I know they are MEDICAL professionals...

...but the way they treat people, as though they are nothing more than a set of symptoms and diagnoses, is so frustrating.

Can they not see that when they announce he can go home IF this and IF that, they are setting us up if the IF's don't work out right?

Can they not see that when they tell a little boy they have a playroom, that is it a cruel form of torture to then tell him he can't use it because the volunteer staff didn't bother to show up today and we are at their mercy?

Can they not see that 7:30am, when they waltz into the room, flip on the lights, and start talking at us, before we've even gained consciousness...before I've put my glasses on (not to mention before I've had any coffee)...that I am going to retain NOTHING?

Can they not see that trying to convince a four-year-old to eat is not going to happen when you stroll in and announce that he's going to have to stay here for two or three more days?

Can they not see that when they tell him he has to be hooked up to the IV "for a little while," that we parents are the ones left answering the, "is it done YET?" question a zillion times over the course of the TWO HOURS it actually takes? That we have to sit and deal with the, "This is taking FOREVER," temper tantrum that occurs during that time?

Does it matter at all when he starts crying when they say, "sorry kiddo, you get a double dose, that was only the first one, now is the second?" and they scurry from the room like rats from a sinking ship, leaving me as the one to take the, "Leave me alone," and the, "This isn't fair?"

How AM I supposed to handle it when my child is crying because all he wants to do is go play and you stand there talking to me about insurance and how he HAS to take the oral medication because insurance won't cover a five-day stay for just IV antibiotic treatment when there is an oral form available? What exactly would you like me to do?

They are supposed to be the medical professionals. The ones who deal with this stuff all the time. We are the ones in uncharted territory. This is about more than just the medicine. It's about a scared little boy and his scared parents who look to YOU for strength and advice. So maybe you could offer something more?

(And before I get blasted for an unfair opinion of the medical profession, I want to say that we have had some STELLAR doctors, nurses, and patient care assistants. And they have been noted by name in our personal journal and will receive special thank you's. But there are a few that are consistently bad. And there are some good ones that aren't always good. But I'm afraid the negative experiences leave a lasting negative impression because they make this harder than it already is.)