Tonia Lea Cook

Only giving 1 Star because it won’t let me not give at least one! This woman was rude, belittling and came in the room with an attitude! She has No compassion. I have some sort of autoimmune disease going on that I’m not sure what it is yet that was detected through bloodwork upon coming in to Tonia Cooks office with complaints of all over joint pain & excessive fatigue/malise. I tested positive on ANA blood test with extremely high white blood cell counts. I was referred to a Rheumatologist to which is a 4 month wait. I am progressively becoming worse & the pain is nearly unbearable some days. I needed paper work filled out for an intermittent leave for work to be able to call in a couple times a month when I just can’t muster the strength. My job is highly physical with a flip flop schedule. I just needed the couple days a moth until I can see the Rheumatologist. She acted as if I’m a hypochondriac who just needs to find another job. She made me feel very weak because my… strength is waning by the way she responded to me stating her personal battles with her health which have nothing to do with me and what I’m going through. She stated she could do it with what she felt like was way worse. I felt very unheard, not believed as if I was only there for attention and to get a LOA because I don’t want to work which is the exact opposite. I just want to be seen, heard, treated with dignity & respect, protect my employment while getting to the bottom of what’s physically causing me so much trouble with just daily functioning. She basically told me she didn’t want to fill out the paperwork. I told her I was currently in the process of dotting my I’s & crossing my T’s so that I can successfully walk away from my current job to have one more suitable to my health. I have to find out what’s going on with my health using insurance first and have a family to take care of as well. I’m not in a position to leave my current employer at the moment. She stated the paperwork was useless then if I’ll be leaving. No its not! Besides that isn’t for her to decide. Tonia Cook then stated I will fill it out but I am not going to lie. I thought to myself what? I can’t believe what she just said. I then told her I don’t expect for you to lie. I explained to her I don’t feel well every single day I want to work I just need to take a day off or leave work if the pain is unbearable. I told her about the physical of my job and crazy schedule. She then replied that’s just part of it. As if I just need to step it up or something! That’s when she proceeded to go into her personal battle with her health and how she still works. First off, we are two different people with two different lives & issues entirely. Second, I’m not here to talk about her or be judged and put down basically as if I just can’t handle life! Thirdly, our jobs are no comparison to each other. When I decided I was done and going to leave her office she then said I will fill out the paperwork. I replied No forget it (actually said 1 choice word very calmly)now I don’t want you to I will be finding another doctor. Me & my family won’t be back. As we left the patient room she hollered down the hallway make sure they don’t come back, take them off the books now! This shocked everyone as they had no idea what was going on as I was not obnoxious or trying to cause a scene. I was very upset but calm.