Monday

It is 9:00am on Monday. This has been my day so far.

My poor husband is sick, which means he has been tossing and turning and not getting sleep. Which means that I haven't slept much either.

The first thing I get to when I come into work is review a patient's file. We have to tell her today that they probably have cancer. I need to know, off the top of my head, her reports and chart. This patient has no capacity to deal with this. I don't know how it's going to go.

Then I get messages from answering service. We had a patient in the ER, which means she'll need to be seen ASAP. Our doctor also saw 2 new patients in the ER, one who is calling non-stop to get in right away. She does not have insurance. She claims that she was told that she would be "seen today". I have no appointments until next week. Our doctor says this is NOT urgent, we are already over-booked. And he needs to get home -- to fix his water heater. It's been broken since last week.

In the meantime, some doctor's daughter-in-law gets an add-on appointment. It is nothing urgent from what we gather, but who knows since she hasn't been here in 2 years. And she has the stupid crap-paying insurance. I'm already double booked 4 times over this morning because of the ER patients, the cancer patient, and just generally urgent medical needs of pregnant people. She better have something really, really wrong with her.

Our new ER patient calls back for progress and chews out our nurse. Because she doesn't have health insurance and "no one told her" that if she came in she'd have to pay. I don't understand that statement at all, and our nurse is looking ready to kill her through the phone. Our doctor tells us to send her to the hospital where you go when you can't pay (there's such a thing?) if she won't come here and pay. She has a change of heart and agrees to pay and be seen later this week.

Another pregnant patient calls with pain. That's another add-on.

A patient calls and is "very upset" that she hasn't gotten her results. I tell her that they are in and she can get a call this afternoon with the results. She then says, "Why didn't you call me? Wait, was I supposed to call you?". When I tell her that, yes, we tell patients to call us (and on Fridays, not Mondays), she says, "Oh, that is what the doctor said. But you have my results? Can I just have them?" and I then have to explain that I am not allowed to give results over the phone, only the nurse is. She agrees to wait to get a call this afternoon.

Can I get some more coffee now?
So this my verse for today.

"The third time he said to him, 'Simon son of John, do you love me?'

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, 'Do you love me?' He said, 'Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.'

Jesus said, 'Feed my sheep.' " John 21:17

Comments

  1. Oh life! I am very sympathetic to both you and Robert. Today is the first time in 10 days that my throat is feeling a bit better and my cough is less. Perhaps that's just because there's no one here to talk to, but whatever, I'll take it. I'm tired of being sick.

    I think all of my kids should be writers.

    My Monday? Packing. BLECH! I am so so so so so so so so so so so tired of moving. Will it ever end?

    I am so blessed with three wonderful children and two adorable grandchildren. The thoughts of all of them get me through my day. Plus, my ultimate joy and contentment is in Jesus. Thank goodness!

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  2. I have found that customer service is excellent training for parenting. Somehow, working with the general crazy public, prepares you well for the insensibility of small children. Within the past 24 hours I have woken up from a nap to find my tech center and my son's face colored with purple marker, used the phrase "you may not strangle your sister", pulled marbles from a little girl's mouth even though she had JUST had this happen and hated it, and had a lengthy discussion about how we don't leave buildings or run in parking lots without mommy. Take heart, it will have a purpose. :)

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