A while back, I fell seriously ill with a mysterious illness. After three days of nonstop vomiting and being unable to keep down even water, I knew I needed help. I called my doctor’s office and managed to book an appointment, though the receptionist was rude and unhelpful, insisting I could only be seen late in the day.
When I dragged myself out of bed to get ready, I glanced in the mirror and froze—my pupils were two different sizes. Panic set in. I rushed to the doctor’s office as fast as my weakened body could manage, barely holding back tears.
At reception, I tried to explain that I was terrified something was seriously wrong. The receptionist smirked at me dismissively.
Receptionist: “You look fine. Just go home.”
I begged her to let me see a doctor, even pointing out my uneven pupils to show her this wasn’t something normal. She waved me off, calling me dramatic, and refused to let me see anyone. Feeling utterly defeated and scared, I went home in tears.
Hours later, I decided I didn’t want to risk dying alone in my apartment. I forced myself back to the doctor’s office and finally saw an actual doctor. The moment she saw me, she grabbed my hand and said she was calling an ambulance immediately. She explained I needed urgent tests to rule out a potential brain bleed and said an ambulance should have been called that morning. When I told her how the receptionist had dismissed me earlier, her anger was palpable.
She asked me to wait in the reception area while she spoke with the staff. I went to sit down, but before I knew it, I had collapsed onto the floor. When I came to, staff members were gathered around me. I overheard the receptionist whispering to another staff member that she hadn’t realized how serious it was.
Paramedics soon arrived. As they strapped me onto a stretcher, the doctor made it clear she was furious at the receptionist for ignoring me earlier. She said I should have been told to sit down and given immediate help the moment I showed my pupils. Meanwhile, the receptionist followed us out, apologizing and stammering excuses about how she didn’t understand.
To this day, I can’t fathom why someone would see a visibly distressed person, scared they might be dying, and decide to wave them away instead of ensuring they got the care they needed.
