The afternoon ended with me ordering an MRI on a 30-something guy.
I'm filling out the MRI form, and automatically checked "No" on the question "Is patient pregnant?"
The guy leans over and says, "Hey, you need to change that."
Dr. Grumpy: "Uhhh, are you pregnant, sir?"
Mr. Bozo: "No, but my wife is. Wouldn't that also affect an MRI that I'm having?"
That's enough insanity for one day. I'm giving up and going home.
Hey, Dr. Grumpy, the man's got a point. I mean, sure, it might not be medically sound to label him pregnant on account of his wife... but think of ALL the instances, which could interfere with the MRI due to her: 1. She gives birth, 2. She has a panic attack, 3. She has a dissociative, psychological fit in which she mistakes her husband for her cantankerous next-door neighbor, etc... no need to go on any tangents. I think that, so far, this man is the most logically apt of your enumerated patients....
ReplyDelete(sarcasm)
Ermm... I should've specified that all of those "affects" of hers might impact his well-being. Yes, haha.
ReplyDeleteOoops, my spelling error. I fixed it. Sorry!
ReplyDeleteOk now I'M confused...shouldn't it be "affect"?
ReplyDeleteAwesome blog, by the way! Your posts never cease to make my day! :)
Wait, Dr. Grumpy! No, I'm so sorry, that's not what I meant... My goodness, I feel pitiful. No, you had it correctly. Mr Bozo's usage as you wrote it is indeed "affect", as in verb the verb to make an impact or "effect" on. When I previously put parenthesis on "affect" I was using the term as the psychology/psychiatry definition: feeling or emotion... Again, I'm really sorry; you had it right the first time. :( (Unless, of course, I am doubley wrong... goodness; I apologize.)
ReplyDeleteI'm a good neurologist (I hope). My grammar ain't the best.
ReplyDeleteAffect/effect, whatever.
Don't get me started on who and whom.
And I still don't understand the point of diagramming sentences.
Oh, goodness--gracious... What have I unwittingly caused? Just for clarification, I checked all of the possible usages of "effect" and "affect." So, yes, the ONLY time you would use "effect" as a verb would be when it means "to accomplish or bring about." Thus, yes, always when it is written as a verb, with the prior exception, we are supposed to use "affect," and when as a noun, "effect;" or, as I've unfortunately used it, "affect" when refering to an emotion/opinion. Again, I'm very sorry for all this...
ReplyDeleteThat's the beauty of blogging and reader interaction, good Sir! I'm grateful anyone is reading me at all!
ReplyDeleteI've gone back to affect, and will leave it as is. I appreciate your efforts.
And I still don't get the who/whom or diagramming sentences things.
Kids learn to diagram sentences because it can help them learn to become good writers.
ReplyDeleteWho/whom - refer back to diagramming sentences: if it is being used as a subject, use who; if it is being used as an object, use whom
Was there a check box for Couvades' Syndrome?
ReplyDeleteIn anticipation of a national EMR, should there be?
Jeez.
ReplyDeleteLove reading your posts -all of 'em - but this one, well this one really does take the cake! I'm sitting here reading this at 3 a.m. -all by myself cause the rest of the family is bright enough to go to bed at a semi-reasonable hour and I'm laughing out loud at this post!
ReplyDeleteAh, beautiful -the knowledge of some doctor's patients!
"Affect" is correct.
ReplyDeleteWill this affect the patient?
He was able to effect change by doing X.
Right on Dr. G!
In Australia, to qualify for subsidised ribavirin/interferon treatment for Hep C, the patient's partner cannot currently be pregnant and they must use contraception during and for 6 months after treatment.
ReplyDeleteWhy can't she be pregnant? Presumably for the same reason that the patient thought an MRI might "affect" the fetus or partner.
Ouch... grammar. I have a head ache.
ReplyDeleteI'm agreeing with Aura. The general public doesn't always understand this medical technology. As for how things come out of people's mouths (like "change my status back to pregnant"), eh, he is about ready to enter a small tube for a bit. He is probably nervous.
ReplyDeleteDr. G,
ReplyDeleteThe easiest way to remember when to use "who/whom" is to substitute "he/him" in the sentence. The pronoun that sounds correct is the one you go with; i.e. he = who and him = whom.
I love diagramming sentences. But then I'm not right in the head. :)
That's why I read your blog; I hope to pick up some pointers.
The overwhelming stupidity of some of your patients never ceases to amaze me. I thought my patient who burned a hole in her chest with peroxide trying to remove her radiotherapy tattoo was bad, but this guy takes the biscuit!
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