I HATE TO COMPLAIN,HOWEVER...!!

Stop right there! My first bone I have to pick is with the use of the word, complain, or complaint. I go to the doctor, and the first thing the intake nurse asks me is, what is your complaint? Well, I don't have one, except the doctor made it clear that he wouldn't refill my prescriptions unless I came in to see him. So, if you want to get real nit-picky, it's the fact that I am here, and you are open at all, that I want to complain about!   For some reason, she didn't like that at all, and her attitude changed.So, you're here for a check up? Why are you asking me? It was your silly doctor that wanted me here, why don't you go ask him why? No, I didn't say that last bit, but I wanted to. Going to see the doctor is number one on my list of things I hate doing. Yes, it is necessary when one is deathly ill, or bleeding, as I was a couple of weeks ago, when I fell getting out of bed, but going to see him because he wants to see me is just downright annoying.Particularly if one is going to get quizzed on why they are there by an officious nurse! She did that to me only once.They have all since learned my whole being there is not my idea, and they should just get on with the B.P. cuff, and so on, and not ask me stupid questions. If I have a problem, I will tell them...and they know that too! Secondly, If I go of my own volition, and I say, I have this new pain...or whatever, It is not necessary to write, Patient complains of pain.No I didn't. I reported it. There is a difference! I don't complain. My grandmother, now she complained! She was good at it. She would sit around, and moan and groan and carry on, over, let's say, a headache, but she wouldn't DO  anything about it.God forbid she should take an asprin and have a nice cup of tea and try to get over it. No. She would rather have it, talk about it, and make everyone around her miserable instead of make an attempt to ease it.That headache would turn into a new pet, she would put a leash on it,and whip it out at the slightest provocation. The woman walked everywhere she went, but let her have a headache, and she couldn't walk to church...SHE had a headache! Worse yet, she never learned to drive, so she would ask someone to drive her to church.Two blocks.That's how far it was to the church.At least, that's how far she told us kids we had to go to school, and they were right there on the same lot together. She would say, You don't need a ride, it's just too short blocks, so you can walk! But let her have a headache and it was too LONG blocks to church! So, you might say, she taught me not to complain.After seeing her performance, I will go out of my way, not to complain. Now, If I have a headache, I will announce it, and take steps to get rid of it, but the sheer announcement is NOT a complaint, it is a warning.When I feel alright, I am the most amicable of persons.But I do have sinus headaches, and have medication on hand to take for them. I will go out of my way to see to it that my loved ones won't have to endure the moaning, groaning bit.I take my pills. I have a cup of tea, and if in a reasonable length of time, it doesn't go away, or at least ease up, I will go take a nap, or at least go into my room and lay down until I feel better.If that doesn't work, and I am forced to be up, like for meals or testing or whatever, I say very little,because I believe it is only human nature to be churlish when one doesn't feel well, (and after all, the warning has already been made)but I am not above asking that the T.V. or radio be turned down,please, or please don't shout at me. You know how sound can be magnified when you have a headache. But since one of the symptoms of a low blood sugar reaction is irritability, or grouchiness, my kids know when to suggest I run my blood sugar,and they will get the kit out for me,and stand by to watch how low it is, so they can shove a candy bar at me. They don't want me to have a headache AND a reaction!

OUI?

Comments

[Phoenix]

Good for you! I can't stand a complainer. Some people seem addicted to it. These are the people who actually tell you how they are when you say, "Hi, how are you?" I am very lucky to come from a family that never complained about anything, and am lucky to have produced a little family where no one complains. But, I can say this much - people who play the victim role are the worst. I loathe a victim. Yes, people are victims of plenty of things, but those who 'play' the role - no thanks. This much I can tell you about the doctor-visit thing: The nurse is there to defuse the patient of all whining and complaining and to narrow it down to one or two sentences written into the sacred chart. This is so the doctor can glance at the chart and walk into the little office and with adroitness deal immediately with the issue instead of being the 'victim' of listening to the patient whine and complain and wander off-track into other complaints. This takes up too much of his time. That's also why he doesn't do the BP and pulse stuff. Usually, the nurse has no clue why you're in the office - say, because the doctor wants to do a quick check-up before rewriting the script for your meds. As a diabetic, I guess you really have to have the multi-check-ups; but for most doctors, depending on the drug prescribed, they have to see the patient for insurance purposes to see if the patient is all right or if there might be some abuse going on, etc. I don't mean to sound as if I'm lecturing at all. I've been extremely lucky as I have had the same two doctors for nineteen years, and in most cases, the same nurses. Let me tell you - it is a dream come true, especially after listening to my mother who thinks all nurses are morons bent on messing everything up. My doctors are just super. My ex is a veterinarian. His biggest complaint is having to listen to his patients' owners talk on and on and on. People love to talk about their pets, and they drive him nuts when he has other patients lined up to see and surgeries and tons of stuff to do. So, he got wise and uses nurses now to at least get the major 'complaint' on the table, so to speak, so he can address that without the ramblings of the owners. Of course, he is very nice, but it is a business, and he has a lot of it. Then worse - the calls that come in during the day that he cannot return until the day's business is done. That is usually around 6 - 6:30 when people have finished eating. Then they really want to talk! With no thought that the doctor might be on his way home, they go on forever. I can tell you, for twenty-two years, I never knew when to have dinner ready. It was killer to our marriage. Anyway, I guess I felt the need to stick up for the doctors a bit. I am like you - I minimize everything and don't waste time. I think the word 'complaint' is medical jargon and from there the words 'symptoms', 'affects' and 'presents' come into the picture. As for being sick at home - I am like a dog. I go off and don't bother anyone. I taught for 20 years and actually knew teachers who would walk into their classrooms and announce grouchily, "I have a headache! Everyone shut-up!" oh man.....