Attending: "You need to seriously consider hip replacement at this point."
75 year old patient: "But what precautions will I have to take if I have a hip replacement?"
Attending: "Well, you can't flex your hip more than 90 degrees or internally rotate it too much."
75 year old patient: "What if I want to go skydiving? Would I be able do that?"
Me: [choking back laughter]
Attending: [with straight face] "You probably wouldn't be able to skydive because the landing would be too rough on the hip joint."
75 year old patient: "Oh." [very disappointed] "You mean I'd never be able to skydive?"
Attending: "Probably not."
Me: "Maybe you could go bungee jumping instead."
Maybe its on his bucket list
ReplyDeleteOne of our patients had a laminectomy (I don't remember which levels) and then came back to clinic a few years later asking if it was oK to go skydiving. We had that dictation hanging on the wall for a while because my department head said "I do not feel skydiving will hurt his spine, but I still said a prayer for him."
ReplyDeleteOnly by living such an adventurous lifestyle is it really worth living to be 75. Gotta love it when someone makes it to that age and is still so full of life!
ReplyDeleteJessJess.. LOL!
ReplyDelete