Hey, you patients aren't always a walk in the park either you know! However, I feel it is my duty to remind you all that most doctors and dentists who graduated at the top of their class were *NOT* recruited into the military.
I think we all understand that the Medicals are doing their best MOST of the time. But just like every other trade in the Army, you're not aloud to have a bad day. Couple with that that most times when we deal with the Medicals, we're not having a great day to begin with, and allot of bent feelings result.
The surgeon that put my hand back together was a Dutch Doctor. He did an amazing job. But when I finished at the International Hospital, I had to report back over to the Canadian Hospital. So off I went, and reported in. The Medic that was on the desk didn't even look up from her Magazine when I came in. She informed me that Sick Parade was over. I told her I needed to see the Doc, so she handed me a bunch of paper work.
It took me awhile to fill out the paper work. (40 stitchs kind of limits your writing ability) I handed the paper work back over to the Medic, and she read it. Then she looked at me for the first time, saw all the stitchs and asked "are you left or right handed?"
The only reason I filled out that paper work to begin with was to prove a point. I'm pretty sure she got it too, as she was crying when I came back out from seeing the Doc. Does this make me an Asshole? Well, Tankers aren't known for their etiquette.
It's taken awhile, but I'm to the point now that I can recognise that people have bad days, and sometimes allowances need to be made. But the memories are still there, and the stories remain. So don't feel that you are under attack when the stories come out. Indeed, stories are often the result of 2 people, both having a bad day, running into each other.
