Emergency Room Assist

B

blaze148

Joined
Oct 3, 2005
Messages
96
Not sure if this is the forum to relate a funny experience?
I was in NYC on biz last week, and was into a 6 day headache. I finally decided to drop in to a major mid town Emergency room, and get checked out. My experience there got me thinking about that knife mag that has a section on interesting knife experiences. In my case, I didn't fight off any attackers.
Here's mine.
The young doctor was going thru a series of tests on my responses to nerve probes. At a certain point, he stops, and starts tearing apart the exam room looking for things. I'm not sure what's happening. He finally comes up with a wooden tounge depressor. He then proceeds to rip it apart, and keeps touching the torn ends with his finger tips. This is all happening very slowly.I finally realize that he's looking for something sharp to poke me with. You can probably guess what happens next. Even with my being in a smock, I easily access my SOG Auto Clip knife. I had to give him a heads up that I was going to assist in my own exam. The right tool for the job.Can you imagine a major emergency room not having the right instrument handy. He raised his eyebrows, and prooceed to poke me. I wish I had a camera.
All was well with my head. Probably too much Pizza.
 
Err, I don't think I'll give my knife to anyone and let him poke me with it, medical exam or not. :eek:
 
jzmtl said:
Err, I don't think I'll give my knife to anyone and let him poke me with it, medical exam or not. :eek:
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Me either. I don't carry a blade that wouldn't easily slice me to the bone with a good poke. I would've had him call a nurse to bring him a needle.

Me: Here Doc, use my Opinel.
...
Doctor: Um, it looks like you're gonna need some stitches while you're here.
 
DaveH said:
6 day headache, musta been a bunch of pizza
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:D :D I'm wondering what the pizza was "washed down" with? :D :D

Whatever it was, I's never drink any more of it!:p


All kidding aside, if you had a 6 day headache, you really should make an appointment with a neurologist and get checked out. I wouldn't trust the word of an emergency room physician that all was okay after 6 days. See a specialist! It could save your life.:thumbup:
 
Dehydration is a major cause of headaches. Before you do anything drink a quart and a half of good water.
 
Thanks for the concern guys. After a lifetime of headaches, this rather clumsy initial evaluation turned out well. I was finally passed to a senior doctor and was given a CAT Scan. Luckily it was negative. I am going to follow up with a Neurologist this week.
FYI, the reason for the inexpensive, but decently pointed SOG, as compared to my higher quality knives was one of convenience.
I like to travel with beaters in case of TSA luggage theft, or NYPD confiscation.
I'd likely have been impaled if I had loaned the young Doc, my Benchmade.
 
You might also check to see if you are allergic to "free glutamic acid" (MSG). Besides being added to chinese food as MSG, natural free glutamic acid is found in aged cheese and tomato sauces. It often causes headaches in those who are allergic.
 
I am aware that MSG can cause problems like headaches, but are you sure MSG is "free glutamic acid"? I was under the impression that it was mono-sodium glutamate. Or are they the same thing with different names?
 
bruce said:
You might also check to see if you are allergic to "free glutamic acid" (MSG). Besides being added to chinese food as MSG, natural free glutamic acid is found in aged cheese and tomato sauces. It often causes headaches in those who are allergic.
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I discovered several years ago that frequent use of a "Complete Seasoning" product (a multi-spice mixture) from Badia Spices gave me mild but noticeable headaches. I decided it's the MSG in it. I don't think I'm actually allergic to it, but too much of it used too frequently caused me to have a headache. I still use it occasionally in moderation with no ill effects.
 
You should also see if you are getting headaches from Nutrasweet (aka aspartame). I had terrible headaches until I eliminated aspartame from my diet. Once I started telling friends about my solution, I found that a surprisingly large number of people get headaches from aspartame.
 
JGarth said:
........ could be NYC paranoia .....
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That sounds funny, but ...

I lived & worked in NYC most of my life. We had a seminar once in midtown Manhattan with most participants from Manhattan and Brooklyn, and one man from Providence RI.

Good guy, smart, knew the business, valuable participant .. and nervous to the point of rigid when he talked about walking the few blocks from the hotel they put him up in.

He wanted to do a bit of sightseeing, but he could not get himself to walk around in those crowds with the noise from all that traffic. It's a different environment and it can get to you.

Even among New Yorkers, headaches are a fashionable affliction.
 
Hmm I used to get chronic headaches nearly everyday, maybe it was before msg was put aside as a seasoning?
 
Alteran, I should have explained more clearly. MSG (monosodium glutamate) is the sodium salt of glutamic acid (an amino acid found in almost all proteins, plant and animal). When we eat a protein, we metabolize all the amino acids in the protein by cleaving pieces off the chains, so there is really no free glutamic acid found in the process. When proteins are broken down as in the fermentation of soy sauce, or the hydrolysis of proteins by acids or bases, or by the use of enzymes, the glutamic acid is liberated (as are a bunch of other amino acids). When a molecule of glutamic acid is complexed with a molecule of sodium, we call it mono-sodium glutamate (glutamate being the "salt" of free glutamic acid). Free glutamic acid (free being not combined in a protein any longer) can come from the ageing of cheese, practically any other fermentation, and is a common, naturally occuring component of canned tomato products. That's why those allergic to MSG often can't understand why pizza also causes their headaches. ...and to Dr. Mudd, headache "is" one of the allergic reactions. Allergies run the range from mildly discomforting to lethal. MSG allergies are rarely in the latter category.
 
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