From the mouths of non-nurses

[mattcastens]

My wife, a piano teacher, and I were talking about music and she was using some pretty "technical" terms that I, not a music professional, didn't understand.

She said, "Now you know what it's like for me. You come home and start talking about your pasta and broccoli."

I didn't understand.

"Your pasta and broccoli. You know -- you talking about them all the time!"

I still had no clue.

She sighed. "When you're talking about your heart patients and how they had pasta or broccoli."

Then it dawned on me. I laughed. :chuckle

She meant when I talked about PTCA ("pizza") and CABG ("cabbage"). :roll

[SICU Queen]

Oh how funny... I hope you told her you were laughing "with" her, like a good hubby should... :)

[suzannasue]

Matt,

I guess we all take for granted that our families "absorb" the meanings of our terminology. Thanks for the laugh,I needed it really !!!!!!

Worked with a CNA who knew we were involved with a patient who was "circling the drain" rather intensly. Upon the pts transfer to ICU. the CNA asked if the pt had gone to the place we always sent pts...well where are you talking about, ICU? She said "no..you know Sicily...you're always talking about the pt being in Sicily"...Several of us almost wet our pants when we finally figured she was talking about pts being in "asystole"...

Thanks again for the laugh.... :chuckle

[BadBird, BSN, RN]

Matt,

That is so funny, I do the same thing with my husband, he warns me before we start to eat that he doesn't want to hear any bowel stories.

[Zee_RN, BSN, RN]

My husband was doing some computer consulting work for a local branch of the Society of Critical Care Medicine. He frequently asked me questions to better understand what he working with. He had me stumped for a few minutes one day when, from the other room, he asked me ... "What's a canola?" (you had to hear him say it). I'm thinking what? Canola oil? Cannoli, Italian dessert?! Then it hit me... cannula! Cracked me up! A simple 02 cannula :) I managed not to laugh too visibly.

[ageless]

I was getting my hair cut one day and a woman in the chair next to mine said that her mother must have been bitten by her cat's flies because now her mother's veins were sick. They were thinking of having the cat put to sleep. The Physician had told her that her mother had phebitis!

Can you imagine?

[Furball]

This isn't "nursing" but here it goes.

During a drawn out and boring lecture about the politics of "mass starvation" in my international poly-sci class, I noticed the young man who happened to be from Nigeria looking absolutely mortified. The prof continued her speel on "mass starvation" and finally noticed the stunned young man. She asked him if he had any questions because he looked so confused. He was horribly embarassed and quietly stated that he didn't see ANY connection between politics and MASTURBATION! We almost died laughing......the prof ended the class early wiping tears out of her eyes..

[semstr]

overheard in the metro, one woman saying to the other, she needs an operation on her "paella-muscle", 'cause her kneecap keeps popping out

I barely made it to the door without laughing out loud!

Take care, Renee

[ERNurse752, RN]

Heard somewhere about a patient stating his meds were "peanut butter balls."

Otherwise known as phenobarbitol...

[grace90, LPN, LVN]

My 6 year old called me 'The Poopoo Boss' today because my 7 year old was complaining about her stomach hurting and I was asking about recent poops, or lack of. :monkeydance:

[EarthChild1130]

Our unit secretary yesterday informed me that we were getting a patient from the ER who was complaining of 'COPD Exasperation' LOL.

I have also been one of the people who gets the pre-dinner 'please don't talk about your job' chat from my husband and members of my family!

[Natkat, BSN, MSN, RN]

I like it when people tell me their Dad is having trouble with his prostrate.