Thank you all for your words of support. I still don’t really know what to say. Anyway I had to drag myself to work on Wednesday and the doctors had their usual breakfast meeting and they bring down the left over scones and croissants for the secretaries. So when I eventually made it to work there was a paper plate on my desk with a croissant, pat of butter, small jar of jam and a napkin. I’d say someone knew I was absolutely devastated by the previous days events. My father said “that’s nice. Someone was thinking about you”.
So I just got off the phone with my best friend. I told her the story and she said “dear God, every office which is mostly female dominated has at least one incredibly lazy bully”. She said under no circumstances was I to ask for a transfer as I actually like my consultant now and no matter what department I go to, there will be another bully. I don’t know if that’s true
but I do like my consultant. He gets very moody at times but to be fair he has never once raised his voice or criticized my work in any way (even when I made mistakes and I’ve made a fair few of those).
Anyway I made a great effort today to be chattier. But I just don’t like inane talk or gossip about this and that. Anyway I just have too much work to do to be sitting around chatting.
My best friend said “at least you sound brighter than you did when we had pizza on Sunday.
Anyway I’ll leave you all with this story:
I had a patient booked for admission last Friday for a manipulation of nasal bones. If you break your nose you have to get this done within 14 days - it’s a minor procedure - otherwise you go on the waiting list for a septorhinoplasty (basically a nose job and considered a cosmetic procedure and there are cancer patients who can’t get beds so a cosmetic procedure patient would get shafted in terms of a bed. Anyway the patient did not attend last week and he called me in Monday to say he was “sick” and wanted to be rebooked. So I rebooked him for today.
So my consultant arrived down at around 3 PM and we were chatting about this and that and I wished him a nice weekend. He was about to close the door and then doubled back and said “oh by the way rebook that patient again for next week. I couldn’t do the procedure today”. I asked why and he told me “we had him on the trolley all ready to go in the waiting bay, and the anesthetist happened to pass by and saw him swigging from a can of beer”.
Surprised and all as I was, I am in zero position to judge. I make it clear on the phone and highlight it in the letter “nothing to eat or drink after 8 AM, not even water.”
What surprised me though was the registrars response. (Of all of them he is my least favorite but I was trying to make small talk). I asked him if he heard about the patient drinking beer? And he started to laugh and said “yeah, I was there. Some people have a great life”.
I hope he was being sarcastic as it’s not a great life. I think a lot of the trainee doctors just don’t understand.
I did point out to my consultant that next Friday will be well beyond the 14 day rule and he said “yeah I know, but I’ll do the best I can for him”.
Anyway the few people I told said “well done for going to work on Wednesday. You are much stronger than you think”.
Now my dad says it’s time for me to forget about work until Tuesday. So I was feeling lazy and bought some pre-made lasagna from the deli. I bought 3 new books (this is why I’m always broke). I’m going to my parents tomorrow for steak and ice cream (not on the same plate) so that’s my weekend sorted.
And thanks to all of you for your support. You know I have had a hard life (even my dad said so). I have had many many many moments when I thought “I will NEVER get through this, but last Tuesday was the absolute worst of all. I was absolutely mortified.