Jury Duty

I received a jury summons several weeks ago. I cannot do jury duty. So, chalk up another plus for lupus patients, I guess. I would love to serve on a jury. I find trials fascinating. Unfortunately, I recognize, too, how corrupt our system is on many levels for Black people. So, maybe it wouldn’t be as interesting now as it would have many years ago. However, I can always be that stubborn person who won’t budge.

 

However, my body limits my ability to participate in this way. The fluorescent lighting might be fine for a day, but an entire week is too much. The county understands, but still wants a note from the doctor. When I lived in Flagstaff, I did not need this. I merely wrote a note describing the problem. My note was pro-jury so maybe that’s why they let it go.

I have been calling my doctor for at least two, maybe three, weeks. I don’t want to check as it might re-irritate me. I have been calling for the last three days and each person tells me the same thing – no response. I was very confused how they could be in the two-story building that houses my doctor’s office and not have more info. It was only today that someone thought to tell me I was talking to a call center somewhere. Ugh.

I was running out of time and was getting ready to just drive over there and talk with the intake people when my husband  demonstrated his genius. He asked, “Why not call and defer it for 90 days and then you’ll have more time.” This is why I married him. When I am all out of patience, he brings it for me. When he needs understanding, I try to do the same. I think I got the better half of this deal though.

But, this episode has got me thinking about doctors and chronically ill people. When I went for care at the U of Chicago as a seminary student, I had a run-in with one doctor that was epic. For me, anyway. During an appointment, I mentioned I hadn’t been to the eye doctor yet. I’m lazy about that. I admit it! It’s my eyesight, right? Her response was to start lecturing me about the dangers and dictating to me what I was going to do. You’re going to do this and you’re going to do that. I stared at her in wonder. I’d heard about these doctors but had been lucky enough to never have one.

The entire time all I could think was, "I’ve been sick way longer than you’ve been a doctor. Who do you think you are?" When she was done, I smiled and asked, “What are you going to do if I don’t?” By pointing out the obvious flaw in her lecture, I kept my cool. She didn’t like that. I don’t remember her response, but I hope she remembered mine. Patients are not just things you push around. We are not here for you, you are here for us. Ideally, we work together.

Today, though, I was the one to lose my cool. It was so frustrating. It felt as though my concerns just didn’t matter. I apologized to the person I was speaking with. I knew she was not at fault. 

Outsourcing services such as this puts an unnecessary layer of management in between the doctor and their patients. In addition, the call center employees are just as helpless as the patient. Now you have two people with no power to effect change. Chronically ill patients do not have the energy or the time to be chasing these things. Adding this extra layer of not-help is disrespectful to patients and their concerns.