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Depressed podiatrist

Discussion in 'General Issues and Discussion Forum' started by srd, Nov 15, 2008.

  1. srd

    srd Active Member


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    Hi,
    Just a huge failure of a week - totally wilted. Does anyone else have these times or is it just me.??
    Had 2 ulcers break down after previously responding well to teatment - had to send one for xrays and antibiotics. Had to admit defeat with a plantar heel wart - after 6 months treatment the wrotten thing is still present and pt had enough!! Orthotic review not so good- pt not happy. PNA pt decided not to go ahead as I filled the syringe with LA.
    It starts to make me wonder if it's me ?? Maybe I'm not the worlds best podiatrist but I usually manage to have a waiting room full of "happy to see me" patients.
    Maybe it's my mid-life crisis of podiatry- I still don't have all the answers and still manage to get things wrong.
    Next week can only get better - don't quote me on that.
    SRD
     
  2. LuckyLisfranc

    LuckyLisfranc Well-Known Member

    SRD

    I am sure we can ALL empathise and sympathise with you. Have no fear - I and most of my colleagues regularly have very rotten weeks in podiatry. And not just treating patients and having less than successful outcomes - but battling opposition from within and outside of podiatry.

    It is good for you and your patients to question yourself sometimes. But don't bash yourself around too much.

    Next week will surely be better - but if it isn't, you have many like-minded colleagues to listen to your woes here...

    LL
     
  3. Steve The Footman

    Steve The Footman Active Member

    I think you answered this problem yourself. With what we do, not every patient is a straight forward case. That is part of what makes it so fun and challenging. That also means that some days you will by coincidence have a run of unhappy patients.

    What is important is to question your treatment in each failed case but not let those cases get you down. Focus on the big picture, keep positive and wait for the day that will soon come when all your patients sing your praises.
     
  4. SRD:

    Bad weeks do seem to occur every now and then, even now in my 24th year of practice. For example, this week, I just had some podiatrist on Podiatry Arena question my ability to be a good grandfather and then put a Hebrew curse on me.....but that didn't bother me since I feel sorry for the old man.;)

    In all seriousness, when confronted with the many challenges of podiatric practice, one must sometimes take a step back and try to view life from a broader perspective so that one may better appreciate what is important and what is not important in your life. In other words, the next time you have a bad week you should step back and start asking yourself these questions:

    1. Are my family and loved ones all safe and healthy?

    2. Am I able to provide for my family, put food on the table and put a roof over their heads?

    3. Do my loved ones love me?

    4. Am I healthy and free of pain and disability?

    If you have answered "yes" to all of these questions, then having a week where every patient isn't completely happy with you or your medical care will be put back into its proper perspective.:drinks
     
  5. twirly

    twirly Well-Known Member

    I would advise a short course in madness. :dizzy:

    During times like you mention (& we all get them!) talk to yourself.

    When the day, week, year (sounds like the 'Friends' theme tune! sorry :eek: )anyway, when anything is getting you really down there is a real risk of allowing yourself to be caught in a spiral of negativity.

    Even when you're alone you have 2 people with you {Freud said 3 but he was bonkers!} (bear with me) 1. Your best friend & your worst enemy. Both are part of your conscience. Talk to yourself (Iwould advise quietly unless the guys in white coats appeal). Advise yourself as you would a valued friend or colleague. If a friend questioned his/her week going pear shaped as you have then would you comfort then or beat them with a BIG stick & tell them how awful they are?

    If you're really doubting yourself I would recommend reading Freud.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Id,_ego,_and_super-ego

    Made very little sense to me as he rattles on about id, ego, super ego & God alone can make sense of that :rolleyes:

    If nothing else trying to unravel his thoughts can only make you feel quite normal in comparison. ;)

    So, to sum up....... 1 week out of 52 I think is a pretty good ratio of 'you're doing okay.'

    Just my thoughts.

    Be happy :D
     
  6. Dido

    Dido Active Member

    Dear srd,
    Take heart. You are not alone.:empathy:
    Remember ulcers break down again regularly because :-
    a) the patient decides to do a 3 mile hike
    b) just to annoy you.
    c) without reason.:confused:
    I tend to avoid them now.
    Patients have a right to refuse treatment, it's just annoying if it's your treatment they are refusing. (maybe ask for deposit in future??)
    So you think you had a bad week?
    Three weeks ago a mother bought a child with learning disabilities to the surgery for treatment. The child refused to co-operate and when mum took hold of their foot they struggled free and threw themselves on the surgery floor and started screaming. :eek: I went for a cup of tea. :morning: Unfortunately the next 2 (new) patients left as well and haven't been seen since. :craig:

    Ahhh well.

    C'est la vie.

    regards
    Dido
     
  7. bob

    bob Active Member

    Dido,

    It could have been worse, when you went for your cup of tea it could have gone cold, you may have wondered why you got out of bed at all. The morning rain could have clouded up your window and you may not have been able to see at all. And even if you could it'd all be grey, but at least some bloke's picture is on your wall, and that reminds you that it's not so bad, not so bad.

    :boohoo:
     
  8. drsarbes

    drsarbes Well-Known Member

    When I get down for whatever reason my girl friend always comes up with the question......
    "Do you have an appointment with the oncologist tomorrow?"

    Still and all, we all have days when you start questioning various treatments that have worked so well over the years and on that particular days seem so unproductive.

    Don't fret. Just remember "these are the good old days!"

    Steve
     
  9. Adrian Misseri

    Adrian Misseri Active Member

    A good glass or red always seems to make things just that little bit more bearable!!
    :D
     
  10. lcp

    lcp Active Member

    mate I was actually going to start a similar thread myself. I have recently seriously considered a change of occupation just to get a little bit more "respect" from people. My biggest problem comes more from the fact that I work in a semi-rural area where knowledge of Podiatry is limited at best (although thankfully getting better). Here are a few recent ones:
    1. local dermatologist (no more than 500m from me) saying to a patient of mine "oh are you going to get your nails painted" after she mentioned that she was off to see her Podiatrist
    2. patient travelling 2.5hrs to Sydney to get a "custom" pair of interpod (the soft ones) orthotics, because the Podiatrist is a specialist because they work in the city and we just cut toe nails!! (thankfully that got corrected). (you'd be surprised how often this happens due to local "old" GP's sending patients off to the ends of the world, despite us constantly sending and talking to teh GP's about what we do)
    3. patient refusing to see us because we dont paint the nails after we give them a "pedicure"
    4 and then there is just the common occurence of people just thinking our profession is just a nail cutting joke.
    Now this may just be an occurence in my area, and more than likely due to the narrow treatment range of some of the previous Podiatrists, but it does get to you after a while.
    At the end of the day, no matter how bad it may be feeling, when a patient comes back and whole-heartedly thanks you for taking away their pain and discomfort, or just gives you a friendly G'day in the street, it does make you feel better. Just have to accept that not every treatment will work and not every patient will be happy, but its the ones that do keep coming back that make it worthwhile.
    Paul
     
  11. DAVOhorn

    DAVOhorn Well-Known Member

    Why not change your career I know::sinking:

    Real Estate Agent:butcher:

    Car Motor Vehicle Sales:butcher:

    Or just put your fees up so you can be miserable in more comfort.

    Seriously though we do as a profession have a status problem and it is something we can only change in our own little area.

    Patients are apparently just Human. I agree with the JUST part of this statement.

    So yes any job has its moments.

    I even had one today who had had a v painful OC for 6 weeks and was surprised it was bit touchy as i hacked away at it. She even had the Gaul to go a very funny colour ans almost pass out on me.

    But after the t/t made a pretty rapid recovery and thanked me for my skills and kindness. Bless

    So remember it is one day at a time.

    Anyway i have been in my mid life crisis since i paid off my mortgage in 2003 and have sold up and moved to Aus and have been here 2 years.:drinks

    regards Pommie Scottish David
     
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