'[He] doesn't fill out forms. He just throws those away': Epilepsy patient gets back at lazy doctor who refuses to do his job

Author image for Brad Dickson
Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
Aug 10, 2023 6:00 PM EDT

We have this ideal that we hold that professionals will help us with our issues in a non-judgmental and unbiased manner—when that's often never the case. The reality is that these people are people, too, and have their own biases, flaws, and personality quirks that, on some level, prevent them from giving us the same type of care we'd receive if they were a blank slate. 

This means that, depending on who you are, what issue you might have, and what healthcare professional you're seeing, you might receive completely different care than someone else with the same disorder or symptoms.

This patient shared her experience of moving to a new place and trying to find a local doctor to deal with her epilepsy, finding herself entangled with a lazy neurologist who refused to properly submit the form she needed in order to maintain her driver's license. After discovering the forms hadn't been submitted six months later when her license was suspended, she learned that the doctor had thrown the forms away, prompting necessary revenge.

See her story and the reactions below. 

Advertisement
  • 01
    Dress shirt
    via Sasun Bughdaryan
  • 02
    Font - Posted by u/Quey84 5 hours ago Doctor Refuses to Do His Job...Let's Do This Then. To set the story I have epilepsy that is controlled as long as I take my medication. This means I am allowed to drive I just have to have my neurologist fill out a form basically giving me permission at least once a year. Since I am controlled I usually only have maintenence appointments about once a year. I also am married with 4 kids. So my being able to drive is important to our daily routine. It's also i
    via u/Quey84
  • 03
    Font - When we move one of the first things I do is find doctors and schedule appointments for everyone. After getting established with a general doctor I got a referral to the local neurology department. To go anywhere else is like a 40 minute drive.
    via u/Quey84
  • 04
    Font - Day of the first appointment comes and everything goes smoothly. No red flags. I have been in the medical rodeo here in the US for as long as I can remember so I can usually sense a bad doctor quickly. The hospital doesn't have the best reputation so I was cautiously optimistic. After that appointment I was hopeful...big mistake.
    via u/Quey84
  • 05
    Font - A couple months letter I get the yearly letter from the state in the mail requesting a new driving form be filled out by my neurologist. I call my neurologist and find out their procedure. They tell me I can drop it off and they will send it in. My husband offers to take it on his way to work because it's just down the road from work and he knows I hate their parking lot. He drops it off and we assume all is good.
    via u/Quey84
  • 06
    Font - They usually give you about 6 months to get this form in. So about 6 months later I receive a letter from the state saying the form was never received and my license is suspended. Obviously I am wondering what the hell happened. I did everything on my end. So I call the doctors office. This is when the nightmare begins.
    via u/Quey84
  • 07
    Font - After that annoying menu all doctor offices have when you call I finally reach a real person. I tell her the situation and ask if they sent in the form. "Oh I am sorry Ma'am Dr. Smith (name changed) doesn't fill out forms. He just throws those away." A moment of silence cause I was caught off guard by that one.
    via u/Quey84
  • 08
    Font - "I called several months ago and was assured if I dropped it off he would fill it out and send it in." "Sorry. He won't fill that out. He literally has us throw them straight in the trash " "He is required by the state to fill out this form. Does he need me to walk him through it?"
    via u/Quey84
  • 09
    Font - At this point I was angry and my husband who was listening offered to take over. He knew I was about to go off and thought if he kept calm it could be worked out. He also is familiar with the crappy medical system and has helped people talk to doctors before (comes with his job). My husband was on the phone for over an hour and had to call a patient advocate at the hospital to get them to do anything. I was stewing near by and growing more and more angry. When he hung up he said the docto
    via u/Quey84
  • 10
    Font - If it had ended there I might have let things go and just moved on to another doctor. But no. They filled out the form wrong at least three times. These forms are super easy and take doctors maybe 30 seconds to fill out for me. I have watched them fill it out. He basically kept checking a box that implied he didn't treat me for epilepsy and my general doctor had to do it. Meaning this lazy ass was trying to get someone else to do it. The flaw in that though is I grew up dealing with this
    via u/Quey84
  • 11
    Font - So I call them again. I decided to unleash my anger. "neurology department...how can I help you?" "I have sent over my form from the state 4 times now to be filled out. Once it was thrown out. Three times it was filled out wrong. I need Dr. Smith to fill out this form today." "Your general doctor is supposed to do it."
    via u/Quey84
  • 12
    Font - "My general doctor does not treat my epilepsy Dr. Smith does. Are you stupid? The doctor treating my epilepsy has to fill it out. It's pretty easy actually, but if it's to hard for the doctor I can walk him through it. Or I can call my old neurologist and she can teach him." "It's really not required. We don't have to do that." Nice try. I have been doing this for over ten years. State law requires he fill out this form. Do I need to talk to a lawyer? "
    via u/Quey84
  • 13
    Font - "Oh. Um..yeah just come by and it will be taken care of" My husband the mediator stepped in and drove to the hospital with me to get this taken care of. When we get there he can tell the drive just gave me more time to build more anger. He asked if he could take the form in for me. I happily handed over the form where I had highlighted what needed to be filled out and also written step by step instructions on how to fill out the form. I also reminded him if this went wrong again I would b
    via u/Quey84
  • 14
    Font - He was at first concerned that the state wouldn't take a highlighted form, but I knew they could very easily print a new one off. He took it in and instead of handing it to the desk he asked for the head nurse. He waited till it was filled out and had printed proof that it had been sent in. I looked at the copy and knew the nurse trying to desperately resolve an unwinnable situation had forged the doctors signature. No hate to the nurse. She just had a sh boss.
    via u/Quey84
  • 15
    Font - After I got confirmation I had my license again I reported him to the hospital board, filed. complaints anywhere in the hospital that could hold him accountable, and made a detailed complaint to the state medical board. I also left scathing reviews online as well. I found a new neurologist 40 minutes away and the drive is a nice break away from the kids. Shortly after I reported him to the state medical board I received a letter stating they were opening an investigation into his conduct
    via u/Quey84
  • 16
    Font - I found out about a year later that apparently he now has signs hanging everywhere basically saying of you are mean to me I will be mean to you. The people said they saw those signs and left and decided also 40 minutes wasn't that bad of a drive. I was also told since then they have had trouble keeping supporting staff in that department. I assume there was some sort of consequences for him to hang signs everywhere. I typed this on my phone so sorry about any formatting problems or gramma
    via u/Quey84
  • 17
    Font - Don_Atam This was awesome 391 357 5 hr. ago Quey84 OP 5 hr. ago I usually avoid confrontation but when it comes to my epilepsy and patient rights I can get pretty mean. Reply Share 55 Kayakityak 2 hr. ago If they get rid of him, the lives of so many people will be improved. Reply Share What you did was wonderful. Reply Share 81 LibraryMouse4321 +2.3 hr. ago I'm like that, too, but don't mess around with my diabetic children. Mama Bear comes out to fight. Reply Share
    via u/Quey84
  • 18
    Font - SweetieLoveBug +2.4 hr. ago The God Complex is strong in this asot. From someone who's been playing this game for over 30 years, you have my utmost respect. Great job! 182 Reply Share Quey84 OP 4 hr. ago . Thanks. It definitely was. I honestly don't think he ever expected a patient to understand how to play the system in their favor. 92 Reply Share
    via u/Quey84
  • 19
    Font - AdraLamia 4 hr. ago Sometime the incompetence and laziness of people is just astounding. Good for you for standing your ground, and I hope your condition stays manageable as long possible. P.S I enjoy listening to my fav podcasts on longer journeys. 79 Reply Share
    via u/Quey84
  • 20
    Font - voidtreemc +2.3 hr. ago Special prizes to your husband for knowing you and stepping up. 78 ↓ Reply Share Quey84 OP 3 hr. ago He's honestly amazing. 36 Reply Share
    via u/Quey84
  • 21
    Font - Arokthis +3.4 hr. ago I think "wanting to stay out of jail" is the only reason people don't beat the crap out of people like that doctor. Reply Share 55 Urb4nNord +2 20 min. ago Dueling really should make a comeback if only for people like this... 45 Reply Share
    via u/Quey84
  • 22
    Font - ForsakenBee5559 4 hr. ago I am someone who has had to put on the boxing gloves, so to speak, every time I enter a doctor's office. I have given up and just decided to 'live' with my situation. (Not the same situation as yours) I have nothing much of value to add, I just wanted to say I'm so proud of you! I don't know you, but I know what's it's like. You did everything right! I'm always happy when I hear people standing up and fighting for themselves. And double that when it works. Signed
    via u/Quey84
  • 23
    Font - thebriarwitch +1.2 hr. ago Also to question how many people did he just trash their forms and their lives were completely upended? The receptionist stated he just threw them all in trash. What the hell? 263 Reply Share Exploding_Muffin +1 31 min. ago Really ballsy of a receptionist to outright admit that. 4⁹+ 9 Reply Share
    via u/Quey84
  • 24
    Font - Bald Goddess. 4 hr. ago As a fellow epileptic who had to have those forms filled out yearly until I moved to a different state, I applaud you. ↑ 33 33 Reply Share
    via u/Quey84
  • 25
    Font - SwearWolf925 +1 -2 hr. ago This isn't even petty, this is 1000% justified. Good on you. Doctors can even be POS 20 Reply Share
    via u/Quey84
  • 26
    Font - enoughalready4me 2 hr. ago I am just confused. Your state requires you to fill out a form to keep your license? There are at least 5 members of my immediate family with seizure disorders, including well controlled epilepsy. No one has ever filled out a form, ever. All but one drive. We must never move to your state because that sounds like a freaking nightmare! Also, neurologists are the WORST- we found a good adult neuro almost an hour away, and a good peds neuro 30 minutes away. Abso-fr
    via u/Quey84
  • 27
    Font - youfilthyminx 1 hr. ago I wouldn't even say you were engaging in petty revenge. I'd call this justice! You've also probably saved loads of people stress and anxiety by dobbing this arse of a doctor in. 10 Reply Share
    via u/Quey84
  • 28
    Font - WTFISWRONGW-ME 3 hr. ago I'm waiting for my neurologist to give me the OK to drive again, I feel your pain. You are a badass Its sad when patients have to fight for their doctors to care 13 ↓ Reply Share
    via u/Quey84
  • 29
    Font - Simple_Mastodon9220 3 hr. ago My neurologist also refuses to fill out paperwork. I had to book an appointment and pay a copay just to get him to do it. Still wasn't filled out right. Epilepsy is so annoying. 483 Reply Share
    via u/Quey84
  • 30
    Font - G Justnojunk 3 hr. ago I work in a medical office. I don't have to fill out a lot of forms like this (Dermatology) but when I do, I don't think it has ever taken me more than 5 minutes, AT MOST. This is just a shitty doctor trying to throw his small dick around. 7 ↓ Reply Share Quey84 OP 3 hr. ago I filled out over half of it for him with my personal info. All he had to do was check a couple boxes and sign it. 93 Reply Share ...
    via u/Quey84

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

petty-revenge-reddit doctor petty revenge doctors
Scroll Down For The Next Article