[aap1966]

Let me tell you about hospitals.
We try our best to diagnose you, using the skills, knowledge and equipment we have available.
Then we do our best to cure you, or at least improve things, again with the skills, knowledge and equipment we have.
But sometimes you don’t make it easy, and sometimes you make it really hard.
If you are so big that we need the special hoist to reposition you, you’re going to wait longer to be repositioned.
If you have so much subcutaneous adipose (fat) tissue that you last had a palpable vein during the Reagan administration, you’re going to suffer more failed cannulation attempts.
If you’re simply too fat to fit into our CT machine, well, you’re not going to get a CT.
And if the ultrasound gear is not powerful enough to penetrate your abdominal fat, then the abdo ultrasound’s not looking good either.
So, we will do our best to look after you, and we won’t “judge” you. But next time you abuse a nurse because they’re slow turning you, or feeding you, or getting you out of bed, how about a pause for thought.
If you, or your relative, exceed the combined weight of the doctor, nurse, and physical therapist standing by your bed, or are even just twice the weight of the 6 foot tall, ex-Rugby playing doctor treating you, realise that we’re doing our best, but maybe the complications you experience are not all some-one else’s fault.


.