If you're looking to lose your dignity in a hurry, quick, head to the nearest hospital and ask for a procedure that involves a) some degree of nudity and/or b) some sort of organ involved in excretory and/or reproductive functions, and voila! You've got yourself a winner!
Having decided that there was no better way to spend a fun Saturday afternoon than make three wasted trips to a hospital while they sorted out their ultrasound appointments, software and radiologist's schedule, I finally found myself in the waiting room with Cousin Binky waiting for an ultrasound.
We found the only two available seats in a corner of the crowded room and settled in. I glugged down water at routine intervals since they usually insist on a full bladder before conducting the scan.
After a longish wait, the nurses yelled out, "Basically Blah?!" "Yes!", I hollered back, leaping to my feet, preparing to wind my way up to the desk. "Is your bladder full?", they shouted across the crowded room, while 40 people now hung at the edge of their seats to be informed about the state of my bladder. Feeling slightly flustered at having to share such information with 40 nosy strangers, I mumbled something about "Hopefully. I've been drinking water" before slinking back down into my seat.
Five minutes later, I hear the same chorus: "Basically Blah?!"
40 heads automatically turned toward me, obviously now well and truly intrigued by the well-being of my bladder.
-"Yes?"
-"Is your bladder full?"
-"Yes."
Repeat the above shouting match about five times. My "full" bladder now had the fan following of a Colors TV soap. Step aside, child bride, BB's Bladder is the new star.
Having now convinced the nurses that I had a bladder worthy of being scanned by their tardy doctor, I was ushered into the examination room. The doctor threw me a look like I was a worm who'd popped out of a delicious fruit salad.
She barked, "Is your bladder full?" (Jeez, whatever happened to good, old-fashioned "Hello" ? Or should I have introduced myself as "Basically Full-Bladder Blah"?)
-"I think so. I've had a lot of water."
-"I asked you something, you're answering something else."
-"Yes, my bladder is full."
-"Do you feel like passing urine?"
-"Slightly."
-"Is it urgent?"
-"No."
-"Then your bladder is not full." (Guess who got out on the wrong side of the bed this morning?)
Awkward silence ensues, during which BB curses her indolent bladder.
Doc Charming, nonetheless, condescended to scan me and my sorry excuse for a full bladder. Then there was the incident of the cheeky gall bladder.
- What did you drink? Coffee?
- No.
- Then why can't I see your gall bladder?
- Old gally ain't feeling too sociable today and is in hiding, deal with it.
A while later, I walked out of the room, results in hand, and exited the place with Cousin Binky by my side. As we left, an infant in the waiting room mouthed its first words ever...
You guessed right.
"Bladder".
LOL …you have perfected the art of writing any ironic situation into a humorous one without diluting the substance.
ReplyDeleteI total agree with what you have said about the shouting game between the nurse/ doctor and patients.
Recently, when I went for a general check-up in a so-called 5-start hospital, I was treated to the same way. Almost died of embarrassment and was surprised and rechecked, if I was in a government hospital or private.
Hospitals have became a business houses…sad day indeed !!
Lol! Unfortunately, I now cringe a lot less than I used to in such situations. Once you've delivered a howling "bundle of joy" in a delivery room full of who-knows-how-many strangers, you are well and truly delivered of any embarrassment of the "bladder full?" variety!
ReplyDeleteBrought a smile to my face! Its nice to come across a blog which is well written & humourous and where the author actually pays attention to grammar & spelling :)
ReplyDelete@Starry_eyed: Thank you :) Indeed, I am a grammar nazi! Do drop by again!
ReplyDelete