Have we gotten bolder when it comes to standing up for ourselves or our loved ones? Just because it’s the way of the world now, do we have to speak-up or end-up with tire tracks on our backs?!! It seems that way.
Reading your comments and seeing all of these insensitive remarks made in a hospital setting, in a cancer world setting is so awful. I have a few of my own that will never leave me and I’m remembering from Leory’s first surgery. That’s going back more than nine years now. The comment a surgeon made to us when she was doing a post-op exam on him. She looked up and said, “We all have an end date.”
She never put a foot in that hospital room again. I made sure of that.
Where do these people put their common sense? Did they have any to begin with?
Every medical team and I mean nurses, doctors, aides, everyone, should gather at the beginning of their shifts and be reminded of where they are working and how fragile the patient is, in each and every room they will enter. If they are not qualified to give medical advice, or offer up information, then they shouldn’t open their mouths. And for heavens sake, check the stupid remarks at the door. If they fail to do this, then they get what they deserve. A stong verbal reminder that they goofed big time!
It can happen once. We all get a pass, once. But if it happens twice, shame on us.
April 16, 2011 @ 9:44 am
I had a fine hospital administrator come to my room while I was bed ridden and filled with tubes to get money from me. I was as not sure if I was actually having a visitor, was afraid I was having a hallucination. I was not, I was as rude and crude as I could be, she merely said ” I’ve heard it all, it doesn’t bother me”, at which point I started laughing so hard the nurses came in to check on me as the monitors alarms started beeping.
I told this woman I would not trade place with her for anything, matter of fact she might feel better about herself if she was sick like me. What kind of job did she have and what kind of hospital would allow such a thing?
I now ask that no one come to my room ever to discuss money and if they do show up it will not be pleasant for them or the hospital, two can play that game.
So far no one else has wanted to play the game again.
April 15, 2011 @ 7:11 pm
Twenty-five years ago when I had just completed surgery and began chmo therapy for a very large aggressive tumor the surgeon told my husband, “if she has any magazines up for renewal, I wouldn’t bother!” One year later the same doctor told me, “I never expected you to be standing before me today, let alone as healthy as you appear!” I had choice words for him and let him know it was inspite of him!
April 15, 2011 @ 6:35 pm
I suppose,all things considered, we were very lucky in this department. I never heard anyone utter a thoughtless word in Jim’s presence. I suppose it could have happened in my absence but that was a rare occasion. One doctor near the end almost let one slip because he was surprised to see that he was there for a 6 month follow up but caught himself and I don’t believe Jim even noticed. They didn’t always tell us what we wanted to hear but never were thoughtless in any remarks…lucky for them!