Frustration Thread 4

[Del]

Wot chris? Too smooth?

*ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuns*

[Batty]

It's OK, Del. I think you got away with it - although it was probably a close shave!!

[Del]

Phew! It was a bit hairy there for a while Batty.

[wicked woman]

[Dotsie]

There's no need to make cracks like that. The cheek of it!

[wicked woman]

[Catch-up]

Knew you guys could cheer me up! Although I could have done without the visual. Today is his last day going in. Even though he really likes the people he works directly with, the relief at leaving has been overwhelming, so I think we're definitely in that "blessing in disguise" arena. Plus, he's taking a twisted amount of pleasure in handing off his projects. He said the looks on their faces when they realize the level of work he's been putting into them - that someone else will have to do now, is so worth it. He's gotten several letters of recommendation and we were so touched by what was in them. People wrote fabulous things and not only does that feel great, but it will be a huge help in looking for something else. Del, I love that picture you put up! I'm going to see if I can print it and put it on the fridge.

[Dotsie]

To keep people out? You don't mean the builder's bum, I take it

Glad Mr Catch-up is doing so well

[Catch-up]

Not a bad idea! Maybe the builder's picture bum will keep me out of the fridge.

[serendipnick]

Catch-up - sorry about your husband's job - hope he find's something soon. Sounds like a pretty stressful time, but like they say, nils illigitimi carborundorum. To be honest, I recently took the plunge and gave notice on a job that I've actually come to hate and was offered a new one that sounds utterly heavenly starting in April, and it feels like the best thing that's ever happened to me.

In a separate and unrelated frustration, a colleague of mine has gone off to have her baby, and has been replaced by a substitute teacher who is dismal in the classroom but (worse!) is a perpetual mutterer at her desk. She insists on narrating every single action with the appropriate hrrrms and uummmmss and sighs, and it's totally distracting when I have a hundred and twenty papers to mark. I realise that a lot of it is probably unconscious but good grief. I've tried pointedly staring (it goes unnoticed) and saying, "Hmm?" (also unnoticed - I think she might be a bit hard of hearing...) but mostly I just have to shut up and put up, as work culture here dictates you would never ever say something about someone's annoying habits. Sadly, earphones or changing desks would also be a no-no. Yet another reason to look forward to a new work environment!

[cheery_j.]

In a separate and unrelated frustration, a colleague of mine has gone off to have her baby, and has been replaced by a substitute teacher who is dismal in the classroom but (worse!) is a perpetual mutterer at her desk. She insists on narrating every single action with the appropriate hrrrms and uummmmss and sighs, and it's totally distracting when I have a hundred and twenty papers to mark. I realise that a lot of it is probably unconscious but good grief. I've tried pointedly staring (it goes unnoticed) and saying, "Hmm?" (also unnoticed - I think she might be a bit hard of hearing...) but mostly I just have to shut up and put up, as work culture here dictates you would never ever say something about someone's annoying habits. Sadly, earphones or changing desks would also be a no-no. Yet another reason to look forward to a new work environment!

Ooooh - that's terrible. One of my colleague/friends does it when she's marking. But at least we're close enough that I can ask her to stop talking to her tests if I need to concentrate myself.
But don't get me started on the colleague who scrapes out her yoghurt pots noisily!!!

120 papers???? And here I am trying to avoid doing the last ten papers on my desk....

[Catch-up]

Serendipnik, I'm so glad you've found something better! It's a shame you can't use earplugs to spare yourself the muttering, but at least you won't have to put up with her for much longer. And, thank you. It is pretty stressful. I have actually been after him for years to look for something different because he's hated it there for a long time.

[TinatheConfused]

YOU'RE ALIVE!!! Oh Del, I have been Waily Waily roonin aboot in me 'ead wondrin' how you are coping with all that Fire!! and Q!! YOU TOO!!

Please tell me that nobody was in that horrible helicopter crash in London this day.

Oh, btw, I too live. It started in June, The Spine Center doctor said they couldn't do anything for my lower spine and told me to find a chiropractor. Unfortunately, over here, Chiropractic is more or less a sham. It depends who you go to and what method they use. These guys just had one big open room, you lay face down on a tiny cot, and they shove on your left side.

It seems, that three years ago when I went to a medical rehab chiropractor (much, much farther from my home) the Physician noticed a growth, left side of one of me vertebra. She neglected to tell me this until very recently. Well, all that shoving on my left side eventually shoved part of the growth into my Ureter. ACK. I did not know what was going on. I woke up one day and couldn't breathe. Ambulance ride #1 in June, they looked, checked, x-rayed, gave me "stop the tummy completely" meds and sent me home. In short, my doctor is wonderful, however she was in India visiting her mother for three weeks. From June 29th, through the middle of July, I either rode in an ambulance or had my husband drive me to the hospital emergency room 5 times. Each time was a bit different. One had me swallow Barium ( 2 complete liters, ack ptooey) and have a cat scan which showed nothing. He was Muslim and even tho I wore shorts (it was over 100 degrees F), he was completely offended by my lack of clothing, the nurse finally ran in with a sheet and exclaimed "For Modesty". He sent me home with more "Stop the Tummy COMPLETELY!! Right NOW" meds and sent me home, I came back the next day in agony again, I don't know if any of you have ever had kidney problems, but OY VEY!!! They didn't know what it was. Finally, one doctor said maybe we had better admit you. My doctor was still gone, so her cohorts were in charge of my care. I have never been so insulted, so abused, and so degraded as I was by that Dr. First week in the hospital started Monday before the 4th of July, nothing by mouth but ice chips. I was getting unbelievably dehydrated, it was over 90 degrees in the hospital room. He refused me my Xanax the first night, didn't believe I was prescribed it by my Psych. He really laid into me about that, I was very firm about why I was on the highest dose allowed by law because I could NOT sleep. He mostly talked, he quizzed me about why I was on Social Security at my age (51) and told me how terrible it was in our country that I COULD BE CONSIDERED DISABLED SINCE I COULD STILL SPEAK AND THINK!!!. He blathered about being Republican and how retirement should be at 70. He ran NO tests, just pumped me full of pain meds and discharged me on Thursday because he didn't want to have to come in to see me on the weekend. He told me to stick to the list of liquid diet stuff. Friday, I ate Cream of Tomato soup, ON THE LIST. I thought I was going to die from the pain. Every time I ate food, all the mushing about was rubbing on my Ureter and caused the Worst Gut ache I have ever had. Nobody knew that yet, because NO TESTS. I called him, told him what was happening and got bitched out for what I ate. I said "ON THE LIST"!!!!! 5 exclamation points. He told me to mix 1/4 tsp of salt and of sugar in a shot glass to keep from dehydrating. I was only able to drink water, tepid water all weekend, back to the hospital on Monday and the Head of the ER really laid into me. He kept telling me that I didn't belong in the ER, He didn't Train to take care of "Chronic" cases like me, he is a Highly Trained Trauma Dr. (insert many vile expletives here, then spit on the ground) He tried to holler me out, embarrass me out, then wait me out. The covering Dr finally told him to admit me. So I got an IV loop, no meds, no ice chips, no care, just lie on the ER gurney for 5 hours, then I sat on my hospital room bed for another 5 hours, no meds, no ice chips, no care, just "we have to wait for the doctor" 10 1/2 hours, not counting the waiting room wait of 4 hours with NOTHING. So, at 9:30 he comes running into the room like he has been on a Marathon, and finally orders a damn IV of fluids when I pointed out that I had NOTHING for over 10 hours.

No tests, no nothing but Dilaudid for a week. Friday morning I wake at 5 am to find a phlebotomist drawing a HUGE vial out of my arm. It was a drug screen. of all the Insulting things I had endured, of all the pain, that was the most embarrassing. Then he read it to me. Lessee, Drug screens show what you have had in the last month more or less. Morphine in the ambulance, Dilaudid, Cannabis (I had admitted that 2 weeks earlier) and he ran through the list of what I recieved in the hospital, and the ONE Norco tablet I had taken during the weekend.

He made a big deal out of how there was NOTHING wrong with me, I should try accupuncture, or hypnotism. He did this with all the nurses present, and told me to leave the hospital. Told me I was No Longer his patient, not to call, not to refer to him and basically sod off. He complained that I was always dehydrated, grr, he didn't like that. As if I really wanted to have dark brown pee ALL the TIME.

I went home lay in my bed and had my husband bringing me bottles of water for 1 1/2 weeks, crying in pain, 114 degrees most days, and waited for my doctor to get back from India. Her instant diagnosis... You have a kidney stone, you need to see a Urologist asap. So, there's another month of drinking water, no food, I dropped 30 pounds.

She sent me to a Urologist, two weeks wait time, and he agrees that I have a stone. In fact he showed me the cat scan and the xray of a white blob (bone) and my Ureter. He orders the special Laser surgery and tells me that will take place in one month. Still no food, and strain every bit of pee. Oh Joy. Then, he does the surgery thing and Voila no kidney stone. Oh it's a mystery. In the middle of this, my 6th ER trip, a female doctor soothes me and gives me Percocet, explaining that it is the only thing that will fight kidney pain. This gets me labeled as a druggie. Oh Waily Waily crap, now I was fighting being labeled, and given No More Pain meds.

AUGH!!!!! ( note 5 exclamation points again.)

I am going to file a lawsuit, it is going to be a Doozy, 8 doctors, two hospitals, and everyone else I can sue. All because I was in too much pain to drive to my doctor's office (84 miles round trip) the day before she left. If this is what Americans have to deal with when they have MEDICARE (I Paid For That Privilege every paycheck) AND Blue Cross and Blue Shield from my work, I cannot imagine how some of them are surviving. Suicide rates are climbing. 6 to 8 hour waits in waiting rooms before you see a trauma room, even if it is a heart condition. Better be bleeding out if you want to be seen.

Now, I am seeing a new shrink, new meds, Way less xanax, and no damned chiropractors who are charlatans. Life is livable and My Doctor won't be going to India again for 7 months. Now I simply have to convince The Spine Center, yes they are as stuck up as the name sounds, that I have a growth on one of my vertebra and perhaps that is why I keep having pain near my kidneys.

[Ghost]

yikes just doesn't cut it I hope you situation improves

[Tonyblack]

Tina - I was just thinking about you the other day and wondering where you were and how you were. It sounds like you've been through sheer Hell and back.

Sharlene and I hope with all our heart that things get better for you and that you find some comfort. **HUGE HUGS**

And welcome back!