A doctor’s scheduler ALMOST got me to complain today.

She snapped she was from “your doctor’s office” (lady, I’ve got a half dozen doctors) and “we’ve been trying to reach you since November, you are overdue for your three-month check-up.”

Now, I’ve talked to the doctor for whom she works in the last six weeks.  A medication he gave me caused a problem. Well, “problem” is an understatement. I collapsed during a trial. My client had to take me to the nearest hospital with a cardiac unit. I spent the night in that hospital.  A different cardiology group changed my medication. This gal’s boss called the following week. He approved the new medication, and said, “Call me or [his surgeon partner] when you want to talk about whether you want to continue on the medication or have surgery.”

So….I asked the caller, “When was the plan made to schedule me back in three months?” September, came the barked reply.  I told her I had talked with the doc since then, and there was a different game plan.  Well you are overdue for your three-month check-up and we’ve been trying to reach you since November. Hmmmm.  I tried again, relating that the doctor and I had talked, and he and I had evolved a different game plan.  So you don’t want to schedule your 3-month check-up? she snapped back.

I took a deep breath. “Did you hear what I said?” I asked her, as calmly as my 3-day-old new self could manage.  Yes, You said…. And she gave me a completely incorrect account of what I had tried to tell her, then raised her voice and said: Do you want schedule your 3-month check-up now or NOT?  Uh, that would be “no”.

She hung up before the “o” followed the “n”.

I tried calling her back. I got voice mail.

*sigh*

Now, mind you, I’m not complaining, but I think this gal is part of the reason so many people do!  Lesson I learned from all this?  Don’t be somebody else’s “this gal”; don’t give someone else a reason to think that complaining will solve the problem!!!!!