Understanding people...

Can't Spell shared a new favorite quote with me that seems very appropriate:  "Trying to understand some people is like trying to pick up a turd by the clean end!"

That said, I want to relate a couple of recent client interactions that left me with my jaw dropped and completely bumfuzzled.

First, there was the long time client that I've known since well before vet school.  She brought in her 13 year old cat for an upper respiratory infection.  I had seen the cat last year for something an advised her that we should do blood work, including checking thyroid levels because the cat was losing weight with a good appetite and had a gallop rhythm.  She declined at the time but then came in this week complaing that the cat was still losing weight and all my boss ever says is that she is an old cat.  The cat had lost a pound and a half.  I explained hyperthyroid disease again and recommended blood work again.  Guess what?  She declined again...

The other was my diabetic patient with a severely resistant urinary tract infection.  After months and lots of dollars, we finally got it cleared and were nearly re-regulated again.  I asked that they bring him in for a glucose curve, trying to time things so that we could see how near we were to being regulated before stopping antibiotics entirely.  They failed to schedule an appointment or return follow up calls (highly irregular for them!) then randomly called to schedule a recheck about six weeks after I had wanted.  After all that struggle, time, and money, why would you not keep the recommended follow up??

No, I just don't get people.