"I knew something was wrong with her when I told her for the third time to make me dinner and she was still just lying there. Speaking of which, nobody's made me dinner yet. As long as you guys are here in my house, how about if one of you makes me dinner?"
It may have been only the "non-verbal" bit that wasn't normal. He might have been quite used to the "not following commands" part and you don't know how often she lay on the bathroom floor to clean behind the toilet. Just a suggestion...
Normal is a pretty darn useful expression. Normal, or rather, blatantly repeating to a paramedic (I am a basic, no fun drugs or ET tubes for me) that the family said this is really not normal (he was apparently sharper that "your or me" normally and was barely half coherent) was what finally got the paramedic convinced that this was in fact a head trauma and I wasn't nuts for putting on a C-collar.
Normal is all about perspective and definitely key. :)
Hmmmm, I don't know. I mean, that's often the state I assume when I lock myself in the bathroom to hide from the kids - complete silence just might convince them I'm napping on the bathroom floor & they will give up and go away. Y'know, kinda like playing possum.
Maybe the EMTs should have spent a few minutes assuring her that the kids were not in the house & she just might have come round.
Dang, looks like my link above doesn't work. It was supposed to link to a story about the Cushing's Collection of cancerous brain specimens:
The Cushing collection in the Cushing/Whitney Medical Library at Yale University at 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, is open to the public Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. (203) 785-5352.
Usually if I am on the bathroom floor I am (a) deathly ill with a GI virus and waving feebly to attract the attention of the death angel; or (b) scrubbing the floor and grumbling about the dirt. If (a), I am far too sick to go to the doctor, and if (b) I don't need to do so. Good thing I don't have a husband trying to decide if I am normal...
Oy, I have a couple regulars that could have that as a near daily occurrence. Easily deciphered from the really ill person by the sternal rub that gets then squirming.
Well it could be normal... for some people.
ReplyDeletexx
Jaxs
Poor lady. But I still had to laugh.
ReplyDeleteDocumentation, documentation...
ReplyDelete@Jackie - True, but those people would be unlikely to be in the bathroom unattended in the first place.
ReplyDelete"Usually, when she sees me, she jumps up and down and wags her fanny."
ReplyDeleteSome people are into some weird stuff Dr. Grumpy! You never know what one individual's own version of "normal" is these days!
ReplyDeleteDid you have to say "stuff"?
ReplyDelete"I knew something was wrong with her when I told her for the third time to make me dinner and she was still just lying there. Speaking of which, nobody's made me dinner yet. As long as you guys are here in my house, how about if one of you makes me dinner?"
ReplyDeleteMaybe EMS asked her if she was always like that.
ReplyDeleteIt may have been only the "non-verbal" bit that wasn't normal. He might have been quite used to the "not following commands" part and you don't know how often she lay on the bathroom floor to clean behind the toilet. Just a suggestion...
ReplyDeletewv = rheavi - BTW, was she a bariatric patient?
The writing on the chart is legible. That's what's abnormal about this post, right?
ReplyDeleteHi Dr. Grumpy,
ReplyDeleteI just read this article and thought you might be interested. Maybe somewhere to go on your next vacation - ??
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/24/health/24brain.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2&ref=health
Enjoying your blog daily! Thanks!
I have teenagers. Just lying there and refusing to respond to commands seems pretty normal to me.
ReplyDeleteNormal is a pretty darn useful expression. Normal, or rather, blatantly repeating to a paramedic (I am a basic, no fun drugs or ET tubes for me) that the family said this is really not normal (he was apparently sharper that "your or me" normally and was barely half coherent) was what finally got the paramedic convinced that this was in fact a head trauma and I wasn't nuts for putting on a C-collar.
ReplyDeleteNormal is all about perspective and definitely key. :)
Hmmmm, I don't know. I mean, that's often the state I assume when I lock myself in the bathroom to hide from the kids - complete silence just might convince them I'm napping on the bathroom floor & they will give up and go away. Y'know, kinda like playing possum.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the EMTs should have spent a few minutes assuring her that the kids were not in the house & she just might have come round.
My dog is often found on the floor in the bathroom and not following commands, and usually not verbal.
ReplyDeleteDo I need to call the Paravetics?
Does he need a neuro consult?
it would indeed be helpful to know just when and where the change from normal to abnormal happened
ReplyDeleteYeah, that's normal for my wife though. How am I supposed to know when to call EMS for her!?!?!?
ReplyDeleteDang, looks like my link above doesn't work. It was supposed to link to a story about the Cushing's Collection of cancerous brain specimens:
ReplyDeleteThe Cushing collection in the Cushing/Whitney Medical Library at Yale University at 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, is open to the public Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. (203) 785-5352.
Usually if I am on the bathroom floor I am (a) deathly ill with a GI virus and waving feebly to attract the attention of the death angel; or (b) scrubbing the floor and grumbling about the dirt. If (a), I am far too sick to go to the doctor, and if (b) I don't need to do so. Good thing I don't have a husband trying to decide if I am normal...
ReplyDeletewv: mersit. Does that mean "give it MRSA?"
Oy, I have a couple regulars that could have that as a near daily occurrence. Easily deciphered from the really ill person by the sternal rub that gets then squirming.
ReplyDelete