An Open Letter To Doctors From A Veteran with TBI

Dear Doctor,

I want to spend the next few sentences thanking you for all you do.

Thank you for making me jump through all these hoops over the last several years to keep my appointments with you.

I’m stuck with you as you balanced your schedules and stacked your patients as you mandated we begin coming once a month as Oklahoma has changed its prescribing guidelines. I understood all the reasons you told me it had to be this way and was grateful to wait in your overflowing waiting rooms.

I thank you for this because you were ultimately teaching patience and that speaking out would get me kicked out.

Thank you for choosing pharmaceuticals and your profession over your patients. I didn’t realize that you were hurting so bad on your overhead that you have your office staff call and harass us to make sure we have our copays and be ready to give a sample when we arrive.

I thank you for this because it was just tough love right? We just need to walk it off or something I guess. I promise doctor I will try harder next time.

Thank you for looking down at us with judgmental eyes and telling us that we were wrong and that there was nothing else that we could do except trust the medications. You’re going to take care of us and it will all be ok.

I thank you for this because you were just reminding us that we need to be more informed and not believe in the textbook answer you regurgitate because you crammed for over 12 hours for that exam.

Thank you for the hell you are placing upon myself and so many other patients that you so willing abandoned because you’re afraid to stand up for them and what you know is right.

May every last patient that suffers be a stain upon your reputation as you claim to help people. At one point I’m sure it was about helping people for you, then it became about helping yourself at some point and you obviously lost your way.

It’s ok we forgive you, you said in your Hippocratic oath “I will do no harm”… You meant it right? I’m sure you didn’t really mean to hurt all of your patients that you tossed into the streets because they asked you about trying a plant.

And lastly, thank you for showing all of us who you truly are so we know not to go anywhere near you or your “private practice” anymore.

You can’t hurt us anymore. We are awake, we are watching and we are speaking out against you. There are good doctors, yes, but there are more of the doctors that are just driven by greed.

K. Molskness

About the Author

Kris Molskness