Comments on: Letting the Cat out of the Bag http://gruntdoc.com/2006/09/letting-the-cat-out-of-the-bag.html Ramblings of an Emergency Physician in Texas Sat, 12 May 2012 12:36:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: swan1671 http://gruntdoc.com/2006/09/letting-the-cat-out-of-the-bag.html/comment-page-1#comment-4488 swan1671 Fri, 15 Sep 2006 07:25:19 +0000 http://gruntdoc.com/2006/09/letting-the-cat-out-of-the-bag.html#comment-4488 It could be worse. For us, the young woman's dad worked as an EMT in our ER. All hell really broke loose that night. It could be worse. For us, the young woman’s dad worked as an EMT in our ER. All hell really broke loose that night.

]]> By: Alison Cummins http://gruntdoc.com/2006/09/letting-the-cat-out-of-the-bag.html/comment-page-1#comment-4487 Alison Cummins Thu, 14 Sep 2006 18:37:34 +0000 http://gruntdoc.com/2006/09/letting-the-cat-out-of-the-bag.html#comment-4487 The explanation I’ve heard of cats in bags is the same as pigs in pokes. You go to the market to sell a piglet which you are conveniently carrying in a bag (poke). Your customer hefts the bag, notes that the contents are lively, pays and leaves; you leave the area quickly and pocket your cash. The “piglet” was of course a cat. Letting the cat out of the bag prematurely spoiled the scam. Buying a pig in a poke meant being scammed. The explanation I’ve heard of cats in bags is the same as pigs in pokes. You go to the market to sell a piglet which you are conveniently carrying in a bag (poke). Your customer hefts the bag, notes that the contents are lively, pays and leaves; you leave the area quickly and pocket your cash.

The “piglet” was of course a cat. Letting the cat out of the bag prematurely spoiled the scam. Buying a pig in a poke meant being scammed.

]]> By: difficultpt http://gruntdoc.com/2006/09/letting-the-cat-out-of-the-bag.html/comment-page-1#comment-4486 difficultpt Tue, 12 Sep 2006 13:04:29 +0000 http://gruntdoc.com/2006/09/letting-the-cat-out-of-the-bag.html#comment-4486 OMG, how do you get to 34 weeks without the world knowing! Um, this is scary . . . my daughter is about to go on her first date--homecoming. I think I'll chaperone! I don't plan to be the mom/grandma in the exam room getting THAT news. OMG, how do you get to 34 weeks without the world knowing! Um, this is scary . . . my daughter is about to go on her first date–homecoming. I think I’ll chaperone! I don’t plan to be the mom/grandma in the exam room getting THAT news.

]]> By: maretime http://gruntdoc.com/2006/09/letting-the-cat-out-of-the-bag.html/comment-page-1#comment-4485 maretime Sun, 10 Sep 2006 07:46:01 +0000 http://gruntdoc.com/2006/09/letting-the-cat-out-of-the-bag.html#comment-4485 I read one version of the origin of 'letting the cat out of the bag'. Seems back in the dark ages in Europe archers would put a cat in a bag, tie the bag to a tree branch, and shoot at the bag, upsetting the cat terribly. The cat would claw and thrash around in the bag, making a moving target. Sooner or later the bag would tear enough for the cat to get out, thus 'cat out of the bag'. Please do not forward this info on to the Humane Society or PETA, would hate to upset their applecart (or bag). I read one version of the origin of ‘letting the cat out of the bag’. Seems back in the dark ages in Europe archers would put a cat in a bag, tie the bag to a tree branch, and shoot at the bag, upsetting the cat terribly. The cat would claw and thrash around in the bag, making a moving target. Sooner or later the bag would tear enough for the cat to get out, thus ‘cat out of the bag’. Please do not forward this info on to the Humane Society or PETA, would hate to upset their applecart (or bag).

]]> By: Hallway four http://gruntdoc.com/2006/09/letting-the-cat-out-of-the-bag.html/comment-page-1#comment-4484 Hallway four Fri, 08 Sep 2006 21:46:58 +0000 http://gruntdoc.com/2006/09/letting-the-cat-out-of-the-bag.html#comment-4484 I don't know what else you could have done - one would assume that if a very-pregnant girl brings her mom to the doctor and complains of abdominal pain that the doctor will figure out she's pregnant and want to ask her about it. It may have been awkward for them, but I think the girl brought that on herself by not telling her mother about the pregnancy about 30 weeks ago. I don’t know what else you could have done – one would assume that if a very-pregnant girl brings her mom to the doctor and complains of abdominal pain that the doctor will figure out she’s pregnant and want to ask her about it. It may have been awkward for them, but I think the girl brought that on herself by not telling her mother about the pregnancy about 30 weeks ago.

]]> By: BuzzTracker.com http://gruntdoc.com/2006/09/letting-the-cat-out-of-the-bag.html/comment-page-1#comment-4489 BuzzTracker.com Thu, 07 Sep 2006 18:12:56 +0000 http://gruntdoc.com/2006/09/letting-the-cat-out-of-the-bag.html#comment-4489 <strong>Featured on BuzzTracker</strong> Featured on BuzzTracker

]]> By: scalpel http://gruntdoc.com/2006/09/letting-the-cat-out-of-the-bag.html/comment-page-1#comment-4483 scalpel Thu, 07 Sep 2006 18:03:36 +0000 http://gruntdoc.com/2006/09/letting-the-cat-out-of-the-bag.html#comment-4483 An unusually beautiful young woman came in to the ER with her husband because they had been trying to get her pregnant, she was "a couple of weeks" overdue for her period, but now she was spotting a bit. They both seemed very concerned. We did a serum pregnancy test on her, and it came back positive. While I was writing a note, I saw her husband walking by the nurses' station, and told him the good news. "Oh, congratulations!" I said with a smile. Meanwhile, his wife was informing my nurse that she had been unfaithful, had been impregnated by another man, and had just gotten an abortion a few days ago. She asked the nurse if we would tell her husband that she had miscarried. The beta was apparently still positive after her recent abortion. Less than a minute later, the husband comes in all happy and smiling, and he excitedly tells her that she was pregnant! Since my patient had never confided directly to me, I pretended that I knew nothing, and let them handle it themselves. An unusually beautiful young woman came in to the ER with her husband because they had been trying to get her pregnant, she was “a couple of weeks” overdue for her period, but now she was spotting a bit. They both seemed very concerned.

We did a serum pregnancy test on her, and it came back positive. While I was writing a note, I saw her husband walking by the nurses’ station, and told him the good news. “Oh, congratulations!” I said with a smile.

Meanwhile, his wife was informing my nurse that she had been unfaithful, had been impregnated by another man, and had just gotten an abortion a few days ago. She asked the nurse if we would tell her husband that she had miscarried. The beta was apparently still positive after her recent abortion.

Less than a minute later, the husband comes in all happy and smiling, and he excitedly tells her that she was pregnant!

Since my patient had never confided directly to me, I pretended that I knew nothing, and let them handle it themselves.

]]> By: shadowfax http://gruntdoc.com/2006/09/letting-the-cat-out-of-the-bag.html/comment-page-1#comment-4482 shadowfax Thu, 07 Sep 2006 15:20:19 +0000 http://gruntdoc.com/2006/09/letting-the-cat-out-of-the-bag.html#comment-4482 It could be worse -- you could have pressed on the Abdomen and said "What the hell is *that*?" It could be worse — you could have pressed on the Abdomen and said “What the hell is *that*?”

]]> By: beajerry http://gruntdoc.com/2006/09/letting-the-cat-out-of-the-bag.html/comment-page-1#comment-4481 beajerry Thu, 07 Sep 2006 14:59:24 +0000 http://gruntdoc.com/2006/09/letting-the-cat-out-of-the-bag.html#comment-4481 What would you do, ask the girl in private to tell her mom or go talk with the mom in private and tell her yourself? What would you do, ask the girl in private to tell her mom or go talk with the mom in private and tell her yourself?

]]> By: Kim http://gruntdoc.com/2006/09/letting-the-cat-out-of-the-bag.html/comment-page-1#comment-4480 Kim Thu, 07 Sep 2006 13:11:29 +0000 http://gruntdoc.com/2006/09/letting-the-cat-out-of-the-bag.html#comment-4480 Back in the old days, when you didn't have to be secretive about a teenager's pregnancy, a 14-year-old girl arrives with Mom because of abdominal bloating and pain. I go to auscultate bowel sounds and am roundly kicked through the abdominal wall by a <i>very</i> developed foot. "Girl, you are PREGANT!" I promptly announced. "Grandma" says, "I knew it, it just wasn't right. I knew it!" Patient says, "I am?" Oh dear. "Grandma" says that they are gonna have a lot to do to get ready for this baby! They probably have about three weeks. Amazing. Back in the old days, when you didn’t have to be secretive about a teenager’s pregnancy, a 14-year-old girl arrives with Mom because of abdominal bloating and pain.

I go to auscultate bowel sounds and am roundly kicked through the abdominal wall by a very developed foot.

“Girl, you are PREGANT!” I promptly announced.

“Grandma” says, “I knew it, it just wasn’t right. I knew it!”

Patient says, “I am?”

Oh dear.

“Grandma” says that they are gonna have a lot to do to get ready for this baby! They probably have about three weeks.

Amazing.

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