horrible secrets

I had a patient in my office this morning whom I have known for 24 years. She's been coming to our office since she was a little kid and she's almost thirty now. And I'm going to tell you a story that I honestly cannot remember whether I've blogged about before or not. I tell you people so many stories about my life, I just can't remember whether I'm repeating them like the boring old person I am.

When I first met this girl she had been fairly recently diagnosed with a seizure disorder, on top of several other known problems and disabilities. She wasn't, at first, stabilized on medications, so I saw her a number of occasions in a fairly short period of time and then, after that, every six months or a year. Both of her parents always accompanied her to her appointments.

Anyway, her father was involved in local politics. I think he was, at that time, on the school committee where I live. Somewhere around 20 or 21 years ago, a good friend of mine's family was having a benefit dance for my friend's cousin who was having an organ transplant. I attended this little soiree and I had, let us just say, a number of pearl harbors. It was a good time. Towards the end of the evening (read: when I was pretty annihilated), who should show up but the mayor and a bunch of other local pols, including my patient's father. Well. This guy started coming on to me, really really coming on to me, complete with the sob story about how once you had a child with special needs, your marriage disintegrates, and then an outright proposition.

I was like, seriously, dude? Seriously? I know your wife and your fucking handicapped child and you think I'm gonna fuck you because I'm drunk? I didn't exactly come out and say that so bluntly, because I was still, in my inebriated state, aware that he was a client and there was a professional relationship there, but I made it clear no way, no how. In the moment, I was just sort of astounded, but afterwards I was kinda insulted too. I mean, how much of a skank did he think I was, that I would just randomly have sex with him, even though I knew his wife and kid? I was young and cute then, but I certainly wasn't so freaking amazingly hot that he just couldn't help himself. C'mon now.

Apparently, though, afterwards *he* realized he hadn't made the wisest of all possible moves, because he never came to an appointment with me again. He was obviously a wee bit uncomfortable about what might occur if he did. But my discomfort? I have had to spend the last 20 years knowing, every time I saw or spoke to his wife, that she has a sleazy douchebag of a spouse who apparently fucks around on her every chance he gets. (I mean, people who proposition their children's healthcare providers are propositioning other people as well. It's a behavior pattern.) She's a perfectly nice woman who has always been pleasant, friendly, and cordial to me. Only I know something about her life I would really really really really prefer not to know. It's a horrible thing to know someone's secret when it's none of your business.

Moral of the story? Midori tastes better going down than coming up. No, no. Moral of the story--don't be a douchebag, and if you must be, leave me out of it.

xoxo