Doctor's Note — A Rant
"I didn't get a medical note, so they sacked me. It was probably illegal, but the thing with illness, mental or otherwise, is that it tends to annihilate your capacity for argument" — CJ Cooke
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Dear readers,
Welcome again to another medical rant — it's more of a school process rant.
The quote above… I've never related to anything more. The amount of times I've felt destroyed, isolated, and crazy because I don't have a medical note is insane to me.
I understand why a medical note is needed and why it's part of the procedure. I know, but that doesn't mean I like it. It doesn't mean that I'm okay with it, nor do I wish things could change. I know everything could improve; I know there's always better.
It just makes me sad that this is the reality. I don't know how to fix this, and I don't know the best way. I'm just saying my peace.
Before COVID, it took a lot of work for me to get a doctor's note. Especially if you were sick with a bad cold, by this point, everyone knows how to deal with a cold their way, and you only go to the doctor when it gets worse or it isn't going away. But school's still need that, they still need that you went to the doctor. Even for a cold. A cold is bad enough that you can't go to school but not so bad that you need prescribed antibiotics.
But following school policy, you still need it.
Now, after COVID, it's more complicated. Many doctors quit after the stress of the pandemic — I understand why — and so many people do not have doctors anymore. I had just aged out of my old family physician during the pandemic because he was a pediatrician. My parent's family doctor was not accepting any more patients — even if they were family — so that left me and my sister without a doctor. At first, it was okay because I still had my neurologist — thank god — and my main concern was my headache. But as the pandemic continued, I couldn't ignore some of the other reoccurring symptoms that I couldn't see a neurologist for, so I needed a family doctor. It got to the point where my psychiatrist had to give me three or four links to get a family doctor because I had mentioned some health issues to him that had sounded a bit concerning, and he pushed me to get a family doctor. I have one now, but it was a long waiting process. But many people I know don't have a family doctor either.
The amount of times I had to suck it up and write a test, even when I felt dead, is sad to me. Even if it was a problem with a headache, and that's why I had to miss an assessment or something, I still couldn't get a doctor's note. A neurologist is a specialist, and getting in contact with a specialist is hard enough, let alone trying to book an urgent appointment with them. Your doctor's note must be five business days after the missed day. So… there's a time crunch.
I once tried the school doctor, but every time I booked, they declined my appointment. The one time I went, the doctor told me to get a doctor. I was so defeated that day.
I should clarify something. The beginning of COVID I had a neurologist — a headache specialist — but 2021 I didn't have my doctor anymore. That doctor had switched positions and worked as a specialist, but only for children. I was a year too old, so I needed to find a new doctor. She had offered to transfer me to another doctor at the same clinic, but I had seen that doctor once, and I didn't like her — she just wasn't the right fit for me. Then she wrote me a referral to a neurologist, a doctor in the city where I'm attending university. I didn't have anyone following up on my headaches for almost a year. That's why the school doctor told me to find a doctor; he said I needed a neurologist. I needed that doctor to note that I couldn't write one of my midterms because of my headaches, but he refused.
When I needed a doctor's note, I went onto some online doctor apps and paid $70 to get a note.
I have doctors now. They are still sometimes hard to get in contact with, but at least I have someone to turn to. But you do need to pay for doctors' notes. They are roughly 15–20 dollars. Not bad, I guess.
Thank you for reading; I hope you have a fantastic day or night whenever you're reading.
A.B.💜
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The reason for the bow and arrow emojis is that I found this explanation of the bow and arrow and fell in love. One can take any symbol to mean whatever they want, so your meaning of a bow and arrow might differ from mine, and that's okay. A bow and arrow helps me keep my hope and determination in my future. An arrow can only be shot by pulling it backwards. So when life is dragging you back with difficulties, it will launch you into something extraordinary. Just remember to focus and keep your aim.
If you want to reach out via other means:
Tumblr: @WriterAttHeart (https://writerattheart-blog.tumblr.com/)
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