Begrudging Recluse on Nostr: Another medical appointment, another disappointment. I'm tired of writing these, but ...
Another medical appointment, another disappointment. I'm tired of writing these, but also feel the need to record them somehow somewhere. Out of solidarity with other people who need medical care? To show healthy people what it's like to be in need of care right now? I'm not sure.
I had to go to an appointment that I need to go to once every two years. At the front desk the woman greeted me with a strange face because of my mask, but said nothing and sent me to the waiting room.
When the specialist came to get me, he asked: "Why are you wearing a mask?"
I said: "Because I get sick easily."
Him: "What's sick easily?"
Me: "If I get a virus, I'm down for at least a few months. So I don't want to get sick."
Him: "So you're wearing it to protect yourself. Down a few months, really? So you'll really get sick for a few months if you were to get covid?"
Me: "Yes, that's my best case scenario."
Him: "Do you have something with your immune system?"
Me: "Yes." (honestly at this point in my life I just try to give the shortest answers possible to escape the conversation because I'm so tired of it)
Him: "Would you like me to wear a mask then?"
Me: "Yes, I would appreciate that.
He goes off into the other room and comes back with a surgical mask and he says: "I know this isn't as good as your type of mask, but it's better than nothing." (I was flabbergasted because even before covid and during the worst periods of it I've never seen any medical personnel wear anything better than a surgical mask. But he KNOWS, he knows the difference. First time I've ever heard that admitted from someone in the medical field)
The rest of the appointment the topic is dropped. Afterwards he takes me to the front desk with my papers to make a follow-up appointment. While I'm standing there, right in front of the woman who works the desk, she turns to the specialist and she asks in a very loud whisper voice: "Why is she wearing a mask?"
I am right there and I can hear everything! How rude!
He says: "She has something with her immune system."
The specialist is surprisingly proactive and tries to make a follow-up appointment for me at the least busy moment, right when they open, so no other patients would have been inside the building before me. He clearly understands that I'm trying to avoid shared air, which is new. He has already taken off his surgical mask while standing at the desk, though.
He leaves, but the person working the desk still has to do some stuff for me in the computer and then she starts.
DP (desk person): "So you have an autoimmune sickness?"
Me: "Yes." (still just trying to escape any conversation and I don't want to give out personal information, so mostly I just yes/no myself out of anything I can now)
DP: "I have an autoimmune disorder too. It's Crohn's."
Me: "That sucks."
DP: "Yes, and you know what, I stopped all of my meds. Ten years ago. All the doctors said I shouldn't do it, but I did. And you know what? I haven't had one flare-up since."
Me: "That's very lucky."
DP: "I think it's stress related. I think if you have an autoimmune disease, you get sick because of stress. If you don't have stress, you can be healthy. Don't think about the sickness. Just don't think about any sickness at all. It will just give you stress."
Me: "That must be your experience." (trying to stay calm and not explode as to escape quicker)
DP: "Yes, I think it's universal." *mimes a mask in front of her own face* "All of these things give me stress and make you sick from worry. People just shouldn't worry. I just try not think about it. About anything related with sickness. And I'm fine."
Me: "Yeah, well, wearing a mask is a small offer to make to stay healthy and then I don't need to think about or stress about it either."
DP: "So is it your lungs or something? Do you have something severe in your lungs?"
Me: "Yes" (I don't)
DP: "So you're trying to protect yourself? I try not thinking about it, because the stress is very bad."
Me: "Yes, it's a waste to stress about something you can't change. Like being sick and having to wear a mask. Why be sad about it? It's no big deal."
DP: "Well, you're an optimist."
Me: "Yes, that's me." (I am NOT)
At this point she's done with the computer and I've got my papers and she's still continuing the conversation but I just abruptly say BYEEE and leave.
Guys, I am so fucking sick and tired of having to defend wearing a mask, to withstand requests to take it off, to be asked for really personal medical information, to get unrequested advice about how I should get sick from medical personnel. Every medical appointment is like this now. I am so done.
Also please stop commenting I should 'call bosses and make them fire people'. Labor laws exist here. Also, their bosses agree with this behavior. Stop giving unneeded advice.
#covid #covid19 #CovidIsNotOver #COVIDisAirborne #WearAMask
#NoSeriouslyWearAFuckingMaskAndDontAskPatientsPersonalQuestionsJustFuckOffThanks
I had to go to an appointment that I need to go to once every two years. At the front desk the woman greeted me with a strange face because of my mask, but said nothing and sent me to the waiting room.
When the specialist came to get me, he asked: "Why are you wearing a mask?"
I said: "Because I get sick easily."
Him: "What's sick easily?"
Me: "If I get a virus, I'm down for at least a few months. So I don't want to get sick."
Him: "So you're wearing it to protect yourself. Down a few months, really? So you'll really get sick for a few months if you were to get covid?"
Me: "Yes, that's my best case scenario."
Him: "Do you have something with your immune system?"
Me: "Yes." (honestly at this point in my life I just try to give the shortest answers possible to escape the conversation because I'm so tired of it)
Him: "Would you like me to wear a mask then?"
Me: "Yes, I would appreciate that.
He goes off into the other room and comes back with a surgical mask and he says: "I know this isn't as good as your type of mask, but it's better than nothing." (I was flabbergasted because even before covid and during the worst periods of it I've never seen any medical personnel wear anything better than a surgical mask. But he KNOWS, he knows the difference. First time I've ever heard that admitted from someone in the medical field)
The rest of the appointment the topic is dropped. Afterwards he takes me to the front desk with my papers to make a follow-up appointment. While I'm standing there, right in front of the woman who works the desk, she turns to the specialist and she asks in a very loud whisper voice: "Why is she wearing a mask?"
I am right there and I can hear everything! How rude!
He says: "She has something with her immune system."
The specialist is surprisingly proactive and tries to make a follow-up appointment for me at the least busy moment, right when they open, so no other patients would have been inside the building before me. He clearly understands that I'm trying to avoid shared air, which is new. He has already taken off his surgical mask while standing at the desk, though.
He leaves, but the person working the desk still has to do some stuff for me in the computer and then she starts.
DP (desk person): "So you have an autoimmune sickness?"
Me: "Yes." (still just trying to escape any conversation and I don't want to give out personal information, so mostly I just yes/no myself out of anything I can now)
DP: "I have an autoimmune disorder too. It's Crohn's."
Me: "That sucks."
DP: "Yes, and you know what, I stopped all of my meds. Ten years ago. All the doctors said I shouldn't do it, but I did. And you know what? I haven't had one flare-up since."
Me: "That's very lucky."
DP: "I think it's stress related. I think if you have an autoimmune disease, you get sick because of stress. If you don't have stress, you can be healthy. Don't think about the sickness. Just don't think about any sickness at all. It will just give you stress."
Me: "That must be your experience." (trying to stay calm and not explode as to escape quicker)
DP: "Yes, I think it's universal." *mimes a mask in front of her own face* "All of these things give me stress and make you sick from worry. People just shouldn't worry. I just try not think about it. About anything related with sickness. And I'm fine."
Me: "Yeah, well, wearing a mask is a small offer to make to stay healthy and then I don't need to think about or stress about it either."
DP: "So is it your lungs or something? Do you have something severe in your lungs?"
Me: "Yes" (I don't)
DP: "So you're trying to protect yourself? I try not thinking about it, because the stress is very bad."
Me: "Yes, it's a waste to stress about something you can't change. Like being sick and having to wear a mask. Why be sad about it? It's no big deal."
DP: "Well, you're an optimist."
Me: "Yes, that's me." (I am NOT)
At this point she's done with the computer and I've got my papers and she's still continuing the conversation but I just abruptly say BYEEE and leave.
Guys, I am so fucking sick and tired of having to defend wearing a mask, to withstand requests to take it off, to be asked for really personal medical information, to get unrequested advice about how I should get sick from medical personnel. Every medical appointment is like this now. I am so done.
Also please stop commenting I should 'call bosses and make them fire people'. Labor laws exist here. Also, their bosses agree with this behavior. Stop giving unneeded advice.
#covid #covid19 #CovidIsNotOver #COVIDisAirborne #WearAMask
#NoSeriouslyWearAFuckingMaskAndDontAskPatientsPersonalQuestionsJustFuckOffThanks