Horrible Doctor!

God forgive me for having murderous intentions against my new doctor in Jurong Point.

Why are doctors nowadays so smart and so unsympathetic?


So what triggered my angsty diatribe against doctors? A mean doctor (henceforth nickednamed “Mr. Toe”) did it.

I was in Bintan a few days back and I hurt my toe. To be specific, I kicked a stone step and my toe nail (the one on the biggest toe, no less) came off. The toe nail was dangling from bits of skin on the edges of my toe and blood dribbled all over. You can imagine the sight and the pain…

Bo pian, stuck in Bintan what to do? Somemore I had a snorkeling trip lined up. So I bandaged it up as well as I could and went snorkeling. Sea water is good for wounds isn’t it?

My bravado lasted only one day thanks to my friend, C.

She pointedly looked at my toe and said “You know, I had a friend who once had this rice grain stuck in an open wound in her gums. The wound healed over the rice grain and she didn’t know. Then she started getting massive toothache. After a long time, they finally realized that the rice grain was rotting in her gum and she had to have an operation to get it out. You know? I also had this scab on my knee once. I didn’t pull out the dead skin and the wound closed over the scab. The old dead skin was rotting beneath the new skin. I had to have an incision to remove it.”

My overactive imagination went into overdrive mode. Memories of news stories about flesh eating bacteria found in soil and sea creatures causing sure-death infections tormented me. The oddity of having one less toe on my foot aroused in me a curious affection for all my toes --- something I’ve never felt before.

So when I got back to Singapore, the first thing I did after depositing my luggage was to look for a doctor.

And for all my bad fortune, I had to meet the mean doctor – hence forth known as Mr. Toe.

The nightmare started the moment I entered the clinic.

“My toe nail fell off in Bintan. I tried to bandage it but I’m scared there would be some infection.”

I proceeded to gently tug off the bandage on my poor toe.

Mr. Toe swept my futile attempts away. Swooped down and he tore off the bandage as if he was tearing open the wrappers of his X’mas presents. Ouch.

After just a glance, the learned doctor said “I can’t do anything for you.”

Huh? What does he mean?

ME: “So is it okay? Is there any infection? Cos I went snorkeling you know?”

DOC: “Well, you shouldn’t have.” (said in a cool, ya ya papaya tone)

DOC: “I will give you some antibiotics and cream to apply on it.” (said in a “I’m done with you” tone, pls get out of here now, I’m dying to go home tone).

ME: “Huh? You mean that’s all? I mean, I buang my toe quite badly and it is now sengat (displaced to one side). Would it (the toe) grow out sengat next time?” (said in a very Singaporean kan jiong tone)

DOC: “Hmmm. You can always get a pedicure for that you know?” (said in a sarcastic matter of fact tone)

ME to myself: WTF? I paid $28 of consultation fee for you to tell me that I can get it fixed by a pedicurist? Very pain you know, my poor toe. Plus this is the first time I’ve ever buang my toe so badly that the nail was torn off… very unsympathetic doc lei!

ME: So how can you tell that my toe is alright now and the medication will work? Do I need an injection to prevent infection?

DOC: I told you, there’s nothing I can do for you.

ME: HUH? Waddya mean there’s nothing you can do for me?

DOC: (speaking slowly as if to a retard) There are three possible outcomes. One, this is a minor injury and your toe heals without problems. Two, there’s an infection because you went swimming. So I’ll give you antibiotics. Three, there’s a hairline fracture. However, if there’s a hairline fracture, there’s nothing I can do for you. Because you need to have an x-ray to see if there’s a hairline fracture. And even if there’s indeed a hairline fracture, you need to have an operation to insert a rod into the toe. I don’t think you want to insert a rod into your toe.

ME: Need surgery? (sickened)

DOC: Like I said, there’s nothing I can do and I don’t think you want to insert a rod into your toe.

ME: So what are the symptoms so I know I need to have a surgery? I mean, what will be the consequences?

DOC: Like I said, there are three outcomes and I don’t think you want to go for a surgery.

ME: So how do I know if I have recovered well?

DOC: I won’t know unless you go for a X-ray scan and there’s nothing I can do for you on that.

ME: Okay, just gimme my medication. (FED UP).

BOOOOOOO! Went out of the clinic feeling like I've been cheated of my money and made fun of and trivalised by an arrogant and cocky doctor. Will never go back there again and will tell all my friends not to visit this doctor.

I miss my old doctor!