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Retaliations from medical workers suck! Yes, it happens when your naked now!
I was left with no choice but to complain about a group of surly medical personnel at my Cardiac Surgeon Doctor's office. Well, I MUST/NEED to undergo an Echo-Stress test because I desperately need Brain surgery for Trigeminal Neuralgia, a neuropathic disease. Once...AGAIN! On the day of the Echo-Stress exam I faced retaliation and was 'ganged' up by 3 female workers. I asked the gal to close the privacy curtain several times, and it was never done. The testing area is for both genders. The head-charge nurse of the office was called into my testing room from several doors away and they 'appeared' to have that knocking around, ganging up of me all planned out due to my previous fax message to the MD.
She yelled at me "do you want to take this test or not?" Well.. I MUST have that test, or no surgery since I've already had two (2) heart attacks.
I fell frozen and very silent and suddenly remembered the un-wanted sexual abuse I endured one hot summer as an adolescent from an family member. It's that same rotten gut feeling, like biting into an apple with a worm inside. My breasts were wide open on that table just like in my bed that morning when I was 12 years old. I froze up! OMG, not only did I endure un-provoked sexual advances from the most cherished male of my family, but my breasts were intentionally left wide open again for the whole world to view me in that vulnerable position AGAIN! I KEPT COVERING MY BREASTS UP and they kept pulling the gown OFF of my breasts! To make matters worst, the younger gal was told to 'take charge' of me and she sand-papered the hell out of my skin. I told them sand-papering was unnecessary ( I have dry-dry skin, and allergic to adhesives) and she took delight in doing it even harder! I still feel the shock of that morning from both experiences, and depressed feelings are haunting me all over & once again. This new experience is just as bad as that summer morning, and even worst, because I kept saying NO< NO< NO!
I can't sleep, I'm in worst pain, and feel as denigrated all over again by my own gender. I also think the charge nurse is a drunk as well as a lesbian. Where do I begin? The last time I complained via FAX to the MD about the surly mentality, I met this fierce gang of females taking what should be a simple echo-stress test. They also insisted that I leave my purse outside of the testing room which was totally unnecessary as there are hooks on the wall for clothes & purses. I know that if given the chance my purse including all of my IDs would get passed around & ripped off by at least one of them. It's just the attitude in the AIR that one gets, you know the types, those gang mentality's exist in every office setting, and lately more prominent in medical settings. Who should I write to now? The hospital will protect the workers, not the patients, I do not want to sue them, I want a formal apology and they should collectively all lose their jobs. Who should I make an appointment with at the center? The administration, or the doctor again, or should I make a statement to the police department. I had been violated in a doctor's office and this wasn't the first time. It happened the first time I ever saw a gynecologists at 18 years old. The doctor began to talk 'dirty' to me and I quickly left to never return. As females, we must protect ourselves from men, now we have to protect ourselves from lesbian drunks at our doctors office too at every turn? Any suggestions would surely help this overwhelming depressed feelings that linger in my loving home.
She yelled at me "do you want to take this test or not?" Well.. I MUST have that test, or no surgery since I've already had two (2) heart attacks.
I fell frozen and very silent and suddenly remembered the un-wanted sexual abuse I endured one hot summer as an adolescent from an family member. It's that same rotten gut feeling, like biting into an apple with a worm inside. My breasts were wide open on that table just like in my bed that morning when I was 12 years old. I froze up! OMG, not only did I endure un-provoked sexual advances from the most cherished male of my family, but my breasts were intentionally left wide open again for the whole world to view me in that vulnerable position AGAIN! I KEPT COVERING MY BREASTS UP and they kept pulling the gown OFF of my breasts! To make matters worst, the younger gal was told to 'take charge' of me and she sand-papered the hell out of my skin. I told them sand-papering was unnecessary ( I have dry-dry skin, and allergic to adhesives) and she took delight in doing it even harder! I still feel the shock of that morning from both experiences, and depressed feelings are haunting me all over & once again. This new experience is just as bad as that summer morning, and even worst, because I kept saying NO< NO< NO!
I can't sleep, I'm in worst pain, and feel as denigrated all over again by my own gender. I also think the charge nurse is a drunk as well as a lesbian. Where do I begin? The last time I complained via FAX to the MD about the surly mentality, I met this fierce gang of females taking what should be a simple echo-stress test. They also insisted that I leave my purse outside of the testing room which was totally unnecessary as there are hooks on the wall for clothes & purses. I know that if given the chance my purse including all of my IDs would get passed around & ripped off by at least one of them. It's just the attitude in the AIR that one gets, you know the types, those gang mentality's exist in every office setting, and lately more prominent in medical settings. Who should I write to now? The hospital will protect the workers, not the patients, I do not want to sue them, I want a formal apology and they should collectively all lose their jobs. Who should I make an appointment with at the center? The administration, or the doctor again, or should I make a statement to the police department. I had been violated in a doctor's office and this wasn't the first time. It happened the first time I ever saw a gynecologists at 18 years old. The doctor began to talk 'dirty' to me and I quickly left to never return. As females, we must protect ourselves from men, now we have to protect ourselves from lesbian drunks at our doctors office too at every turn? Any suggestions would surely help this overwhelming depressed feelings that linger in my loving home.
I wanted to point out that it is essential that they get all the tests done in proper time with no time to rest, to get proper results. Most medical procedures are anything but enjoyable. This particular test is a stress test. I could see it being stressful
Why did you tell them not to incline the treadmill? They have their procedures, and their procedures tell them what they want to know. My husband has had these tests several times. He said that his chest was bared because of all the sensors and that the treadmill was gradually inclined. Some of your post is confusing to me. And you still haven't said what was in the fax to your doctor that precipitated the behavior of the nurses and techs, if in fact it was related.
I am surprised that you did not abort the test and walk out. You then could have told your doctor of the problem you were having and he could have rescheduled the test, perhaps with different techs.
I am surprised that you did not abort the test and walk out. You then could have told your doctor of the problem you were having and he could have rescheduled the test, perhaps with different techs.
In the future, you have the right to bring someone to the procedure with you. A trusted friend, family member, etc.
By all means make your report. The department manager would probably be the most appropriate person to report to. Another option is the hospital's patient advocate. Just make sure you have your facts to present in a way that makes sense. It is very difficult to tell here what actually happened. Of course you can also tell how the incident made you feel. Your interpretation of motives or intent of the employees actions will probably be disregarded if they let you state your opinion about that at all. You can't know someone elses' mind or heart anymore than they can know yours, unless specific verbal statements were made.
Once the report is made, do whatever you must to bring healing, growth and peace to yourself. You have no say in the consequences that will (or will not) come as a result of your complaint. As much as you may want to know what happens or require an apology, that is NOT your right or responsibility. It is up to the employer to handle the discipline of their own employees.
You might want to develop a plan to help prevent yourself from getting trapped in a similar situation in the future. There is no reason this test must be done without some type of cover on your upper torso. That's what patient gowns are for. There are even ones made specifically for cardiac procedures. Only limited exposure is necessary. If you can't find a way to have necessary tests in this setting, you may need to suffer the inconvenience of going somewhere else or delaying test dates. It's would seem a better alternative in the end.
Personally, I doubt a lawyer would be interested unless he knows of lots of history of similar incidents in this setting. I don't see anything that could be taken into a courtroom as evidence. But I'm no lawyer.
I know this troubled you greatly as you signed into MH as a new member and posted personal details of your life on several forums to people you have never met. I encourage you to get more personalized help from a familiar counselor. I do hope you are able to cope, move on, and get the surgery you need for relief of your TN pain.
Once the report is made, do whatever you must to bring healing, growth and peace to yourself. You have no say in the consequences that will (or will not) come as a result of your complaint. As much as you may want to know what happens or require an apology, that is NOT your right or responsibility. It is up to the employer to handle the discipline of their own employees.
You might want to develop a plan to help prevent yourself from getting trapped in a similar situation in the future. There is no reason this test must be done without some type of cover on your upper torso. That's what patient gowns are for. There are even ones made specifically for cardiac procedures. Only limited exposure is necessary. If you can't find a way to have necessary tests in this setting, you may need to suffer the inconvenience of going somewhere else or delaying test dates. It's would seem a better alternative in the end.
Personally, I doubt a lawyer would be interested unless he knows of lots of history of similar incidents in this setting. I don't see anything that could be taken into a courtroom as evidence. But I'm no lawyer.
I know this troubled you greatly as you signed into MH as a new member and posted personal details of your life on several forums to people you have never met. I encourage you to get more personalized help from a familiar counselor. I do hope you are able to cope, move on, and get the surgery you need for relief of your TN pain.
Would you allow this done to your daughters, or your grandmothers? I know deep in my heart and soul that what happened to me was about the complaint I had raised on the nurse a few weeks before, and by golly they got their revenge, didn’t they, big time! It was all done to me with malice & forethought, deliberate and unpardonable disregard of patient care. Your doctor cannot fondle you during a gynie exam, that is against professional medical moral principles; which is against the law. We know as adults when someone has crossed clear medical boundaries. However, all I can do today is merely COPE. I said what happened to me out- loud. There are two ways to cope; confront the abuser; get an apology, or cope in horrible silence, alone. All we can do after clear violations is learn how to COPE afterwards; we can never go back and erase what happened to me. I cannot live as a victim, nor live in denial. If it happened to me, I am sure the same has happened to others. Whether or not it’s been documented is irrelevant, but I would bet a clear footpath. It does take years to learn how to cope as an adult from childhood experiences, and it takes a while in therapy to understand that depression/sadness is ANGER turned inwards. Anger is a feeling which you own or not, as is sadness. There are perceived fears and real fears. This was a real fearful situation, and most certainly preventable. I endured real gang type mentality from a sick person bent on revenge, she knew I NEEDED the testing, and they all knew it collectively. I am choosing to wash my hands of it; by merely dishing it, all back to them all. I won’t own these anger/sad feelings, as they are the rightful owners, the gang of surly medical personnel. Medical personnel are supposed to be people who are passionately dedicated to helping others. They in turn deserve our thanks and our respect. They must refrain from insulting patients. I was treated with such great disrespect as a patient in a medical setting both willfully & purposely. I MUST report them and give them back what they gave to me, sickness. I was unable to deal with the sexual abuse as a teen, yet now this day, I have to re-live it all over again, as a grown adult from a group of medical personal whose job it is to make ME get better. I owe them nothing at all; they owed me something! I PAID for the ECHO-STRESS test, by owning insurance. When you go to a restaurant, you pay for a meal & you pay for the meal if it is what it is supposed to be. If you ordered a steak, would you accept a chicken? No, you would not; you did not order chicken did you? My doctor ordered an echo-stress test, I paid for it, and I expect the service and the tests to be performed in a medically professional manner. Never in my wildest dreams was I ever to be GANGED UP for CS! I was surprised and then shocked into submission for their sheer entertainment and revenge. Now, I must cope by confronting the doctor with what happened, and then wait for him to make it right. I want an apology from all of them. I want them to admit what they did and how wrong it was to do this to any patient. If I do not get this all done, I will go to the police to get them all arrested for violating me as a female. What they did to me was criminal conduct. If a judge decides what happened to me was pre-mediated, it was then willful unprovoked neglect. Yes, it was all done willfully and with premeditation. This was an intended crime; the act of thinking about and planning a crime beforehand, rather than acting on impulse in a moment of passion or mindlessness. If you go to someone’s home with a gun, & you kill someone you have committed premeditated murder. However, if you go to someone’s house without a gun, you did not prepare for the murder. The murder had happened for some other reason; it is was pre-mediated. I was clearly violated as a female person, and as a patient. No one; doctors, nurses, techs, or hospitals has the RIGHT to commit PRE-MEDIATED harm upon a patient. Never... EVER!
For those of you that do not understand what a Echo Stress test entails; you must undress from the waist up. Probes are attached to your body to measure BPM. You lay on the table for the tech to get an echo of your heart FIRST. Then you are put onto a treadmill and you walk fast and faster until your heart rate reaches at least 150 BPM. I asked that the incline feature NOT be raised and that I would achieve this naturally. My voice meant nothing, the ***** purposely raised the incline against my will. I said NO, NO AGAIN! The tech defied my request and she they kept upping the incline measurement. I could have reached the same BPM myself in a natural walk-like setting. An Echo of your heart is taken BEFORE you perform the stress test on the treadmill. Then after you run on the treadmill the technician takes the an Echo again. After I ran on the treadmill I needed to gain my equilibrium by grabbing onto the handle. My hands were pealed from the bar and I was PUSHED down onto the table when I was clearly dizzy and out of breath. Obviously none of you have taken an Echo-Stress test. There is a big difference between the two.
heytrud, it's kind of hard to tell exactly what happened in the doc's office vs. what happened to you when you were a child.
I don't understand the specifics of what the actual procedure you had was, and whether that was standard procedure. In my experience an echo stress test is done on a treadmill or some other exercise equipment so I don't understand the part about lying on the table during the test.
I think you may want to have a consultation with a medical malpractice attorney, and be very specific about exactly what was done. I would leave out the part about your past sexual abuse. The staff is not responsible for that and it leaves the door open to the perception that you melded the two experiences together and the experience in the doc's office was just standard stuff that brought back an ugly memory but wasn't abusive itself.
I also think you should leave out your statements about the gang mentalities that exist in "every" office setting because that also takes credibility from your statements, and your guess that the nurses are lesbians and alcoholics also takes away from the credibility.
Best wishes.
I don't understand the specifics of what the actual procedure you had was, and whether that was standard procedure. In my experience an echo stress test is done on a treadmill or some other exercise equipment so I don't understand the part about lying on the table during the test.
I think you may want to have a consultation with a medical malpractice attorney, and be very specific about exactly what was done. I would leave out the part about your past sexual abuse. The staff is not responsible for that and it leaves the door open to the perception that you melded the two experiences together and the experience in the doc's office was just standard stuff that brought back an ugly memory but wasn't abusive itself.
I also think you should leave out your statements about the gang mentalities that exist in "every" office setting because that also takes credibility from your statements, and your guess that the nurses are lesbians and alcoholics also takes away from the credibility.
Best wishes.
I would get this looked at by a lawyer or someone who will know how to handle it for you, what you have described here sounds appalling ,the administration I would think maybe better ,you need advice here how to proceed ....
What was your fax message to the doctor, and why did you send it? Without that information, it is difficult to evaluate your post.
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