"Dismissive doctor"

I have been unwell recently. A few weeks ago, my dog scratched me while thrashing in water. My son and I live in WA, in Kimberley. My dog is scared of water—she's a beautiful, kind-natured dog, but terrified of water. My son accidentally tripped and pushed her into the water.

I was in the water as well, so I grabbed onto her leash and pulled her, but she was like, "Save me!" She scratched me, and I had one claw go into my right arm and another into my left. I went home and did what I had to do. Eventually, I needed to go to the hospital because it was looking infected.

I went to the hospital a few days later and was seen by a doctor. They tried to do a swab, but they couldn’t get any because I had tried to dry out the wounds. They put me on antibiotics—Flucloxacillin. Two days later, I developed a rash, went back to the hospital, and they took me off those antibiotics and put me on new ones. I was put on Bactrim. I had that for two days.

I went back a couple of days later and saw a trainee doctor, Dr. Andrew, who I had previously seen on my first admission. He was really, really amazing. Finally, I got a blood test, skin scraping, and urine test—finally got stuff done that I believe I should have already had done. After that, they told me to come back for blood tests in about 3 days.

They told me I had damage to my kidneys. When I went back for the blood test, I still felt unwell—had a sore throat and was snuffly. They did a COVID test, and it was positive. They took me in. The wounds were still covered, crusty, and quite red. I had a lovely doctor in the ED who did my blood tests so I didn’t have to walk there. She told me she was going to get a clinician.

This is what really upset me, because we have a lot of locums, but they were a clinician. I had my blood test, felt like hell, had been fighting infection, and my mental and emotional state was not in a good place. I had spots all over me, my wounds were giving me grief. The clinician then walked in. My initial assessment was that they came in with a superiority complex. I recall they said, right, let's look at these wounds. And then said, oh, I don’t think they need to be covered. So I said, "Right, well that’s fine, I can just have them uncovered." Then the doctor asked how did I even know I had COVID?

I felt like the doctor was being rude and abrupt—basically telling me, "You’re not important. Get out." Then what they said next really got to me—they pointed to my wounds and said, that’s not a concern, that’s not a concern, while pointing at them. The clinician tried to blame COVID, but it was pre-existing—I hadn’t had any covid symptoms until later.

As someone who had been put on three different medications by three different doctors, I went back and basically asked for the third time if they would put me on IV antibiotics. And then I get this doctor with an attitude.

Most doctors and nurses are amazing—fantastic. I can’t fault the nurses at all, and most doctors are pretty damn good.

When this clinician walked in, it was unnecessary for them to act the way they did. Another doctor had actually said, no, the patient needs to stay and wait for their blood tests. But the clinician just said, well, if the blood tests come back clear, the patient can go. Then the clinician washed their hands and left.

I waited for my blood test results. The other doctor came back and asked how I was feeling. This whole experience made me angry and upset. I ended up in tears. I had a small emotional breakdown at the pharmacy where I just burst into tears.

I still have damage to my kidneys, and only now am I starting to recover. That doctor made me feel like a piece of dirt on the bottom of a shoe.

If I’m having a bad day, I don’t take it out on others. I understand being a doctor is hard, but they didn’t need to act so dismissive.