Fictional Scenario, Another Rich Parent

NB: Fictionional event, but this made up scenario is not unusual from parents I deal with.


I sometimes catch myself sounding just like my father, berating the younger generation for their softness, while describing in vivid detail what life was like when I used to bike to school in freezing rain, or minus ten degree frosts. But the kids here don't believe me. They've had life too easy. It's made them weak, both physically and mentally. Or perhaps I'm just having a bad day, but it seems the rich are ruining their kids.

"What's wrong" I asked Sally as she came into my office. Sally slumped down into the chair, let out a huge sigh as if she had the world on her shoulders. She should never take up acting as she was far from convincing. Like all the other students before her, she had not bothered to be so sad and sick looking while sitting in the waiting room. Thirty seconds earlier she had been happily gossiping, joking and laughing, literally the life of the party. She was the epitome of health.

"I can't go to class today, I'm too sick" she claimed "It's my stomach ulcer. It's playing up." She was clutching the middle area of her abdomen, now rocking back and forth. I played along for a while. "Is it a stabbing pain?" I asked. She nodded her head. "Does it come and go?" Again she nodded her head. "Is it lower down, near your belly button?" She nodded her head. "What about food. Does food make it better or worse?" She was silent a moment, thinking of the best answer. "It doesn't make any difference" she finally said. "Then it doesn't sound like an ulcer. In fact it doesn't sound too serious at all" I said. She didn't seem relieved by my answer. "My Dad has one, and thinks I may have one. You can call him if you like." I declined the offer to talk to her father.

When working in a boarding school, there are a few extra questions that are worth asking, as it is always important to get the whole picture. "Do you have any tests in class right now?" I asked. "No, and my grades are good." I then checked her blood pressure, pulse, temperature which were perfect. I listened to her abdomen, gently palpated it, all seeming fine. I then offered her some medication to ease her pain, but she refused, saying she wanted some lemon tea. I got her some lemon tea and over the next hour the tea seemed to ease her pain and she happily marched off to her next class.

The next day, at the same time, she had the same symptoms. "Do you have a test in class today?" I asked. She shook her head. "Well, that's not what your teacher said. I had a phone call from your English teacher, and you've missed yesterday's test. Plus you also have a presentation due today." Sally seemed to forget her symptoms, the stomach clutching, the rocking back and forth. "Are you calling me a liar?" The venom in her voice caught me by surprise. "No, but your symptoms have a strange coinicidence of coinciding with your English class. I'm not saying you're lying about your illness, but you did lie about your tests." Sally got up from her chair "My father will have your job. No one calls me a liar" she stormed out of the office. He's more than welcome to my job.

The next day, I recieved a less than flattering email. It went like this:

To whom it may concern,

This Friday, my daughter had yet another stomach pain, apparently stronger than before. This is not the first time that this has happened as she has constantly been feeling sick during the semester. I believe she might have an ulcer, or even pancreatitis, but I haven't been able to check with a specialist so far due to work commitments.

During Sally's math class, she started to feel a powerful pain in her stomach, more powerful than before, thus she was sent to the health center.

Not only did she have to wait thirty minutes, but when someone finally bothered to see her, the nurse yelled at her to hurry up, was threatening and demeaning.

This nurse, and nothing more, has put my daughters health at risk, both physical and emotional. My daughter was so upset she had to leave and spent the rest of the day sufferring tremendously.

It is unacceptable that a high school, for which I pay top dollar, to have nurses call students liars as they are still just nurses.

I have spoken with my lawyers, and unless I have a full investigation of events, plus a complete assessment by a specialist, and an apology from the nurse involved, things will be taken much further.

I keep thinking of how my parents would react. They would find out the facts, they would begin with polite, but firm enquiries. They would be fair, they would want to know the whole story, from both sides. But my parents are normal, regular everyday people. They don't have the power and money that Sally's father has, but they damn well know how to avoid making a fool of themselves.


With the above scenario, which is common, management tell us to be diplomatic, to apologise for any misunderstanding. That we should listen, understand, and be professional. I don't like it when non-medical people tell me how to do my job.

I couldn't help myself, and told Sally's dad a thing or two.
See my next post.