Well, it's time for my annual mammogram, and since last year was such a party, I thought I would reflect on this year's experience. You see, in 2015, when I entered the changing room at CAN'T MENTION THE HOSPITAL BY NAME BECAUSE OF LEGAL ISSUES located in a beautiful County in Pennsylvania, I saw that each patient changing room had been decorated with what looked like an explosion in the back room of a Victoria's Secret runway show.
So they gotta get a letter, right? Here are the highlights:
"I have lost one breast to cancer. In the waiting/changing room, I found the display of frilly sexy bras to be humiliating and depressing. Women are not just breasts, and yet, at the same time, your display says that women without breasts are not women. I want you to know that because of this humiliating experience I will never have another mammogram again.If the monster comes back I'll just let it kill me."
So, CAN'T MENTION THE HOSPITAL BY NAME BECAUSE OF LEGAL ISSUES wrote back to me and I quote: "I can assure you the issues you shared regarding the displays were discussed with the Sr. Director and those displays have been taken down."
So imagine my surprise, when I take my last three crappy hours of personal time to go to for my mammogram
this year and the first thing I see is:
This isn't even cute, this is like a horror movie poster. Sure enough, the whole changing room is decorated like a bordello. I pointed to each display and said: "No, no, no, no, and no!" I turn to the nurses and tell them they will never see me in their facility again.
I hied myself over to the Executive Office and voiced my dissatisfaction. Loudly. I made a grown-ass woman cry and I'm not ashamed of it. (I mean, you lie to my face, and I will CUT you.)
In several days I receive a letter with the following: "It was a pleasure meeting you and I thank you for sharing your personal story with me. The staff at CAN'T MENTION THE HOSPITAL BY NAME BECAUSE OF LEGAL ISSUES is committed to patient safety and satisfaction. Whenever it is perceived that we have fallen short of meeting our mission we take a very serious look at what may have transpired. Your comments concerning the bra display at the other Outpatient Center were forwarded to the appropriate staff for review. Please know that a fund raiser event for cancer patients is the reason for the bra displays. Some of the displays are in memory of patients who had breast cancer. I am sorry that you perceived these displays to be insensitive.If the need should arise in the future, I hope that you will once again allow CAN'T MENTION THE HOSPITAL BY NAME BECAUSE OF LEGAL ISSUES the privilege of participating in your health care needs"
So, after re-loading, naturally I had to write a letter, right? Here are the highlights:
Dear Patient Relations,
Please tell me the name of the organization that provided the displays; I want to be sure that I never do business with them.
And let me be clear, I found the displays to be not only insensitive, but humiliating and callous.
I expect more from a facility that has the words COMPASSION, INTEGRITY and RESPECT printed right on their Mission Statement.
In addition, because of the special scheduling time frames of this particular test, I had to utilize the last of my precious personal time off from work for this test. So I won't have the time to go to other Outpatient Center anyway, unless I take unpaid time, which does NOT sit well with my employer. In addition, why should I be inconvenienced by having to travel farther and use more gasoline? (Twice.)
Your staff expressly told me in WRITING that the displays had been removed, but it obviously they have not. This calls into question the integrity of your executive staff.
One of two things transpired: either the "displays" were in fact never removed and ya'll just blew glitter up my skirt, OR the same ignorant bunch came back and top brass okay'd this little horror scene because it made money.
Why not hold a raffle for something
useful, like a shiny pink coffin? I think that might make some coin.
The fact that some of the displays were in memory of women who (presumably died from breast cancer) is a sick, tasteless joke.
I couldn't be more appalled if someone engraved a plaque "In memory of Brenda's tits." Because really, that's the translation. Apparently that was the most important part of her: her boobs, hooters, fun-bags, ta-tas or the euphemism of your choice.
What really baffles me though, is that you and your staff apparently do not understand the statistics of mental health in this country. At least one in 10 people will experience a mental or behavioral health crisis in their lifetime. A cancer patient has a 25% chance of developing depression. Suicide--even among patients in remission (yeah, stop that NED crap, just stop it), is significantly higher than the national average. And a breast cancer patient has an 80% chance of developing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. So I assumed that it would be obvious to you that not every woman is merrily skipping into your facility for a mammogram between lunch dates and shopping.
Some of us are sick. You should acknowledge that in every part of your facility. I don't understand why you can't grasp this concept. Haven't you watched television lately? Seems like a third of the nation is a whack-a-doodle. And a bunch of them own semi-automatic weapons. The rest are in politics.
I'm really surprised at this stupidity. I received nothing but exemplary care from the staff in the hospital, Dr. S., and nurses Lori and Deb (among others) in the infusion center. How do you think that Dr. S. and all of these other women would feel if they were to discover that my breast cancer returned, but because I was too traumatized to get a mammogram and it was too late to save me? Ponder on that one for awhile.
I'm sure that you hope that I will once again allow CAN'T MENTION THE HOSPITAL BY NAME BECAUSE OF LEGAL ISSUES the privilege to serve me. But I think the words you're looking for are: "We made a shit-ton of money off your insurance company and we hope you come back."
But one day, my friend, a light-bulb will go off and someone will ask:
"Did all these women die under YOUR WATCH?"
Assholes.
