Dr Zuleyka Zevallos

I called for an appointment at my family medicine clinic first thing Friday morning. They offered me a 9:15am slot but I didn’t want to reschedule a 9:30 meeting and let colleagues down, so I took the next available slot at 1:45pm. I was in so much pain during the meeting.

The meeting was with a family medicine doctor & fam med resident but I didn’t mention anything because (a) I hate being doctored by colleagues, (b) I was embarrassed that I’d let it get to that point, (c) I hate needing help and (d) I just wasn’t thinking well or clearly at all.

Somehow I decided the right thing to do would be to lay down on the grass. Then I passed out from pain. Husband arrived at the same time as two colleagues & they called 911.

Now I’m exhausted, embarrassed, weekend plans are ruined, and my plans to finish reviewing a student’s Master’s thesis Friday went out the window, so I let a student down, which I really really hate. I’m ok, but feeling very badly about my spectacularly bad decision making.

I’m grateful to everyone who helped me, thankful that I live in a place where such help is available, and embarrassed that my bad decisions made such help necessary.

Please, especially if you have any sort of underlying health issue, don’t do what I did. If you’re unwell, take care of that before it forces itself into the foreground.