Ramblings of an Emergency Physician in Texas
Listen to Your Doctor, Uncle Sam – Nurse Ratched’s Place
Dear Uncle Sam:I know it’s been a rough week. I’m sure you’re grieving the lost of life at Fort Hood just like the rest of us, but I’m compelled to write you this letter. I hope you take it in the spirit in which it is meant.
Indeed.
Because mine no longer makes sense to people…
Many of the abscesses I drain require wound packing (I generally use 1/4” iodoform gauze, so these aren’t giant cavities), and during the procedure I tell the patient why I’m doing a wound packing, and what to expect.
When we’re done with the procedure, until yesterday I used to tell patients to remove their packing in 3 days “Like you’re starting a lawn mower, just get it out”. That’s when the nurse laughed, and said her mower is an electric start.
I asked the patient if they’d ever started a lawn mower, and the answer was no.
So, what shall I use as a universally understood analogous action to smoothly but quickly pull something? Zipper? I’m coming up blank…
