Unbelievable doctor
Last Thursday I was unlucky enough to bust my knee during a game of Netball. I’m not sure what happened exactly, if it dislocated or not, but it felt like my knee went one way and my body went another. Long story short and two days later I am on crutches with a big puffy knee that I can’t put much pressure on.
Now I have never damaged my knee before. I have rolled my ankles countless times and maybe bent a finger or two. But nothing with the knees. To be safe I decided I would see a doctor straight away, where I would normally wait a few days with my ankles so I could tell if anything was wrong. Accordingly, I rang and booked an appointment on the Friday, the day after the incident.
Thankfully Mat was on holidays and therefore available to take me to the doc. We arrive 5 mins before the appointment and begin waiting. I started playing with my iPhone. Twenty mins after the appointment time we were so bored so I chatted to Pauline on google talk. She suggested I set up google reader next time, which was a completely valid point.
With thirty mins passed we were ropeable. We had now started playing eye spy, which I discovered I really don’t like being the person guessing. Amazingly, the patient who had been with the doc the whole time finally surfaced. The doc quickly dealt with the next two patients waiting before me, and while the last one was in there an elderly lady joined the wait.
After about 5 mins the next patient is done and the doc wanders down the hall. As he comes back without consulting the list of who was next, he beckoned the elderly lady into the room. As he closes the door we gear him say “are you Kelly?” to which I assume she says “no”. He sticks his head out, looks at Mat and I, and said “sorry won’t be long.” I was selfishly annoyed, we had been waiting for so long!
When we eventually got in I described my incident at Netball, and the wirdness began. He felt my knee and compared it with the other, then told me if I wanted to spend $300 then I could find out if I had torn any cartiledge. I asked if there was anything I should take for any pain or if panadol would be sufficient. I guess I wasn’t clear because instead he started suggesting glucosamine, and fish oil. He asked if I like mussels and when I said I didn’t like seafood was immediately hit with a gruff “why not”. I said the taste had never appealed to me, and he shrugged it off as if I was an idiot. He continue to tell me what foods I should eat, including tuna sandwiches, salmon and mussels. Thanks for the nutritional advice doc.
Next thing I knew he was telling me I shouldnt play Netball but take up swimming instead. He said it toned the hips, thighs, butt, arms, stomach etc. As he said it he just gave me these looks that made me feel so uncomfortable, it was if he was trying to point out that I have a bit of extra weight. I wish now i had just said “are you trying to say I am fat?” and see what he said. He also said Netball doesn’t tone anything. I didn’t know that was what I was playing the sport for.I thought it was because I enjoyed it? But mostly I just wanted him to look at the issue at hand!
Eventually I was pissed off and eager to get out of there. He gave me some sample anti inflammatories which I still have no intention of taking. I started agreeing with everything he said just to get out of there. Finally it was over and we left. Once outside mat confirmed he thought the guy was an asshole too, so it wasn’t just me being sensitive. I can’t believe I even had to pay for that, courtesy of the non bulk billing practise.
In summary I am not going back there ever. I did not feel at ease at all, which I would expect goes against everything a doctor would strive to achieve. I can only hope my knee gets better on it’s own. Can you tell I stewed about this doc though? I am still grumbling. And there us still no way I am eating seafood.
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