Most people have a delusion that physios must be nice people because they help people get better. Or at least try. Ask the patients on the orthopaedic ward and I think they would rather describe physios as sadistic aggressive bullies!!
I am currently doing full time prac work on an orthopaedic ward, and no matter how soothing my voice or how sweet my smile, the patient will visibly wince at the thought of my (the student physios) visit. Orthopaedic patients are in pain. A great deal of it. They have just had surgery. And the terrorist bullies want them to get up out of bed and walk!!
The other day I discovered why exactly they are in so much pain, despite the analgesia. I witnessed the brutal ruthless hacking of an old man’s leg. Surgeons prefer to call this procedure a ‘total hip replacement’.
I went into the operating theatre, all scrubbed up in the blue gown, cap and mouth piece. The anaesthetist had already put Jack* to sleep and was cracking jokes to the nurses as the hardest part of his job has been done. The nurses were scurrying around sterilizing equipment, preparing the patient’s leg for surgery and making general chit chat about the weekend’s activities. 15 min later the great and wonderful heroes (the Orthopod himself with his two registrar sidekicks) walk in and the nurses help them into their sterilized astronaut outfit. Let the games begin…….
Blood doesn’t freak me out. In fact, the cutting of the flesh with a smoking blade was kind of exciting. Although I couldn’t see exactly what was going on, the orthopods were poking and prodding here and there. Then came the buzzing of a chain saw and the next thing you know there is a bloody head of femur (thigh bone) being handed over to the nurse. Kind of looks like a slightly small tennis ball dipped in red paint!
The nurse then hands over the fake hip and the orthopods start whacking it in with a hammer just like a nail is hammered into a piece of wood. Only, the wood is your body. And it is not really just a small little nick. It is a forceful and deliberate hack multiple times with the patient’s blood spurting in all directions of the room. As I said, it’s lucky I’m not queasy at the sight of blood as little droplets landed on my lovely blue gown.
Yes, physios may resemble a Nazi like attitude in their approach to patient’s pain, but just remember who inflicted the pain in the first place (does every mother still want their child to marry a doctor now??). See – we’re not so bad after all!!
* Name not real to protect the poor helpless soul who probably has no idea about the brutality of the procedure that took place.
Comments
I think this was a wonderful article and that Keren is clearly a very talented author who deserves to be paid more. I think she should leave physio and write full-time. Or do physio only enough to have material to write about.
Posted by: Daniel Lowbeer | March 16, 2006 07:28 PM