An Update (Work)
While in the beginning, I liked the doctor I worked for, I could see a side of her that I didn't want to be on and that I kind of filed away, I'm seeing that now more than ever. I was hired to work for her as her front office person and then due to some staffing issues, she taught me back office as well. I liked it so much, I decided to go to school (its a 5 month program) and get certified to be a Medical Assistant so that I can work Back Office and be fully trained in it.
She told me I could start working that position and then hired someone to work the front...then hired someone else to help supplement the front and to be our office mgr. Everything was going pretty well, I liked who she hired, the only thing that was going not so great was that I noticed that no matter what anyone did for doctor, she'd never be pleased...nothing was ever enough. But, I figured, she's the doctor, she knows a TON more medically than we all do, we're ALL new employees and she has to be frustrated, ect and tried not to take her comments to heart.
Last Thursday I got real sick. Up until then I was doing REALLY well. I had only gotten ill once or twice and that was just from my pain and I think it was a short day and the doctor was the one to tell me not to come in, not me calling in ill. She knows I have Crohn’s, but I've been in remission and have been feeling well - FINALLY!
Anyway, I worked the whole day, didn't complain to anyone, even stayed an extra 30 minutes to do an EKG on a new patient. It was the Doctor that noticed that I didn't look well. When I was about to go home, she asked me if I was OK. At this point I was pale, sweating, in a lot of pain and very, very nauseous. I told her that I wasn't feeling well at all...told her my symptoms. She offered to right me an order for a simple "film" (abdominal xray) to make sure I didn't have a small bowel obstruction - because that was how I felt. I told her thank you, but no thank you, I was going to put myself to bed and NPO (nothing by mouth - which is what they do for an intestinal blockage anyway), because I want to keep my relationship with her purely professional.
I got on the phone to my doctors, went home and proceeded to get violently ill for the next 5 days. :(
I saw my Local GI (Dr. Daneshgar) on Friday afternoon (had to call in sick to work on Friday) and he told me that I either had Gastritis or he was concerned about Adhesions from my surgery. He sent me home on a clear liquid diet (although I couldn't keep water down) and bed rest. By Saturday afternoon I was worse. I called my Dr. Daneshgar and he told me to go to Los Robles Emergency Room ASAP. I spent from 8:15p Saturday to 7:30a Sunday at Los Robles getting IV fluids and medicines for dehydration, nausea and pain. They did an Abd/Pelvis CT Scan that revealed ONLY Gastritis (the inflammation of the stomach) - there was NO evidence of my Crohn's Disease on the CT Scan!!!!!
YIPPEE!!! There has NEVER been "No Evidence of Crohn's Disease" on my CT Scans in 9 Years!!! That news was fabulous, but I just felt like shit because that's what gastritis feels like that. ha ha Fun stuff. Dr. Daneshgar said he's been seeing MANY cases of it for the past 2 - 3 weeks. Its caused by medications in the tummy and stress.
Anyway...I finally get back to work on Wednesday morning. I clock in and am about to head to the front of the office when Dr. Nathan walks in. She asks how I'm feeling and tells me she knew that I was at Los Robles over the weekend (making like she was physically THERE or something). I responded, "oh, yes, much better, thank you. Oh, did you see me in the ER there?" but she kept talking...
She said....I'm concerned about the pain medication you take. It is strong. (she has a worried and VERY stern face) I have to protect my patients from you. You can't be taking those strong pain medications, my patients need to be protects. And, when you were gone I had FIVE patients say, YOU made them appointments and when they showed up, there wasn't an appointment for them."
I (being SHOCKED and APPALLED!!!!) said, "Dr. Nathan, I do NOT take short-acting drugs while at work...only the long-acting medications and that is in the morning with breakfast. That has no bea...."
[I was in the middle of saying before I was so rudly interrpted: bearing on my work, your patients, how I've been working for the past THREE months. What has happened that you all the sudden feel the need to protect your patients from me, when you have someone like Debbie running around your practice?")
Dr. Bitch: interrupting me That does NOT matter, it is the same thing. I have to protect my patients. Now. Where do you want to work today. In the front or the back?
Me: Dr. Nathan, I honestly do NOT care.
"dr" bitch: Well, which area would you want to be in today? Where do YOU want to be?
Me: I don't care either way.
(I said this A: Because if she needs to "protect" her pts from me...the drug taking, SCARY employee...why would she even OFFER back office to me??.
B: I was infuriated and horrified she would say such things to me. I didn't want to be with her all day, no way!!
C: I KNEW she was LYING about the 5 pt scheduling error and knew that if there indeed was ANY discrepancy, it was her psycho (Debbie) volunteer that routinely deletes the schedules and not me. Its NEVER happened where I've made a mistake like that, not even when I was new and training!! I found it HIGHLY convenient that it happened when I was out ill and not there to defend myself...she's been caught lying to us before...its so odd to have a professional - a DOCTOR lie, especially to her staff. But then, what do I expect from a person who allows someone like Debbie to not only come into her office each day, to come near all her patients, call her patients, mess around in all her financial screens and have a KEY to the office. Debbie - the person she had to get a restraining order on because she was STAULKING her at the local hospitals, medical offices, her home, her yoga place, her neighborhood, her office, EVERYWHERE she went.)
Above all, I think I’m hurt. A doctor should understand pain. Any doctor knows that after long amounts of time, medications loose potency - especially after 6 years!! So you could take the pill I take and sleep for hours and hours. I take it and all it does to me is take my pain away - nothing else. I’m not a stupid person…and I’m a hard worker. I’m busting my ass there and she pulls this. I don’t understand the motivation or where this came from. I’m doing everything in my power (including wearing disposable heating pads so I don't have to take as much medication during the day!!!) so that I can have a normal life and work - and she does/says something like this…I think this is the cruelest thing anyone has done to me.
I have to stay working for her until I graduate and get my certification in mid-June. That’s only 4 months and I have to make it. I know that I can. The past three days I stayed working up front and as far away from her as possible. She hasn’t been nice to me - I feel as though she’s trying to make me quit so I’m no longer her problem. I honestly think that her comment was meant to offend me so much that I quit on her. But I REFUSE to let her off for hurting me like that, she’ll have to fire me and PAY unemployment.
I can’t let her get to me. If I do, I get sick…she’s not worth it and I can’t get sick.
I’m really, really happy I get to see my therapist on Monday. I do something called art therapy where I’m making a “magic wand” while I talk about whatever. Its fun, I LOVE anything creative and I really need help with the stress release stuff.
I’m still trying to find places for 3 of the cats. I have until the end of March to place them and its coming quick. I’ll sure be happy when things stop being so - I don’t know, annoyingly unsettled. You know??
I gotta get going. I'll be back online tomorrow...