Friday, January 18, 2013

Nice lady

This is a conversation I had with a patient who was in really bad medical condition, but it didn't keep her from brightening my day a little.

Patient: "What's your first name?"

Me: "Fizzy."

Patient: "Fizzy, I just want to tell you that I love your hair. It's so pretty."

Me: "Oh, thank you."

And after I was done with her exam, I asked if she had any questions:

Patient: "Are you married?"

Me: "Yes."

Patient: "Do you have children?"

Me: "Yes, I have a daughter."

Patient: "I can't believe it! You look like you're eighteen!"

Me: "Oh, thank you. (I think.)"

Patient: "When you get home, I want you to tell your husband...." [takes breath from ventilator]

Me: "Yes?"

Patient: "That he is the luckiest man in the world to be married to you."

Me: "Okay, will do."

I could probably say the same for her husband.

7 comments:

  1. What a lovely story. One time I was equally inspired by very sick paralysed patient who always called me by my first name. On a frequent basis she commented about all the bullshit I had to go through at work. I was dumbstruck that in her condition she thought about my difficulties.

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  2. What, she didn't tell you how skinny you were??

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    1. Yeah, I guess she wasn't a rude bitch.

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  3. This is a very sweet story.

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  4. Fizzy, you should post about awkward encounters with the elderly men who flirt with you in front of your attending (while you were a student/resident) +/- their wife. I'm sure it has happened, and you can tell it better than me.

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    1. Ha ha, once I had a man who asked me out in front of my two surgery attendings while we did a post-op check for a rectal surgery!! AAaggh!! I must say that they enjoyed it very much though ;-)
      -Grace

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