Can’t Even Save Their Own Skin

(I work in a doctor’s office, and am sitting in the nurses station during patient call-backs when I overhear this conversation:)

Nurse: “Hi, this is [Nurse] calling from [Doctor’s Office]. Is [Patient] there?”

Patient: “Yes, speaking.”

Nurse: “I’m calling to let you know that the results of your biopsy are in, and I’m afraid they came back as a skin cancer that needs to be addressed right away. Would you be able to come in for surgery on [date and time two days from now]?”

Patient: “Oh… um, I’m going on vacation then.”

Nurse: “This is a serious problem that needs to be taken care of as soon as possible. Is there any way you can push your vacation start back? You will be able to travel after your procedure without a problem.”

Patient: *getting angry* “Absolutely not! Do you know how much it will cost me to change my tickets? I’m going to Europe for a three month tour!”

Nurse: “You can’t be serious?! This is a cancer that will grow and spread and has the potential to become lethal. I strongly advise that you—”

Patient: “NO! I won’t hear it. You doctor types think that you all have a God complex! Not everything is life or death!”

Nurse: “This actually is! Please, if you can’t commit to an appointment today, call us and make one as soon as possible!”

Patient: “I’ll have nothing to do with this. I’ll get a second opinion! I’ve read the Internet and I know how often you people are wrong just to make an extra buck!” *slams the phone down, ending the call*

(The kicker? The procedure to remove the skin cancer would have taken less than an hour, and she would have been able to hop on her flight to Europe. In the time she said she’d be gone, her grade 2 cancer, which is treatable, had the potential to become a grade 3 or 4 cancer, which would greatly reduce her chances of having it successfully removed, and increase her risk of it spreading to other organs!)