"Jumped up Registrar"

A registrar called me on behalf of my specialist to arrange admission for a procedure. He was annoyed when I said I had a number of questions I needed answered before I made a decision as to whether to go ahead. "I'm only ringing to make the appointment" he said. I said that if he was too busy to answer my questions, forget about an appointment and I'd save the questions for a few months down the line when I was due to see my specialist.

Begrudgingly he then said I could ask questions, as my specialist wanted the procedure done before he next saw me. Too bad he wasn't able to answer my questions. It's always a worry when as a lay person you have more knowledge about complex endocrinology than does a registrar with a superior attitude.

I informed him I would need to check my diary as I had many hospital appointments, to which he had the nerve to say he couldn't see any on the system. No - at other hospitals. He wanted to know which - as if it is any of his concern.

Said I needed a letter for my employer that evidenced it was a 1. 5 day medical. He went on to tell me he was terribly busy, about to travel to a terribly important conference and may not have time for the letter - which wasn't his job after all and why did I not just ring in to work sick.

Well, because I am a professional who needs to rearrange my work load, and to get paid time off, I need to prove to my employer that I have a legitimate reason.

Needless to say, I didn't even consider that he would provide the letter, what with his busy schedule and being so very important. So I wrote to my already over stretched consultant and asked him to provide the letter.

Oh and my question about primary vs secondary adrenal insufficiency was easily answered on google anyway. I do hope he learnt something at the conference.