Some patient on our unit had an epic bowel movement yesterday. It was one of those poops where the smell permeated the entire hallway and traveled down several adjacent hallways.
The smell even went into the back room where I usually do my charting. I heated up my lunch, with the intention of closing the door to the room and opening up a window, so that I could eat without the smell of feces in my face. Before I could do that, somebody in the room with me crinkled up their nose and said to me, "Your lunch smells awful!"
I don't know, maybe I sometimes bring weird stuff for lunch. But I'm pretty sure I've never brought feces.
Ew de toilet.....just one whiff and you're adrift.....
ReplyDeleteI've never understood why people make comments about other's food choices. Even when people bring fish for lunch (which I never understood because most fish does not reheat well), I would never say anything. Once I was at a restaurant with my book club, and someone said "Eww, you like that?!?!" after I placed my order. I was flabbergasted, so I just gave a snarky response that I often order food that I find unpalatable, and gave the biggest eye roll I could muster.
ReplyDeleteI would be flabbergasted too. Apparently, this person wasn't taught manners.
DeleteHere's an alternate response:
"Person". Eww, you like that?!?!
Real Person. Actually, I don't. I just ordered it to irritate you.
no comments about foecal transplants, eh?
ReplyDeleteAs someone who was once sick enough (for over two straight years) that I would have gladly had the transplant if it had been available back then, I can say that it's actually not something to laugh about.
Deleteuh, yeah. not always just smells. my favorite ethiopian peanut soup is now off the menu for me. forever. too many awful c-diff bedpans. ditto egg drop soup, following a weekend with empyema chest tube pt.
ReplyDeleteIn response to, "your lunch smells awful": Yes, I decided to change things up a bit
ReplyDeleteand take shit for lunch. If the other person doesn't get the sarcasm, they're too
stupid to insult.
My work has a woman that constantly makes comments on other people's lunches (often in snide tone about calories and how unhealthy it is).
ReplyDeleteHer lunches are often mayo-heavy. Boiled chicken breasts with mayo, un-toasted sliced crappy loaf bread with mayo, tomato with mayo... there's lots of food stuffs being dipped in a mound of mayo. I don't mind mayo being used in cooking/sandwiches but not as the go-to condiment for everything, way she eats it is gross. Despite this I never made comments about her lunch, yet I (along with many others at work) wait until she's out of the kitchen until she's gone because I'm (we are) tired of her stupid comments about food.
The next time you encounter her, tell her what a wonderful role model she is and how much she has inspired you. Hopefully, that will shut her up.
DeleteI would just loudly respond "thanks, mom!" in your most sarcastic voice each time she makes a comment until she finally shuts the hell up
DeleteTo Anon at 5:17....I favor your response over my own (Anon at 12:30)
DeleteI've become a bit of a recluse to protect myself from this crazy world.
Unfortunately, there's a price to be paid for living that way too.
I think the most interesting part of this story is that you can manage to eat under those conditions. As someone with a relative who has half of his digestive system removed from a couple of bouts of cancer, and who has a colostomy, I can say that the stench from the partially digested food, coupled with the bacteria that comes out in the bag is by far the worst stench on the planet, and it permeates everything. I am eternally grateful for those who work in hospital settings and who care for, and clean up after, these patients on a daily basis.
ReplyDeleteI've managed to eat chicken gizzards at work. To be fair though, I made them with BBQ sauce and beans and they smelled amazing. I did in my head prepare comebacks though.
ReplyDelete