It wasn’t my intention to post another rant today, but I’ve got some anger issues and I can’t afford therapy.
Yesterday I was furious about something that happened at the Doctor’s surgery.
My eldest girl who’s 3 years old was due her Measles, Mumps and Rubella jab.
Picture: BrittanyG
As is the normal practice the Doctor’s Surgery send out an appointment slip two weeks in advance. They choose the date and time to suit their own working arrangements – and that’s fine, I have no problem with that.
So with my yellow appointment slip in hand, I hoiked my daughter out of Play Group early to ensure I we to the Doctor’s Surgery 10 minutes before the appointment.
As we set off I’d told her where we were going and it didn’t please her. When I say it didn’t please her, I mean she was bloody cross about it, and she told me off before then engaging in a 20 minute whinge-fest.
The whinging was really getting on my wick by the time we arrived at the Surgery and my nerves were starting to jangle.
After booking in on the blasted self-service computer – because trying to book-in with the receptionist will get you a glowering look and the production of a bony finger pointing toward the blasted self-service computer – which for the record, is even slower to load pages than my blog… if you can believe that? 
Anyway I wasn’t annoyed about any of that.
I wasn’t even slightly miffed that we were ten minutes late getting called in to watch my daughter being stabbed and made to cry – and this is even though my two girls had been climbing on chairs and screeching like banshees in the waiting room, My youngest girl (2) has developed a new laugh that sounds like a witches cackle being delivered at glass shattering pitch. Nice.
So the moment of truth arrives and the nurse delivers some pleasantries about how the children are growing so quickly and it’s lovely to see Daddy bring the children along and all I could think was, Shut your flaming pie hole and get this over with!
I sat down with my daughter and got all set for the tears I was expecting to see any minute.
What I wasn’t expecting to hear was “Sorry, but we can’t do this today.”
“Oh, why not?”
“Because the children need to be 3 years and 4 months before we can administer the jab.”
“Well, she’s 3 years (and counting on my fingers) and er, well, just a few days away from four months, we’re talking days here!”
“Well I’m sorry but we’re not licensed to do it.”
“But you sent out the appointment!”
“Ah, yes. I’ll have a word with the girls who do that”
BLOODY BRILLIANT!!
So I’ve dragged my little girl out of somewhere she was happy. Told her she was going to the Doctor’s thus making her unhappy. Spent the next twenty minutes getting my ear drums assaulted by said unhappy and whinging child. Endured being ten minutes early, and then endured being ten minutes late watching my girls play monkey on the chairs whilst listening to ear splitting banshee screams, and all this under the disapproving gaze and the clearly audible tuts of the other patients!
And for what? To be ushered out with a poxy Sorry and a limp lettuce I’ll have a word with the girls.
Well, Whoop-Dee-Dooo!! Sorry? Sorry, you say?
Why the hell couldn’t the nurse or even Mrs Bonyfinger have been sorry enough to come out to the waiting room and tell me TEN – MINUTES – EARLIER?!
That’s what pissed me off more than anything else. That I had to wait to be stiffed. It’s stinking bad manners.
Of course being the sort of man I am, I wasn’t about to take that lying down so just before I left, I fixed a look on the nurse and said, “Oh, er, no problem. I’ll see you in a couple of weeks then. Thanks.”
I’m a broken man. There’s no hope for me.
Meanwhile, Statler and Waldorf over at Blogopolis Blueprint have a great new feature called ‘Abuse The Readers’. It’s funny as hell, because in fairness, they mock each other too. If you want to find out why I was branded ‘a weirdo’ go and take a look.
And… Next week, I’ll be accepting a couple of awards from lovely people, replying to a long overdue tag and hinting at a new project I’m about to undertake. It’s something I’m very excited about and if I can get it right, it might even save me from the dreaded return to work.
Have a great weekend.
Thanks for reading,
Dave.
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
That sounds like a cracky bad day. Sorry, buddy. Truth be told, I love your rants. They always make me laugh. Have a great weekend, Dave!
Writer Dad´s last blog post..Lobster Racing Part Duex
You only had to wait 10 minutes before being seen? I’m jealous. If the nurse calls us in within a half hour of our appointment time, I feel lucky. (That doesn’t mean we get seen in a half hour, just called out of the waiting room to go wait in an exam room for another who-knows-how-long.)
But I would also be miffed that you came all that way for nothing!
GreenJello´s last blog post..Almost Done!
It’s ok Dave, breathe in…..and out again….breathe in……we are calm, we are centred. This too will pass.
Hope your weekend is better than today
notSupermum´s last blog post..Having A Craft Moment
let me just say I completely feel your pain. Meggers had to change neurologists for a year while hers went on hiatus to further his education. During his leave we decided to try a med change again and were set to arrive at the doctors (It’s about a 2 hour ride to said neurologist). When we got there we had to wait forever to be seen, finally to be ushered into a room with a doctor we’d never met. She ignored Meghan, which completely pissed me off and then told us we’d have to make another appt. with the doctor we were supposed to be meeting that day. Aaaaarrrggh! I did a post on it a while back I was soooo happy when her neuro came back. Better luck at your next appt.
Kirst´s last blog post..Her first Karate test!!!
Writer Dad
I’m having fun with the rants but I don’t want to overdo them or people will think I’m some mad British weirdo who’s a sandwich short of a picnic. Have a great weekend yourself Sean!
GreenJello
Yeah, a 10 minute delay is pretty unusual, which is why I wasn’t cross about it until I found out it was for nothing and then I felt my panties bunching up quite nicely.
notSupermum
*Exhaling* Ahh, that’s better, thank you. My wife thinks it’s alpha male aggression, I think it’s just an adult temper tantrum.
I’m already having a better time because I’ve got my breathing thing going on.
Kirst
Ignored Meghan? That’s outrageous and calls for a slap upside the head. Glad it was sorted in the end though. We have a doctor who is a complete tool, but he’s bloody good at the technical aspect of his job. The kind of guy who would spot a deadly condition very early so we tend overlook his crappy bedside manner and his Zorro moustache.
Oh that totally sucks. I know exactly what you have to go through with the explaining how it will hurt and it won’t hurt a lot or for long and why it will hurt and why it has to be done and how you’ll comfort them after with chocolate and well basically anything that will ease their suffering.
But at least once it’s done you come out and breathe a massive sigh of relief and think that’s that for a while now!
Funnily enough Mia has the exact same jab due and we’ve had the ‘invite’. Am so going to check that they have got it right!
Tara@Sticky Fingers´s last blog post..A rant
Lucky you, you had two wonderful (even if deafening) daughters to spend time with and only a little wait….On Monday I waited 35 minutes for the Doc. who had to be reminded i was there, she was new. then 4.5 hours in the ER waiting room and 4 hours later to be told I should be on all these medicines all the time and what kind of food was I to not be taking what I was told to take – here is pain medication, go home…Oh yes you can’t drive for 4 days so find a ride.
I wrote a whole rant I think I will post Monday. Now they are angry because I did not drop by the clinic today – Gee I spent hours trying to find a ride…I could have walked the 2 hours there, but that is off limits too…
Let’s get our stories straight and the dates…hmm
Good job…and I laughed out loud
Patricia´s last blog post..Never Build on Your Food Supply
Hi Dave. So, in the end, you felt more pain than your daughter probably would have. Man, how frustrating! Good rant. I was laughing with you… well, that is when you are able to laugh at this I’ll be laughing with you. Hope the next visit goes better.
Davina´s last blog post..Self Help Me
Oh man! This made me feel a little angry too!
When my eldest was about a year old they had me bring him back in for TWO shots he had already had- because the last time he went in to get them it had been a few weeks too long between them and the last shots. So they made a stupid mistake when they called us in, and because of that my son had to take two extra shots. And I had to take another day off from work. I was not pleased.
Adrenalynn´s last blog post..You’d think I’d have better things to do on a Friday night. And you’d be wrong.
Tara
I know!! All the mental anguish only to have to repeat it again in a couple of weeks. Poor girl. Love the idea of the ‘invite’, like it’s a party. Hahaha. 3 years and 4 months and not a day earlier. Good luck.
Patricia
You’re right. I always do count my blessings and I was only mad because I don’t like being kept waiting only to be told there was no reason for me to be there in the first place. Making me wait a further 10 minutes just added insults to injury. I’m not very good at accepting insults, I tend to get a bit alpha. Eek.
If I’d been in your position I really would have cause to rant. Sounds like your post is going to be fabulous with that kind of material. I’m glad you laughed, it was always my intention.
Davina
Hehehe. I’m glad you were laughing along. I ws over it tne minute I’d finished writing about it. I love blogging for doing this. It turns a bad situation into a funny one and I feel better able to let go. But then you already knew that!
Adrenalynn
That’s a crappy mistake for them to make. I think they assume that all families have one stay at home parent and they can drop everything at a moments notice. Taking an extra day off is sucky. Having your son jabbed twice is suckier.
That’s funny how you left with your tail between your legs. I would have done the same thing.
Turf Dad´s last blog post..Date Night
Turf Dad
It’s the best way. I’d have regretted making a fuss later, so either way I’d have lost. Boooo
But ranting makes it better!!
You were the bigger person to leave without making a scene. The girls learn more about how to be a decent person from watching you in situations than from any amount of lecturing. Hmp. I sound like my mom. Now I have her upper arms AND her sage wisdom.
We had been waiting quite a while for Jones’ second dose of chickenpox shot but here in Tiny-Town you have to go to the health clinic instead of just taking kids to their regular doctor. It’s a pain in the bum, so finally Daddy said HE would give him the shot at the pharmacy. Brilliant idea! In and out in 5 minutes, no waiting in the germy waiting room, no bony-fingered nurse. Just a little crying. But after Daddy got over the fact that he had jabbed his “baby” with a needle, he stopped crying and everything was cool beans…
Good luck next visit; let us know how its goes!
Ohmygod, I got angry reading it. I would have been so angry I would have cried, which is annoying girlie reaction that seems to happen to me whenever I am fuming. It makes me feel pathetic but I can’t stop it. And also the nurse was being ridiculous. When my first daughter had her MMR they said make another appointment in 9 months and get her second one done then, means she doesn’t have to have the booster before school. Of course, I never did and she ended up having her booster just at the age where they become terrified of needles.
I feel your anger Dave. Good luck on round 2. Don’t tell her you are going before hand, just happen upon the surgery. Take a lollipop. And take deep breaths. These things are sent to try us…
aconfusedtakethatfan´s last blog post..Comfort Eating…
Dave, the best rant I have read this year (so far). Better out than in, I say.
Here’s mine. Not quite in the same league, I’m afraid. On Thursday evening I went to Wagamama here in Manchester and ate a chicken noodle dish. I had a vague feeling while eating it that it had undercooked egg in it, but I finished it anyway. Friday I felt OK, but my stomach was a bit upset, and I couldn’t really eat anything. Friday evening I went out to a book launch at Waterstone’s in Deansgate, still feeling fine, but an hour or so after I got home I was shivering, like with flu.
I’ve been in bed for the whole weekend – finally managed to get dressed and sit at the computer this morning. The shivering’s more or less gone now but my stomach’s still upset, plus I haven’t been able to eat except for the odd slice of toast and drinking fruit juice and water, so I’m very weak. And most annoying of all, I had to miss the whole Stockhausen day at the Barbican yesterday because I didn’t dare travel to London. And I haven’t been able to work, so I’ve got even more catching up to do than I already had and I’m not sure I’m going to be able to go to York on Tuesday as I’d planned.
I did phone NHS Direct yesterday afternoon (why are they so keen to collect all my personal details, by the way – full name, date of birth, address – it made me feel very uncomfortable when I already wasn’t feeling well) and they said it could well be food poisoning with that sort of incubation period, or it could be gastroenteritis or something like that. Either way, they said eat bread or pasta and drink liquids or soup and just wait for it to pass. Feeling much better this morning. I managed to sit up for a few hours last night and did then finally get some proper rest, although it took me long enough to fall asleep. Funnily enough, watching “Outbreak” on TV made me feel a little better.
R.A.D. Stainforth´s last blog post..Pomegranates
Mrs. C.
It hadn’t even occurred to me that my girls would benefit from seeing that!
Previous (bad) experience told me to that having a pop at the nurse would have done neither of us any good. It would have made her feel bad and it would have made me feel bad. After all, I’ve still got to go back and see her a few more times.
aconfusedtakethatfan
These MMRs have been a complete nightmare from the start. Especially given the widespread fears about the jabs. I didn’t take any lollies I figured the nurse would have some chocolate buttons. Better no count on that eh?
R.A.D. Stainforth
My own belly rumbled in sympathy there. It’s a feeling I know all too well and one I’m in no hurry to experience again. Sorry you had to miss the trip to the Barbican, it’s somewhere I’ve never been. In fact I tend to steer clear of London as much as I can.
LOL @ at you watching ’Outbreak’ in your condition. That appeals to my sense of humour. Get well soon.