medical letters and numbers I don't understand
Meghann at Happy Yonder wrote a great post last week that landed on such a good point: these medical people; they don't understand how amazing their stories would be... if they left out the medical parts.
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Basically he was using big, confusing words. I looked up and around the room. All of the doctors there were nodding their heads, seemingly very interested and understanding all of this medical jargon. At this point, you'd THINK that the wives would have eyes glazed over, not even paying attention anymore, but NO. We were all on the edge of our seats, because as usual, THE BEST WAS YET TO COME. The best is ALWAYS yet to come. After more medical words, finally I blurt out,"So tell them what happened!" and Jared finally comes out with it...
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Yeah, I've been there. The other day, Y was recounting his day and he mentioned a patient, who came in with a mean arterial pressure of 40, hemoglobin of 10.2, creatinine kinase of 19,000...and a suicide note.
He started to move on to what he ate for lunch.
"STOP," I demanded.
He stopped, confused.
"What did the suicide note say?"
"Huh?"
"You said he had a suicide note! What did it say?"
He didn't remember. Of course.
GAH! Jeff does the same thing! It's like they don't even realize what's interesting anymore.
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking up with us today at Medical Monday's. I love hearing my husbands stories, and sometimes he remembers more than just the numbers.
ReplyDeleteHaa! I have the same kind of conversations with my hubby, sometimes! I guess I count it a blessing that he can compartmentalize and come home without all those emotional details flooding his brain! I think he would be constantly depressed if he focused on those! :) Visiting from MM!
ReplyDeleteOh, oh, oh! I was an EKG tech for about five minutes. EKG things! I remember nothing.
ReplyDeleteAhhhh. After awhile I just tune out all their "words." I have to repeatedly tell B, "stop. I don't know what those words mean. I don't even know what happened." after he's rattled off a story at the end of the day. I used to know some of what he was talking about {whooooo high school medical anatomy FTW!!!}, but now...no chance.
Ha! I tune out the numbers and wait for him to begin speaking in words again. :-)
ReplyDeleteI love how universal it is that medical spouses have all these great hospital stories to regale people with of things we've never even witnessed (nor do we know anything about the actual medical issues...). But I'm with you - we normal people want motive, not just facts!
ReplyDeleteYes. All of this. Dr. D forgot for FOUR DAYS IN A ROW to tell me that we was treating a guy who went on a public shooting rampage. Four days.
ReplyDeleteThat is just unacceptable.
DeleteHIPAA be damned! These things are need-to-know.
DeleteThe same thing happens to me with The Ray Doc - recently someone died on his scanner (before they got a chance to scan him) and it was very much of a muchness and I needed DETAILS!
ReplyDeleteI can totally relate!
Loved this post! Found you via MM Blog Hop!
Ray Doc Wife
Yep!!! All the time!!! But I do love hearing all the great stories he has to tell!
ReplyDeleteLove seeing you on the Medical Monday grid! Thanks for taking the time to link up! :)
anytime! it's a great way to find new blogs.
Delete:) - Can't wait till mine gets to see patients. Right now he can get carried away about the hormones regulating the kidneys when I ask "Do you think Honey Graham makes your pee smell?" There is no such thing as a simple answer anymore.
ReplyDeletewait! what was the answer?!
DeleteI want to know too!
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