Topic: Medical Rant

[Dusthawk]

  Is there any of you out there a doctor? Mayhap you could answer a question for me. I was exposed to a communicable disease from my niece, never had it as a kid so not immune, go in on Monday to get tested because my boss won't let me work, tell the doc I need clearance letter from her to be allowed back to work as soon as possible, doc says She'll write it after last patient and send to transcriptionist to be picked up by 5:00 p.m.

  Here it is FOUR DAYS LATER and I finally get the letter. Is this common practice to screw over patients? I wouldn't think so but hey, I ain't a freakin' Doctor. This has cost me about $424 in lost wages, $16 in bus fares trying to get the letter, and about 14 hours of my personal time Tuesday through today waiting for this person or that person or whomever, to draft, write, transcribe, sign, countersign, redraft, correct, retranscribe, and sign again.

  I haven't worked in four days and this is killing me. I loath sitting around all day on my duff twiddling my thumbs because I have nothing else to do. My Human Resources Director wouldn't even let me in the builing to talk to him, he met me outside. Said he couldn't take the chance. Made me feel like a Typhoid Jeff the last couple of days, even though I knew I didn't have it.

  Every day I hear of the problems face bt companies who can't get enough help and here I sit on my ass wanting to work but not allowed to because a doctor felt like flexing her prerogative muscles by making me wait for her convenience. I am furious at having to wait someone out just to be able to work. Sure, She is all set in her six figure a year job, what does she give a crap about some pissant like me who has to struggle cheque to cheque just to make ends meet. 

  Am I being unfair here? Tell me so and I'll calm down, but I have always seen doctors as wonderful people who do thier utmost to help people, not stand in the way of someone just trying to live a life. 

  All I know for now is I am going to get wasted, I have extra Mead and I am tired of feeling so lousy. I like to smile and be happy but that isn'y gonna happen tonight. 

Peace and Long Rides, and I'm sorry for the rant but I think it helped a bit.

Typhoid Jeff

[Sam Green Racing]

Jeff, you'r American....sue the bastard

[mcpuffett]

do you feel better now jeff that you have got that off your chest?  ,    mick.

[Raul CB750K1]

This doesn't happen in Spain. Your are assumed to be healthy, so in order not to go to the office you need a letter saying you are ill. That's because there is paid sick absence here. Even though many people exaggerate their symptoms to take a couple days off... ;-)


Raul

[oldbiker]

What were you doing with your niece??  No offence meant.

[toycollector10]

"communicable disease from my niece, never had it as a kid so not immune"

This could be mumps or measles for all we know, are you over-reacting dude?

Jeff, I feel for you man. Read this.

What you need is to get professional advice. Whether that is a lawyer or medical specialist or union representative is up to you. Maybe all three.

You need to shell out more money to settle this. I don't want to seem negative but you really need professional advice.

And lastly, I was a union representative for over 5 years. The best piece of advice I can offer is this. There is no such thing as
"a friendly chat with your manager" 

Whatever you do, don't go into some meeting ("Jeff, can you come in on Monday for a chat") without first:

A. Ascertaining what the meeting is to discuss, and

B. Getting the agenda for the meeting, and

C. Asking if you need to have legal representation.

All three questions meld into one but  it sounds as if you are in the #$%* so take all steps to protect yourself. You don't have the skills to front them (or maybe you do, I don't know), but if some guy comes in off the street and thinks he can do your job better than you he better be able to prove it. The same applies when it comes to a #$%* fight. Get a specialist dude!

Good luck, keep us posted on the outcome.

[Uncle Ernie]

By now, I've seen as many doctors as the receptionist in a hospital.  Your attitude about doctors was naive, just as "the policeman is your friend", "all men are created equal", etc  They are human and full of frailties, insecurities, neuroses, not always honest, and sometimes filled with hubris/stupidity.  Not all- but some.  Your doctors ofice blew it and you're screwed. 
Human resources is there to protect their own jobs and seem important to the company. You're screwed.

No law firm will take such a small case and I don't really think any court would hear it. There's nothing in it for anyone except revenge for you.  It could be fun to take another day off from work and take the doctor to small claims court, though. You'll need documentation of everything.  Write and send a copy of a leter to the doctor explaining the situation, ask for an explanation, ask for your lost wages.  Document any reply or not.  After a reasonable time (30 days?), file in the court.

Or punch a hole in the wall and decide that's the price of doing business in the world. At least the doc didn't remove a kidney when you went in for an eye exam.

[dusterdude]

jeff,im sorry for ya man,but i gotta tell ya i about fell out of my chair with that typhoid jeff bit.hahahahahaha

[Dusthawk]

What were you doing with your niece?? No offence meant.

OldBiker, my niece is 5 years old and loves it when I manage a visit. To her I am Unkajeff and as any good uncle will do, kissed my niece goodnight when I helped mom tuck her in at night and when I left on friday had a heck of a time keeping tears out of both of our eyes. I was exposed to Hand, Foot, and Mouth disease, usually a childhood illness but not unknown in adults. I hope this sets your mind at ease that I am not a dirty old man.

Toycollector, Measles and Chicken pox, when contracted by an adult has been know to be FATAL far more often than when contracted by a juvenile. I don't think I was over-reacting, just trying to be safe, and not taking the chance of passing the disease along to my co-workers. One sneeze was all it would have taken, this may not be as serious as Measles or Pox but it is still a disease, and considering that I am one of only four born Americans on my shift I couldn't have that on my conscience. I don't know what kind of situation most of these people grew up in but if some of them never had it either, would you take that chance? Put yourself in my position, could you blithely go to work knowing you had been exposed to a communicable disease and not give a second thought about your co-workers or their families? I couldn't, Thats why I did what I did.

jeff,im sorry for ya man,but i gotta tell ya i about fell out of my chair with that typhoid jeff bit.hahahahahaha

  Glad I could help DD 

Peace,

Typhoid Jeff

[dusterdude]

oh yea,made my day brother.

[Dusthawk]

Well, here it is, a week after my little visit with Dr. Demented and four days after I filed the formal complaint. I thought an update would be cool. I received a call today from patient relations and they were tripping over themselves to do what they could to rectify the 'situation'. I told them a new doctor would be appreciated, and then asked what about the lost wages due to the laggard response on the doctors part of getting me my auth form. They said an investigation is underway regarding the open door and unprofessional conduct, they signed me up with a new doc, and are referring me to another department for the lost wages claim. All I have to do is get my boss to write a letter stating my days, hours and wages, with total losses for the hospital and they may decide it better to pay me instead of dealing with a small claims court.

Looks like a case of rational thought and 'patience' may pay off for me.

Thank all of you for putting up with the rant

Peace and Long Rides,

No Longer Typhoid Jeff

[Trevor from Warragul]

I discovered that I never had chicken pox as a kid - I caught it off my kids.  I've never been so sick in all my life.  I could actually see the boils appear, swell, and pop, all in a few minutes.  Nasty.

[huntman58]

as an ex boss yes it is normal if it is found out not to let the employee work tell they have a docs clearance so that part is normal in the work force and it is for every ones protection . as many things of old did not show up and now days they are again and then others with depressed autoimmune systems like me simple things can be deadly .
 now for the doc no that is not Normal  l at all most will have there staff write it then and there but waiting tell the end of the day i could deal with but not 4 days  wtf
 one i would look into suing if you were not contages and two i would also change docs just my thoughts being i have to use a lot of docs and be carfull who and what i am around
 so you were treated right and wrong .
 just look at it like this you had some time to work on your bike or make it even more shinny 

[oldbiker]

Dusthawk, just pulling your leg mate. You were right to consider the dangers of passing on mumps etc.

[Raul CB750K1]

What is "chicken pox"? Is that disease in wich you grow big, red, itchy dots which, if you scratch, the marks remain forever?


Raul

[toycollector10]

I caught mumps at age 41. My face swelled up twice it's normal size, nearly.

I was lucky it didn't spread to my gonads...ouch