I went in to see the dentist to get an impression of my teeth. I grind my teeth at night, causing me to have severe neck, jaw and forehead pain. So, I'm getting a small retainer to help prevent me from grinding my teeth at night. I had just finished getting the impressions done and the dental tech was scheduling a fitting appointment for me. She typed in my name, asking me to verify how it was spelled and began scrolling through what was apparently my file.
After a short pause, she said aloud, "WOW! Heart murmur...chemotherapy...radiation?! That's the sort of stuff you see in OLD people. How old ARE you?"
I was shocked, but still answered her question, "...26".
"You're young! You've been through A LOT! Cancer's all gone now, right?", she said handing me an appointment card.
"Yeah."
I left the dentist feeling horribly violated and felt as if my personal history was on spectacle for this woman. I know that she meant well, but it was hurtful, triggering and painful for me to have someone compare my state of health to that of an old, frail person. Don't you think that might make someone feel pretty damned bad, being reminded of how sickly their body is? It is not appropriate to openly discuss that person's medical history at the appointment desk, especially if it was not relevant to the task at hand, which was to make a follow-up appointment for a retainer. It would have been totally different had it been relevant to my treatment and was discussed in the private treatment rooms, LIKE NORMAL MEDICAL PROCEDURE. Why is it that everyone thinks it is okay to practically announce my past cancer diagnosis, make it the point of conversation or assume that I want to talk about it with a stranger? Having had cancer and go through treatment is no fucking victory for me. Ask me ANYTHING else! Do I have pets? What do you do? Are you a student? What does your partner do? What TV shows do you watch? ET CETERA. How hard is it to choose something else to discuss while you're waiting with a patient?
Rude, rude, rude. I will definitely be sending them a letter.
Definitely send the doctor a letter and make sure he/she is the recipient of it! The dental tech had no right to say anything about your health problems beyond making an appointment.
ReplyDelete