Well, if you either follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you probably know that my allergist fired me yesterday. The doorbell rang, and there was the mail man, needing my signature for a certified letter. It was from my allergist, which surprised me, but didn’t alarm me – he’s mailed me stuff before. This is what the letter said:Dear Ms. B______
In the best interest of patient care, you are hereby informed that you have 30 days in which to have your Medical Care and Records transferred to another Physician of your choosing. Your medical care at [Blank Blanks of Blank] will be terminated at this time.
And that was it. No explanation, no nothing. I called his office to find out why, and he was eva so conveniently out of town until Monday, at which time the office manager told me that she’d have him call me. I was acting like a blubbering fool though, crying and totally pissed at myself for crying, so it’s probably good I didn’t talk to him. When I do, I want to be intelligible and suave and not crying and dripping snot and mascara on my phone, you know?
It just hurt, is all. I haven’t done anything wrong, I’ve taken all my meds he’s given me as prescribed, which is the only condition he told me I’d need to uphold in order to continue to see him. I don’t understand what’s wrong with me, what there is about me that is so unwanted, or un-helpable, or something. Three docs have fired me in two months. I’m so pathetic. Blargh whatever.
My blog turned totally legit friend is flying in today to spend the weekend with me and another blogger buddy, so it should be fun – we always have a blast when she comes to town. I pick her up from the airport in the evening, at which time we are going to drive straight to my allergist’s home, take a giant shit on his doorstep, and light it on fire.
Have a fun weekend. I’m certainly going to try to, and dammit, I deserve it after this week!
Bye friends.
19 comments:
WTF?!?!! what a wussy dr. to not have the courtesy to give you a call... tell you why... and not be an A$$! So sorry love!
Honey, let us send him a letter that says he has 30 days until you and I come and punch him, straight shot right in the left lung.
Oh Husband.
You always make me laugh.
And that's pretty much why I love you.
Thanks. :)
What a douche. It seems like all docs care about these days is not getting sued and not about the welfare of their patients.
Grrrr to your allergist. Is this the appointment you skipped last week? I'm wondering if he got pissed about that for whatever reason.
Can't wait to see you tonight, lover pants!
Brandon, was that right then left? or just aiming :P, I say go both and see how HE wants to live on 40% capacity!!!
Meh- I say he deserves a good kick in the nuts- it'll hurt more! Ugh I am so frustrated for you...but honestly, if they are going to do that then THEY aren't good enough to be working with you anyway!
And then we'll take that left lung brandon punched out and transplant it. :) I am so sorry. That really sucks! And that was a cheap cop-out for him to send you that vague, formal letter. What's up with that? I would totally call him when he "gets back in town." Maybe try calling and use an alias and when he picks up say it's Brie and confront him. :) I don't know any allergists but if I did, I'd recommend a good one.
Make an appt within the next thirty days (don't you go more often than that? I thought I remember reading that it was weekly...) and then he'll have to talk to you about it. Maybe you can work something out and he'll "re-hire" you.
that really sucks ... and especially that he gave you no reason for doing it. i don't understand people sometimes ...
i know you will find someone else who is even better! there has to be an upside to this.
keep your chin up.
it will all work out.
maybe he got freaked out when you showed up at his front door at midnight?
maybe?
im just kidding.
i just found your blog...
lovely....
really.
xo
That sucks, big time. Not what you need right now at ALL. Isn't there some sort of law out there (I'm pretty sure), that a doctor can't "fire" you and terminate appointments until you have actually found another one? And aren't they supposed to give you recomendations? That's just plain courtesy! Don't forget your cousin, my brother-in-law, who's a lawyer now.....he could dish you out some good ideas!!! Perhaps he could even go along with you guys to kick his ass. Anyway, I'm sorry that happened. Do you still have medications and stuff?
Brandon is so sweet to read your blog. He and John are the best hubs in the world EVER.
Sorry about the allergist. They are ALL just afraid that they may break boundaries with you (you know what I mean)because you are so friggin HOT!
What is with the medical profession these days? Like, when is it okay to choose to stop treating someone when you have the expertise to help them? I mean, ethically - if he doesn't know how to help you - didn't make it through that chapter in the med school textbook or something - then ethically, yeah - it'd be good to refer you to someone who did read that chapter.
But if he's read that chapter and you're doing your part of things - shit, you got a hole put in your stomach to help do your part - I just don't get it. It seems fucking unethical. And if he works for a medical organization or even if he doesn't, you know he has liability insurance to deal with the risk management side to working with people who are ill - fuck, why would you be in medicine and expect your patients to all be well? Or never encounter someone who is ill to the point of challenging your skills/knowledge? If that's what he's really wanting then he should go into a plush cosmetic allergy practice and not agree to treat people who come to him for real medical issues.
And if this is about you not showing up for your appointment, unless he'd told you he'd not work with you if you didn't show one more time or something like that, fuck it if most clinics and docs have 50%+ no show rates every day - that's why they do those annoying reminder calls. There are entire books and seminars and quality improvement projects to decrease no-shows - it's so common I wouldn't buy it even if he gives it as his excuse.
I have to think that there is a better fit for you than this guy. Your doc should be a "healer" and on your side - you should not feel like a burden, fear you'll be fired or too much of a risk or whatever, and feel bad about yourself for seeking medical care. He's not a healer. Maybe you should go to some rural part of Utah and find a doc - at least there they don't have the plushy attitude that if it gets too hard for them they'll just stop treating you.
So, my hope is that you find a really compassionate, smart, empathetic, ethical allergist - and that you look into filing a complaint w/the medical professionals board in Utah. Each state has one and the way he handled this - without telling you his concerns, talking w/you, referring you elsewhere - is, in my opinion unethical and harmful to you. And he shouldn't have done it to you or do it to anyone else.
Fuckin' A. It just pisses me off. You're working really hard, Brie, and they're making it a lot harder for you. So fucking what if you're sick physically and they are worried about liability or whatever - isn't working with people who are ill what they're trained to do and what they take an oath to do?
Okay. I'll stop ranting. But I hope you do file a complaint. If nothing else to get some of your power back.
I'm sorry that your allergist fired you - that must feel awful. He's the douche though, NOT you. I'm tempted to agree with Keely about trying to make an appointment with him in the next 30 days so that you can talk to him about it. That's only if you feel like it though. I would totally understand if that was the last thing you wanted to do. You still rock my world! Hang in there, chica.
This just makes me fucking enraged, Brie. Enraged and furious. What on earth is he thinking? And this is when you know that many people working in medicine are there for the prestige and money. There ARE plenty of wonderful doctors out there, and i am so sorry you ended up with this frikkin' douche.
Ack. If I lived anywhere near you I would come and slap him around the mush. What a wanker. Really, this says so much about him and nothing about you and your loveliness. You deserve help, you ARE helpable, and I know you will find a wonderful dr who can help you.
But, man, what a bloody douche bag.
Lovelove,
Z
Oh man I love the last comment..
I will just second that!
..and sorry sis, you were just too hot for him....he couldn't your hotty boddy!
btw, have fun with your peeps-
xoxo
oh and find a new one fast and take care of your yuck lung fest...quick!
Do you think your allergist might read your blog?
Brie-
Ive been fired twice in the past four months...so as bad as it is, Im glad to know Im not the only one! Maybe we should see how many times we can be fired and then sue for medical malpratice..kick them bastards in the nads!! Just a thought!
-Amber
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