I wish he hadn't done that.

Published on March 20, 2006 By dharmagrl In Health & Medicine

I went to see my doctor last week to have him look at my shoulder.

Whilst he was examining it, he started coughing. He couldn't stop coughing, actually, and he had to excuse himself and leave the room.

When he came back he was teary eyed and hoarse, and I asked him if he had a cold.

"A cold?" he said "I was diagnosed with pneumonia yesterday".

"and you're working? Why??"

He just shrugged, and changed the subject.

On Saturday I started to feel like I was getting a head cold. Sunday I had a sore throat and felt like crap. Today I have a fever, a headache, and a sore throat. In other words, I've picked up a virus or bacteria. Nobody else in my family is ill, so I didn't get it from them. I think that I probably got it from my doctor, who was treating patients when he himself was ill and was probably contagious.

I wish he hadn't done that. I wish that he had just stayed home until his antibiotics started to work and he wasn't contagious anymore. Who knows how many other people he infected - and they all went home or to work and spread the joy of this virus among their families and colleagues - who in turn went home and give it to their families and so on and so on.....it's a chain of infection.

I have a ticket to see the Vice President speak tomorrow. I don't know that I'm going to be able to go now. Standing around in the cold for 2 hours, waiting for Cheney to arrive isn't the best thing to be doing when you're ill, not to mention the possibility of infecting a ton of other folks. Right now, it looks like I'm going to be staying home.

I really wish that when people are ill they'd just stay home and quarantine themselves. I wish they'd do us all a favor and be smart enough to not venture out of the house until they're feeling better.

I really wish they'd do that.

Comments

Gideon MacLeish

on Mar 20, 2006

I think it's surprising that a doctor wouldn't do that, dharma, but I said it before when this topic was broached: There are a lot of workers who have little choice. If you have a poor immune system and you work in most service sector jobs, your boss will only take so many call ins before they show you the door. For those individuals, going to work while sick isn't stupid, it's essential.

dharmagrl

on Mar 20, 2006

I think it's surprising that a doctor wouldn't do that, dharma, but I said it before when this topic was broached: There are a lot of workers who have little choice.

He's military, Gid. He gets paid the same whether he's on quarters sick or whether he's working.

BlueDev

on Mar 20, 2006

Ugh, yuck. That is a bummer Dharma.

It is a tough call. I agree that it would have been better to not come in to work when they are sick. But, as Gid mentioned, sometimes you just don't have much of a choice. For example, when you see 50-60 patients a day (pretty normal for lots of practices), and are having to schedule appointments 4-5- or even 6 months out, you can imagine just how devastating it would be to miss one day. Trying to cram 60 people into an already hugely backed up schedule is, well, a real pain for the patients.

BlueDev

on Mar 20, 2006

He's military, Gid.

Of course, I have no idea how the military factor works in to my above comment. Could be entirely different than in private practice (or even academics). Also, of course, certain specialties are going to be different as well, with probably nothing like what I mentioned above happening in just a GP sort of clinic.

Dr Guy

on Mar 20, 2006

Of course, I have no idea how the military factor works in to my above comment.

You have to do 10 push ups before seeing the Doc.

Sorry you feel bad Dharma. Hopefully it is just a cold. This weather is typical spring weather. Short sleeves one day, snow the next!

dharmagrl

on Mar 20, 2006

Also, of course, certain specialties are going to be different as well, with probably nothing like what I mentioned above happening in just a GP sort of clinic.

He's a primary care physician. At this facility, they see acute care patients in the morning, and follow-up or routine patients in the afternoons. I know that acute care people call for an appointment the same day, and right now follow-up and routine appointments are about a week to 10 day wait. So, lets say he was seeing people every 20 mins from 8am to noon and then from 1300 to 1600. That's 12 patients in the morning and 9 in the afternoon, so 21 patients in a day. Not a lot, no...but more than a few as well.

I understand that it's difficult for physicians to take time off, but ...he was ILL, and not just with a cold. He had pneumonia. He was contagious. How many people did he infect? How many patients who were already ill picked up the virus he had?

The military has something called 'quarters' for active duty folks who are ill. If your doctor decides that you need to stay home from work, you're put on 'quarters' for however long the doctor decides (24, 36, 48 or 72) and told to go home. You cannot leave your home or dorm room for anything except to get food if you don't have any and medication for your illness. If you break those orders, you're in trouble.

I can't say why this physician wasn't on quarters. Maybe he felt like he had to come to work. I don't know; I wasn't there. But I do know that I'm now feeling and paying his decision to work and expose his patients to his germs.

pseudosoldier

on Mar 20, 2006

He's military, Gid.

I can't say why this physician wasn't on quarters. Maybe he felt like he had to come to work.

It's possible. He's an officer, right? Some of those guys obsess about their OERs (Officer Evaluation Reports, or whatever the USAF equivalent is). I've seen plenty of bad decisions made with that piece of paper in mind. "How will it look on my OER?"

I'm very sorry you're ill. Coupled with how you've been feeling lately I can't imagine that you feel like you'll bounce back soon. I certainly hope you do, though. Take care.

dharmagrl

on Mar 20, 2006

He's an officer, right? Some of those guys obsess about their OERs (Officer Evaluation Reports, or whatever the USAF equivalent is). I've seen plenty of bad decisions made with that piece of paper in mind. "How will it look on my OER?"

Yep, he sure is, and I think you're probably right. Whatever happened to 'first, do no harm'? Or does that not matter when you've got an eval. report due?

Coupled with how you've been feeling lately I can't imagine that you feel like you'll bounce back soon. I certainly hope you do, though

Thanks, Pseudo. I will, I always do. As will you.

You've got mail, btw.

JillUser

on Mar 21, 2006

Could just be a case of "doctors make the worst patients". I know my hubby's cousin is that way. She can be sick as a dog, be talking about how sick her whole family has been and still go straight to work. I personally think that is incredibly irresponsible since they are surely going to be around people who have compromised immune systems to begin with.

That is one of the reasons why I try to avoid going to the dr unless I know there is no good option. You were in incredible pain and obviously needed to find out what was going on with your shoulder.

Here's hoping you don't end up with pneumonia!!

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