I love old people. More to the point, I love old patients...the sweet, doddering kind who have a perpetually vacant smile and nod a lot.
Today I was doing a shoulder exam on a sweet little old lady with hair like a frosted cupcake and skin like vintage linen. As I was putting the cassette into the bucky, I asked her why we were doing the exam; to which she replied, "That young man hurt my arm at the drive-by shooting." I did a double take to make sure I hadn't somehow missed copious amounts of blood or bandaging...nope, nothing there...
Feeling a little more than confused, I continued to position her and asked her where this had happened and if anybody had been seriously hurt. She just smiled her dazed little smile and said,"Oh, it was probably just me. He stuck the needle in pretty far." After some more convoluted conversation I finally worked out what she meant.
The American Red Cross had a trailer in a parking lot down the street sponsoring a "Drive-Thru the Flu" event. You could pull up in your car and they would give you your flu shot through the window. Well, the guy who gave her the shot didn't factor in her lack of muscle and accidentally struck her bone--making her arm really sore.
It was so funny, I couldn't help giggling a little! Luckily though, I got under control enough to finish her exam. Sometimes I think it would be fun to work in a geriatric ward...I imagine it would be a lot like that show Kids Say the Darndest Things. Except these kids would have walkers and bedpans...
2 comments:
So funny! Except for the horrible shiver that ran through my body when I read about the needle hitting her bone...
That was funny. Although definately not the part about the needle hitting her bone. Ouch! I love your turn of phrase though, "...hair like a frosted cupcake and skin like vintage linen..." I thought that was very sweet. And I am giving you major props for keeping up the blogging streak! This is at least once a week this year. Awesome! It makes me so happy. :)
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