Friday, December 02, 2005

Through My Cheekbones



I really thought I could make it through the day today at work, but I was wrong.

I came back home, sick as well... sick, at about ten this morning. Being the typical child in distress, I called my mommy. About ten minutes later, I found myself on the road to the doctor's down in Cincinnati. A quick swipe of the throat cells proved negative in a strep test. YES!!!! But then something strange happened...

"Does it hurt here?" Dr. Moreira's thick Spanish accent whispered as she put her fingers on my cheekbones and my forehead.
"No."
"Here?" She slightly adjusted her fingers and pressed.
"Nope."
"Hmmmmm"

Then she flicked the lights off and returned with her little light (pictured above). [Sidenote... so this light is actually referred to as an "Ear Nose and Throat Medical Light". Kind of a long title for such a little light. But then again, we are talking about doctors here and we all know they like to make up words and long titles to explain simple concepts.]

So, Dr. Moreira turned on her little light thingy and came back over to me. I assumed she was going to look in my eyes with it.
"Are my eyes supposed to tell her my ailment?" I wondered. "I'm not on cocaine...."
Then she put the light on my cheekbone. "Open your mouth." She told me.
"Are you kidding me?" I thought.
I opened my mouth.
She looked inside it and then repositioned the light.
"Yep." She went back over and turned on the lights. "Your sinus is blocked."
She sat down and scribbled out some kind of chicken scratch that she believes said a prescription, which I cannot spell, but I know really didn't say a single English word.

So, I guess I must just be dense, but it entertains my mind to think that some doctor a long time ago was running out of options in a diagnosis. So, he decided... here, I'll just put this little light on their cheekbones. And then when the light failed to shine through the patient's left pinkie, the doctor declared, "Open your mouth." And BINGO!!!! A SINUS INFECTION!!! EUREKA!!!!

The medical world never ceases to amuse me, I tell ya.

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