I kicked a foul-mouthed bastard out of the clinic today.

[Aristus]

I've visited with him a few times. He's a not very pleasant diabetic patient who refuses to comply with his treatment plan. His hemoglobin A1c is sky-high.

He came in today for I don't know what; he obviously doesn't care about the state of his health. I had ordered a glucose and A1C level on him anyway. I was at my desk closing out the chart of my previous patient when the lab tech came to me and told me: "He won't let me get his blood. He told me to fuck off."

I got up off my chair, opened the door to the exam room and told him to get out.

"I wasn't doing anyth-"

"I don't care. Get out! You don't talk to the staff like that."

I turned around and went back into my office.

After he left, my team members gave me a round of applause, which I hadn't expected. Then I went back to my desk to document the incident and cool off. I was shaking so bad. I hate confrontations!

But you don't fuck with my staff; in any sense...

[hlthe2b]

1. I understand the feelings/frustration and have experienced similar, but....

the past few years I've been increasingly wary that some of these a'holes might come back with a gun. Just sayin....
Be careful of the potentially "unhinged"...

[Aristus]

2. I go to work every day knowing that it's possible some narco

will come in blasting away because I didn't give him a bottle of six-hour vacations.

I give the best medical care I can to people who have genuine medical issues. If you're twenty years old, in no visible distress, blood pressure, pulse, and respiration within normal limits, complaining of ten out of ten pain and stating only percocet can fix it, you're getting the boot. Anyone mistreats my staff, he's going out on his ass. My bosses want me to see 23 patients a day. I don't mind pruning the herd a little if they come in with bogus issues.

[mackerel]

3. My boss did something similar recently and she told the client that too.

She told him I have to withdraw from your case because I don't allow anyone to harass my staff. People have the right to come to work and do their jobs without being bullied.

[Ron Obvious]

4. I'm sorry to hear it

Is he an alcoholic by any chance? I'm asking because a few years ago that might have been me. I'm normally a very civil, friendly person, but alcohol turned me into a total arsehole such as you described.

I have only dim recollections of that time, but I do recall that my A1c during that time was over 12% and the doctors (emergency and otherwise) had clearly completely given up on me. I was apparently foul-mouthed and aggressive and I woke up several times in the emergency room to very cold facial expressions from the medical staff I'd apparently abused horribly after my wife called 911 the night before. I cringe at what I've been told I said and did during those times. Although some of it actually made me laugh -- apparently I'd been calling doctor Michael Smeagol, and I must admit the next day that there was a resemblance...

For the record, I'm a success story. My a1c was below 6% the other day and my pancreas, kidneys and liver and heart have returned to normal function contrary to expectations. It can be done.

I hope your patient gets the help he needs, but I suppose innate rottenness of character is incurable....

[LiberalLoner]

10. Glad you are well now! Alcoholism runs in my family. Looks like hell on earth.

[fleur-de-lisa]

13. So glad to hear that you are doing well!

I also wonder if the patient is experiencing chronic pain. Although it's no excuse for being an asshole, particularly toward someone who is trying to help you, chronic pain can really mess you up and turn an otherwise normal person into a flaming jerk. I know, all too well, from personal experience.

Kudos to Aristus for the important work he is doing!

[Archae]

14. When I get my chronic bad headaches I can turn into Captain Asshole too.

Especially if I want relief but I'm waiting hours in a doctor's office or ER and nobody gives me any help.

[fleur-de-lisa]

15. Migraines?

I'm so sorry to hear that! I have migraines that are almost untreatable, at times. I get quarterly Botox injections and am taking fioricet, ondomethacin, and Cambia. I still have periods when nothing relieves them. When I experience hour after hour, day after day and week after week of indescribable pain, it's hard not to think of suicide. Then, inexplicably, they will stop for a few weeks and I am baffled by the idea that I even considered the possibility of killing myself. Then the cycle starts all over again.

I suffer from fibromyalgia too. The combination of migraines, fibromyalgia and the fact that I have chronic insomnia, just for added fun, is intolerable at times.

My father had chronic migraines too, but when he was really in pain, in the later years of his life, he was a sweetheart to those of us around him. His dad, my grandfather, on the other hand, was a complete jerk when he was in pain and near the end of his life.

I try to be sympathetic to anyone living with chronic pain. Anyone who hasn't experienced it doesn't know how hellish it is. My greatest fear is that I will be an asshole to my family if this migraine and fibromyalgia bullshit gets the best of me.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

5. You did the absolutely right thing, my dear Aristus.

Good for you!

[Liberal_in_LA]

6. He will be more compliant next visit

[rusty quoin]

7. Good go.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

8. Does the clinic have a doormat that says "Merry Christmas"

at the enterence? With a door buzzard?

Anyway, good job. You and your staff deserve a nice shot of Irish Whisky. For medicinal purposes, of course.

[raccoon]

9. Kudos to you taking up for your staff! No reason they should have to

put up with such crap.

[hibbing]

11. I enjoy your posts

It had to be a bummer to do that, but I perfectly understand protecting your staff. I deal with the public every day myself and sometimes I would like to tell some of THEM to fuck off, but I haven't...yet, haha.

Peace

[lunatica]

12. You deserved that round of applause

Nothing else need be said.