* * Anonymous Doc: "I Drink Just Enough"

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

"I Drink Just Enough"

"So, Mrs. Patient, I see in the notes that you came in as an urgent visit last month and saw Dr. Colleague."

"Sorry."

"No, no reason to apologize. I'm glad you got seen. But it says in his note you had rib fractures, and you said you fell?"

"Yeah, but I'm okay."

"No, it doesn't seem like you were okay.  It sounds like a social worker spoke to you."

"Yeah, she was crazy. She thought my husband was hurting me."

"It does seem alarming, with the rib fractures...."

"I told him-- I fell."

"Multiple times? The fractures are on both sides."

 "I may have been drinking."

"We've talked about how you drink too much. It's clearly harming you."

"I drink just enough. I stop when I feel like I've had enough."

"Or when you fall?"

"No-- that's why I fell twice."

"You need to drink less.  I can refer you for help."

"I should see that other doctor instead. At least he just thought my husband was hitting me and didn't care about my drinking."

"I'm sure he cared."

"I don't know. He looked like a drinker to me. You don't. I bet you don't even drink."

"Not when I'm working, certainly."

"That's the best time to drink.  You can't tell me patients like me don't make you want to drink."

"..."

"See?  Would I make sense like that if I was drunk?  I'm fine."

"..."

"Okay, I'm a little drunk."


3 comments:

  1. I hate to say it but I think she won that exchange. Interesting about Dr Colleague, you should keep an eye on him.;)

    Susan in Berlin

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love it! I'm glad you're back!

    ReplyDelete