"This is it. NO MORE antibiotics. I need someone to do more than just prescribe me another antibiotic. Something is wrong and I know it. This is NOT just a run of the mill ear infection. If I have just gotten worse after 3 different antibiotics, it is obvious that another medication is not just going to fix everything."
I was tired... and it was becoming more and more apparent that this "ear infection" was not just going to go away. It was apparent that this infection was flat-out stubborn.
I sat down in the exam room and the doctor came in. It was obvious that he wasn't much for talking. I would talk... my mom would talk... but his responses would be short. and. dry. At times, I didn't even feel like he was listening to us at all.
I rambled on about everything I had already gone through... I told him about my study abroad trip, the hearing loss, the three doctor visits before him. I mentioned I thought I may need some type of surgery to get rid of the infection. I had already been on three strong antibiotics, and nothing had been helping. My pain was only getting worse!
His only replies would come out sounding something like a grunt.
He went right to grabbing that otoscope and looking into my ear. Without a single second to process a single thought... that man decided that I needed more antibiotic.
I. was. FLOORED! I was screaming, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" (In my mind, of course).
"But I've already been on three different rounds, and they didn't work at all! I'm feeling worse, and the pain is getting worse each day!"
He non-empathetically said that I just needed to be on one of the antibiotics I had already taken, but for two weeks instead of one. Dryly, he told me to come back in two weeks for a follow-up. He walked out and that was that.
I bawled... I felt so helpless. But I thought, "hey... he must know what he's talking about, right? Maybe he is right." The nurse came in to give me a steroid shot in my butt and a script for the pharmacy. As I walked out of the office, I passed by my doc in the hall and politely told him thank you. He didn't even acknowledge me. DIDN'T EVEN LOOK AT ME!
It was obvious that I had inconvenienced him.
Jerk.
Why didn't I stand up for myself?
I rambled on about everything I had already gone through... I told him about my study abroad trip, the hearing loss, the three doctor visits before him. I mentioned I thought I may need some type of surgery to get rid of the infection. I had already been on three strong antibiotics, and nothing had been helping. My pain was only getting worse!
His only replies would come out sounding something like a grunt.
He went right to grabbing that otoscope and looking into my ear. Without a single second to process a single thought... that man decided that I needed more antibiotic.
I. was. FLOORED! I was screaming, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" (In my mind, of course).
"But I've already been on three different rounds, and they didn't work at all! I'm feeling worse, and the pain is getting worse each day!"
He non-empathetically said that I just needed to be on one of the antibiotics I had already taken, but for two weeks instead of one. Dryly, he told me to come back in two weeks for a follow-up. He walked out and that was that.
I bawled... I felt so helpless. But I thought, "hey... he must know what he's talking about, right? Maybe he is right." The nurse came in to give me a steroid shot in my butt and a script for the pharmacy. As I walked out of the office, I passed by my doc in the hall and politely told him thank you. He didn't even acknowledge me. DIDN'T EVEN LOOK AT ME!
It was obvious that I had inconvenienced him.
Jerk.
Why didn't I stand up for myself?
keep it coming! I love reading your story!
ReplyDeleteWhy do some people become doctors? It really is a mystery. Love you baby girl & I'm so glad the worst of it is now over.
ReplyDeleteI hate that we've had to second guess ourselves and then think we were wrong when we wanted to stand up to some of these doctors. I saw two ENTs like that, and a pulmonologist. I would describe it the exact same way, like I was inconveniencing them.
ReplyDelete