Doctors Who've Been Treated By Other Doctors With Their Speciality Reveal What It Was Like
There's an old saying among hospital staff: Doctors make the worst patients. You can spend a short amount of time to ponder why that is, but the easiest solution is usually the best solution. When you have two people, arguing over what's the best way to treat one of them, things are bound to get heated, and entertaining. Reddit user, u/xblackacid, wanted to know the best of these tales when they asked:
Doctors of Reddit, have you ever been to the doctor who specializes in what you specialize in? If so, what was it like? Was it weird?
Might Be More Than You Thought
Saw one of my attendings for a vasectomy.
It's good to have it put in to perspective so I know what my patients go through when I have them whip out their junk.
Spinal Tap
Anesthesiologist: Pretty weird. I asked for a spinal for ankle surgery, so I could feel what they're like myself. The anesthesiologist had to stick me three times for the spinal.
Then when the surgeon was prepping I could feel how cold the iodine was. Dammit. So I had to go to sleep after all :(
Letting Go Of The Scalpel
My wife is a surgeon. She has had surgery before and says it not weird. She can't exactly perform surgery on herself and grew up going to doctors despite having parents who were doctors so it was normal to her.
Interestingly, our son had to have open heart surgery as an infant and she said that it was hard to let someone else operate on her baby. You don't really trust anyone as much as you trust yourself, especially when it comes to your kids. She couldn't operate on him for obvious reasons and she's also not even a cardiothoracic surgeon so it only made sense that someone else performed the surgery, but she said it was still extremely hard and she couldn't stop thinking about everything that could go wrong. Similarly, her sister is an anesthesiologist and gets nervous when her kids have to be placed under anesthesia. I think being more educated on the topic can be both a blessing and a curse.
Note: Our son's surgery went fine. You wouldn't be able to tell he had surgery on his heart unless you looked at his scar. He's currently playing baseball and training for a youth triathlon.
A Soda Tooth
I'm a dentist at a two-doctor practice, so we're basically each other's dentists, and we give each other Looks because both of us are kind of coffee/soda addicts and have seen each other's radiographs. The other dentist keeps whinging about how they need a crown but will never get in the d-mn chair for me to drill it! Doctors make the worst patients, it's said...
Who Consoles The Consolers?
As a psychiatry resident, I started consulting a psychiatrist myself. It was strongly recommended by several of ours seniors on our first day, since it can be quite violent for lots of different reasons, (horrible patient life stories, lots of sexual abuse, being threatened or attacked by some patients...).
It's not a physician/patient relationship. We talk very openly, like two coworkers, and he tells me a lot about his own experiences and difficulties. It's a bit like having a "tutor", which we don't have during our internship in my country. Very helpful !
No One Knows
Neurologist. It was weird. I kinda just went in and was like "I have no f-cking clue, it's weird and doesn't fit the closest syndrome." He just replied "Yeah, no, that's pretty weird, I have no idea either. What do you wanna do?"
So we were both flumoxed and ended up doing nothing and hoping, which is pretty par for course for neuro anyway
Gender Pranks
I thought I broke my foot and went in to one of the ERs I staffed as a resident because I knew that ED wouldn't be busy and I didn't trust the local urgent care to read my foot xr.
One of my mentors (who is also department chair and vice chief of staff) was on. He saw I checked in on the computer, changed my complaint to "vaginal pain" and when I got to the room, the nurse reflexively put the pelvic cart in the room...good times. Also, foot wasn't broken.
Edit: yes, I am male.
Taking Yourself Out Of The Equation
I'm a family doctor (aka GP). Sometimes I call my family doctor to parlay about my kids when they're ill because it's hard to doctor your own kid. I prescribe my own hay fever medication though. My family doctor also places IUDs, but I opted to get my IUD at a gynaecologist, despite that costing money, because I felt that would be weird to get from someone who's basically a coworker.
And my doctor is retiring soon... And I'm going to take over his practice. So I gotta find a new one!
"...It Wasn't Enough"
A close family friend is a neurosurgeon at a large academic center (training neurosurgery residents). He had a seizure in the bathroom, hit is head, and had a massive cerebral hematoma. Rushed to the ER and then seen by his own residents (trainees) as well as colleagues. Imagine you're training someone one day to do neurosurgery and then you come in on a stretcher the next day needing them to do it to you.
BTW, he did die unfortunately. They must have drilled a hole to reduce the swelling (or whatever neurosurgeons do) but apparently it wasn't enough.
Wasting Time
Also a med student and I had to most unusual experience at the GP the other day. I had to go to a different one than ususal because mine was on holiday and as soon as he found out I was a med student he started talking to me about all my different classes, told me about his time as a student and gave me the number of a professor friend of his to see regarding the field I'm interested in. Then he send me out to his daughter's office to do the actual examination because he saw how late it got.
I was in his office for a good hour.
Change The Channel
My dad asked to watch his own vasectomy.
The doc said ok and my dad fainted and split his head open.
You're 15 Minutes Are Up. Mine Start Now.
I'm a medical student, but a couple months ago I went to a psychiatrist. When he found out that I was a Med student he started telling "back in my day" stories which ultimately ended in a rant about how med students have it so much easier these days.
That was definitely an awkward 45 minutes
A False Start
Emergency Medicine registrar (US= resident) - I fainted in handover one morning. Boss insisted on working me up in case there was a worrying underlying cause.
Nothing found and eventually agreed with me that it was likely to just be 13h night shift with no eating drinking or taking a break, combined with the AC malfunctioning and the department being like an oven.
They kept asking what I wanted to do. The whole point of seeing someone else when you're sick is because your own judgement probably isn't the best. I pretty much just wanted to go home and sleep, but just said " yeah, okay" to every test he suggested.
Missed A Glimpse
A couple of comments. I no longer tell phlebotomist I'm a doc if I can help it, because they get nervous and miss probably 80% of the time. If I don't tell, they almost always do a great job.
When I was in labor with my son, the resident on call had been one of my classmates. He would have to examine my cervix and stuff overnight as it would be necessary. That would have been weird, except that he said this: "I'll have the OB nurse check on your routine progress as necessary, but if you run into ANY problems, you're mine." That was just the right thing to say and do, and all went well, thankfully.
Those Aren't The Numbers I Want
My father is a cardiothoracic surgeon. He had heart surgery about 10 years ago.
I remember him walking out of his room with the heart rate monitor and was telling staff that the readings on the monitor weren't what he wanted them to be and that they should read "X" and that he needs "X" of "X".
After that my uncle turned to me and said, "doctors make for the worst patients"
When You See The Numbers Add Up
A nurse, with emergency and shock/trauma experience. I was rear-ended at freeway speed in stopped traffic. CHIBLOC plus massive intrusion into the passenger compartment = level one trauma. Traffic was garbage and so the local ambulance service got me far enough to get to a clearing for the helicopter to take me to a hospital.
My fool a-- flips into trauma nurse mode and starts grilling the EMTs on the bus and then the flight nurses about why I need air transport and, if they really feel I need a bird, why the f-ck are they taking me to a level two trauma center... of course I declined the Ativan they kept offering me.
Surreal experience. More surreal still when I get a 39k chopper bill for a 10 mi ride to a bandaid station.
Get To The Point
I'm an ob/gyn. Went to see a gyn (that I've worked with professionally).
Wasn't weird at all. She was quick and to the point which was perfect for me but she's also down to earth and kind. I just didn't want to see someone I worked with really closely or one of my male attendings.
ALL The Goods
So I'm a labor and delivery nurse. I am pregnant and since I get free healthcare at the hospital where I work, I will be delivering there. Which means my coworkers will be my nurses and doctors and will know and see EVERYTHING. I think for most people that would be a nightmare, but I'm honestly looking forward to it. I trust the people I work with and I also get to pick and choose which nurses and doctors I get. So basically I'll get the best healthcare possible, and all my friends will be there after the birth to come congratulate me!
Sometimes, You Can Even Learn
As soon as the doctor I'm with finds out I'm a Med student they treat me way nicer. They take opportunities to teach me, actually discuss my treatment with me as an equal and allow me to have input. As someone who has a chronic condition and so regularly has contact with doctors it has really improved my experience.
Remember, They're Human Too
More weird for her colleagues treating her. My mother worked in neurology. After her aneurysm, none if her co-workers wanted to officially declare her brain dead (they did tell my family she was though).
They kept her on the machines for a couple of extra days until the most senior staff member in the department did it.
H/T: Reddit
Of course, most of the time, it was “just a phase". And looking back, those phases are regrettable, to say the least. Here are some prime examples of that.
SirGergoyFriendman asked:
What was your biggest/most regrettable "It's not a phase, mom. It's my life." that, in fact, turned out to be just a phase and not your life?
The enthusiasm of a young person can lead to some unexpected changes that parents are just not ready for.
Hi, Wheeljack!
I was VERY into The Transformers when I was a wee lad in the 1980s. One day, I decided to change my name to the name of my favorite Autobot. My name was lame, and I wanted an awesome Transformer name. And I was VERY insistent that my parents only call me by my new name. Calling me by my 'old' name would cause a big fat tantrum on my part.
So for the better part of a week, my poor parents had to call me Wheeljack.
Very 2008.
Ariana Grande Shrug GIFGiphyMy cat-ear phase. I wore cat ears every single day. Everywhere. I had like 20 pairs of them. Now everyone thinks I'm a furry.
I find that very cute and wouldn't have thought you'd be furry. Even if you'd had cat mittens. I think my suspicions would have started if you moved a bit like a cat, displayed catlike grooming habits or got a cat mask.
Not gonna lie, that car sounds cool.
I went to a car show once as a teen, and the only newer car there was some chick's PT cruiser. It was hot glittery pink, and at the time I was obsessed. I insisted that one day I would have a hot pink car, with pink seats, pink dash, pink carpets, etc. I was pretty heavily goth at the time, so my parents just rolled their eyes.
These phases can often lead to some very strange fashion choices.
That’s commitment.
When I was a teenager (early 00s), I was waiting for my mother to pick me up and was wearing one of those sh!tty sports wristwatches. It was itching me so I took it off for a second, but then she arrived and because I was struggling to get it back on my wrist, I looped it around the equally sh!tty chain I had around my neck in a rush to get out the door.
My mom asked me about it in the car, and I told her this was my new style and I planned to wear it like that every day. She rolled her eyes.
I wore that watch on a chain around my neck every single day for 3 years or so. There are even professional family photos where I'm wearing it because I refused to take it off.
One day, the chain broke and I lost the watch. I was in high school at that point anyway and it was a major lady repellent, so... phase over.
Not everyone can be Eminem.
slim shady eminem GIFGiphyBaggy pants, being a rapper someday and being a professional skater.
When I was about 14 and Eminem was starting to blow up I bought myself a keyboard with a synthesizer. It cost like $200 which was all the money I had saved up. It finally came (this was way before amazon prime and such) and I tried rapping.
My sister told me "you're effing horrible" and I gave up right then and there.
This should be a sin.
I used to button the top buttons of polo shirts.
I must say, this is probably the worst one I've read.
Looking back at our regrettable choices, all we can do is cringe.
An optimistic look at bad tattoos.
check me out season 3 GIF by PortlandiaGiphyBeing a tattooer. Regrettable because of those poor people who have my awful doodles on their bodies.
Take heart! My favorite tattoo is the one I drunkenly got my buddy to do in his living room one year during March Madness! It's dumb and frankly mediocre? But such a good story and has such good associations I smile every time I see it.
RIP Fredro’s.
My friend and I decided we were going to open a bar in Jamaica with exotic snakes in glass cages in the walls at each booth. We convinced ourselves it would be amazing for at least two years in college. It was going to be called Fredro's.
My entire family made fun of me for it. Once we got out of college, we realized it was not feasible and joined the office grind. We're also two white guys with no ties to Jamaica.
Talk about cringey.
I wore a top hat with an anime pin on it for around a year. Met one of my current best friends while wearing it, idk how he could bear to speak to me after that.
My weirdest phase was probably when I insisted on wearing knee-high rainbow socks to school every day. But honestly, I don't regret it. I rocked those socks, and I wish I still have a pair.
To all the people out there cringing over their past selves, remember that you were just a kid, and to be easy on yourselves. After all, we've all been there
Yet, too often, manufacturers who oversell their products fail to deliver what is promised and are inevitably left with angry customers who want their money back.
Whether the merchandise was defective or ridiculously overpriced, strangers online shared some of their worst purchases when Redditor BooksMcGee asked:
"What is the worst product you ever paid money for?"
Short Life Span
"This NERF gun that's supposed to shoot tennis balls for your dog. I bought it cause I thought you could load 3 at a time and shoot them far, but it's just one and it's super loud and the gun broke after like 4 shots (reading reviews later, this was a common issue)."
Lame Pets
"There were these toys called squiggles when I was a kid and the commercials made it seem like the toy was alive. It looked like you would get this crazy little fuzzy worms as pets that would follow you around an so sick tricks and listen to your every command. It was really just a piece of fluffy string tied to another piece of string with googly eyes on it. People may say that it was supposed to be a magic trick but they should also explain that to a 5 year old who really wanted a pet."
Card Value
"Not their fault, but I paid $70 for a Yugioh card hours before it was limited to one copy. Probably dropped to $20 by the end of the day."
These purchases were bad for your bum.
"A bicycle that literally fell apart before I made it out of the parking lot."
Not Worth Sitting On
"Joybird brand couch. Was so terrible, we returned it. Still hard to believe, we returned a freaking couch."
Going Nowhere Fast
"A 2000 VW Beetle (used)."
"Biggest piece of sh*t that literally had to have just about everything replaced before 100k miles and would still break down every time you left the driveway to the point where the tow-truck driver knew us on a first-name basis."
Expensive Lemon
"An Oldsmobile Achieva from one of those buy here pay here places. I should have known better, but I was young and thought I was getting a good deal. I had the thing for about 5 months, I drove it for maybe 3 weeks. The rest of the time it was either in the shop, or in my driveway waiting until pay day so I could afford to fix whatever broke on it this week. Eventually told the dealer just take it, I'm not paying for it any more. He said nope, and I will make sure your credit is ruined. I said well you sold me a lemon, do you really want to go this route? He came and took it. Never reported anything to credit. I heard he got sued by several other people who sold sh**ty cars too and eventually went out of business."
"Always amazes me when I see them driving around still, I can only assume there's enthusiasts who just love repairing horribly designed cars."
– zerbey
These Redditors were not convinced what they ingested was edible.
Bad Cereal
"A box of plain Cheerios. Thought they were honey nut, poured a bowl, was very disappointed."
"If I wanted to taste cardboard, I'd just eat the box."
– gor8884
Space Pizza
"A burnt frozen pizza at the air and space museum cafe in DC. I Don't wish that experience on anyone. There are some amazing restaurants in DC, don't settle."
– Alseids
The following electronics just gave off a bad charge.
"Asus Transformer Pad TF700"
"This was one of those early 'high end' Android tablets that was grossly underpowered, and it showed. Thing was slow as sh!t in no time flat. Rookie mistake investing into shiny new tech while they were still working all the bugs out. Think I paid somewhere in the neighborhood of $350-400 for it..."
– Luke5119
Bad Apple
"macbook pro 2018 13" touchbar. 2 years old and dead (battery). they're asking $300-$400 to change the battery. malfunctioning keyboard with double presses and missing presses. that's a lot of money for bad design."
Chilly Reception
"Past winter my old room heater broke down and I had to buy a new one. Went to a store nearby and somehow got convinced to buy a very costly heating device.. It's also my fault, since there were some sligthly cheaper options around, but nope. I wanted the expensive one thinking it will make my small room a volcano with little to no effort/cost (that's also what the seller told me). Long story short the device wasn't doing ANYTHING. No significant temperature changes, too much space, a weird noise, and was doubling my previous device in utility cost. I still gloom over those 80 euros.."
Some of my disappointing purchases was clothing, but only because I purchased them online. Unless they are a brand I'm familiar with, I'm usually fine with buying new jeans off of their websites.
But when it comes to graphic tees only available on specialty shops, an M-size shirt is not necessarily the same size as those found in other reputable stores.
I bought a medium sized T-shirt from a boutique store online because I loved the look of the design. But when it arrived, the supposed medium fit me like an XL.
At least I gained a fierce cleaning rag from this impulsive purchase.