "I drove 30 F**** miles to get here, I am NOT going to come back when you have a GD time open" "Listen to me, little lady, (oh hell no he didn't go THERE), it will only take 5 GD minutes!!" The office manager comes out, tells him to stop swearing, and he needs to give them some information. "Oh HELL NO! You have all my information!!!!!!!!!!" eleventy!!!!!!!!!!!

At this point, the office manager points out that they don't even know his name And he's still swearing and insulting. She says "if you want to be seen, you will have to answer our questions" "I AIN'T GONNA ANSWER YOUR GD QUESTIONS!!!! YOU HAVE ALL MY INFORMATION!!!"

He stands up, declares to the entire waiting room "I DON'T have time for this!!!!!" He heads towards the door to the examining rooms. One of the other patients says "Sir, the door is over here. Sir! Sir!" He snarls at her "I'm going out the back door F** it!"

Well okay then. While the rest of us were waiting for our appointment times, and I admit we were laughing about this guy, I found out that this man had been a walk-in. Wait, what???? :record scratch: You come to a medical office, where there is clearly a schedule of appointments (and I might add, at least 10 people waiting to be seen), without an appointment, supposedly drove 30 miles to get there, ... and you act like that????

I can't even.

[Kittish]

Sounds like one of the sorts who's gotten used to getting what he wants by pitching a fit. Guess it never crossed his mind that behavior like that wouldn't get him very far in a doctor's office.

Hope your recovery is going well, an no complications.

[wolfie]

Seems to me that guy needs a proctologist, not a GP.

[Crossbow]

Pull that at my doctor's office and they'll fire you as a patient on the spot. Here's your records, now get out.

I may not like all the doctors in the practice, but the office staff is awesome.

[Pixelated]

Pull that at my doctor's office and they'll fire you as a patient on the spot. Here's your records, now get out.

I have a profound respect for doctors who do that. Idiots like this are upsetting the other patients (who either have appointments or understand they will HAVE TO WAIT), harassing the staff, and generally being the type of patient who wants to talk about 16 different issues in one visit anyway.

It's a shame more businesses don't do that. "Here's your money back; now get out."

[eltf177]

I like Pixelated's thought process!!!

[Slave to the Phone]

I hope your recovery is going well. Try to stay off your foot as much as possible and try to not get too bored.

I had foot surgery and the required keep your butt down with your foot propped up for the next 6 weeks thing kinda sucked. (OK, I'm lying, it really sucked. You start by thinking, wow 6 weeks to do nothing but lay around with my foot up, I could do this for 6 years. After about 6 days, and after you have actually managed to get bored with reading and killing monsters, you start thinking about things you could be doing. And then you start noticing the dust and how grungy your home is looking. I sure hope your recovery is more fun than mine.)

Going by his age, is it possible that he was in some stage of dementia? Like he was mentally regressing to about age 6 when that sort of tantrum would get results?

[WishfulSpirit]

Though dementia is more common among older people, you don't have to be elderly to have it. Some mental illnesses, mild stroke, or a variety of head injuries can cause personality changes and loss of contact with reality. Though of course some people are also just jerks.

[Teefies2]

Thanks for the well-wishes everyone.

Slave, I hear ya. I'm just 7 days post-op and already read all my books from the library, worked through 2 entire crossword puzzle books, and decided there is not a DANG thing on TV worth watching. Fortunately, I cleaned my house before surgery, so I'll be good for a week or two.

It's possible that he had dementia, but he seemed fully aware of his faculties, and of his effect on the staff. It was more like Kittish said, used to getting his way by throwing a fit. As we all know, that may work in retail, but it sure didn't work at my doctor's office

[greek_jester]

I'm just 7 days post-op and already read all my books from the library, worked through 2 entire crossword puzzle books, and decided there is not a DANG thing on TV worth watching. Fortunately, I cleaned my house before surgery, so I'll be good for a week or two.

If you have a smart phone or tablet you can find a lot of puzzle apps online, many of them free if you're willing to put up with adverts.

Good luck with your recovery.

[Slave to the Phone]

Hurray for your Doctor's office not putting up with that stuff. I'm thinking that WishfulSpirit had it right, though. Some people are just jerks.

Can you log on to your library's website and go through the catalog? And reserve books? I learned that I could go online, browse the catalog and put books on hold. Then I could beg a friend to go and pick them up for me.

You might also be able to download e-books and read them from your computer.

Of course you cleaned your place pre-surgery. And if you weren't just sitting around looking at it, you probably wouldn't start thinking about the things you didn't do because its not part of your usual cleaning routine. Like washing the window screens. And rotating all the food in your pantry so the oldest is in front. And dusting the ceiling fans. (That one killed me while I was in recovery. I do dust them monthly, but I really had no idea how fast they got dusty and we have at least 1 in every room so I couldn't hobble somewhere else so I didn't have to look at them.)

I don't want to be Debby Downer about this, but I've lived through it and know how bad it can get.

You will just have to suffer through it and don't push yourself. Your feet take a lot of damage and stress every day. Its very important that you allow your poor foot enough time to heal before putting weight on it again.

[Teefies2]

Of course you cleaned your place pre-surgery. And if you weren't just sitting around looking at it, you probably wouldn't start thinking about the things you didn't do because its not part of your usual cleaning routine. Like washing the window screens. And rotating all the food in your pantry so the oldest is in front. And dusting the ceiling fans. (That one killed me while I was in recovery. I do dust them monthly, but I really had no idea how fast they got dusty and we have at least 1 in every room so I couldn't hobble somewhere else so I didn't have to look at them.)

You will just have to suffer through it and don't push yourself. Your feet take a lot of damage and stress every day. Its very important that you allow your poor foot enough time to heal before putting weight on it again.

Dang Slave! It's like you're in my head I did clean my bathtub today, 9 days of taking baths makes it gross Not to worry though, I did the cleaning while sitting on the edge of the tub.

I know I have to rest my foot. However, I live alone, so it's not like I can ask someone to get me another tea. I do have a walking boot and I'm using it ... most of the time. When I'm on my computer in the kitchen, I'm close enough to the refrigerator and sink that I can hop - doctor told me to take the boot off and air out my foot (and the boot) when I'm (mostly) sitting.

I get the stitches out on Thursday. Then we'll see how well my recovery is coming along. I did put in for 6 weeks off work, though, since I'm a shift lead in retail, and spend 8 - 9 hours a day on my feet. There's no way I'm going to be able to get back to that without lots of rest/recovery!

Thank deities for this site! Y'all keep me sane and laughing!

[greek_jester]

I know it's a bit late in the day, but if you're in a similar situation again invest in a thermos and a cooler. It doesn't matter whether you're trying to keep something cold or hot, they do equally well. It means you can get your breakfast and lunch done at the same time, then keep the thermos and cooler beside you to minimise the number of times you have to get up.

[Slave to the Phone]

greek_jester is right. Do whatever you can to minimize having to get up. Ask whoever is bringing you food to bring you what you need to have everything you need close at hand.

Seeing as how I have already hijacked this thread to gently nag you about taking care of yourself, I will just continue.

In about a week, you are going to start thinking that you have leprosy because of all the skin peeling off your foot. (not to mention that you will probably have snaggly toenails. Except for the normal color, your foot will look all zombiefied.) You don't, this is because your foot swelled up after surgery (hence the need to keep it elevated) and then deflated which stresses your skin AND because your calluses are starting to slough off.

While your foot is sore and you are wearing bandages and such, its easy to sit around with your foot propped up. You have already HAD to clean the bathtub, which I certainly understand, so other things are going to start making themselves priority. Like your toilet. And the bottom shelf of your fridge. And those cobwebs in that corner.

And you won't be hurting so bad, so what could it hurt if you just took care of something really fast? It could hurt you for the rest of your life, so just plant your butt back down, and put your foot up and serve out your sentence. Your foot is fragile even when it doesn't hurt. Please take care of yourself.

[Teefies2]

I know it's a bit late in the day, but if you're in a similar situation again invest in a thermos and a cooler. It doesn't matter whether you're trying to keep something cold or hot, they do equally well. It means you can get your breakfast and lunch done at the same time, then keep the thermos and cooler beside you to minimise the number of times you have to get up.

Thanks for the tip!

greek_jester is right. Do whatever you can to minimize having to get up. Ask whoever is bringing you food to bring you what you need to have everything you need close at hand.

Thanks for the reminders There's no one bringing me food, as I cooked for weeks beforehand and froze stuff. I'm surviving on casseroles, soup, and baked potatoes (throw them in the oven, sit down for an hour, or open a can of soup and come back to it in 30 minutes).

I will resist the temptation to do more than I should. I have to throw a monkey wrench into the works though, I have to move in 2 months and I haven't even really started looking yet So I'm searching the internet (with my foot up!), but at some point I'm going to actually have to go look at places. And I do need to start packing, so my plan is pack one box, sit down for 1-1/2 hours, pack another box. Fortunately, I don't have that much stuff, so I can spread the packing out, but it still has to be done.

Y'all are so supportive, it's making me feel great! I'm getting more support from y'all than I am from my kids. They live in the same town, and I know they're busy, but ... one phone call a week to see how I'm doing, without asking what they can help me with, ain't cutting it.