Clicking & Ticking in the ER

[Philip B]

After a ten month absence I managed to land in the ER of our local hospital on Friday evening. While setting our gym up for a wrestling tournament, I managed to break a bone in my foot. It didn't take long for the word to get around the hospital that a guy with an artificial heart valve was in the ER.

Lots of staff members dropped by the ER and the x-ray lab to listen to me click. Many of them commented about how "cool" it sounded. For a while, my heart got more attention than my foot. I guess they don't get many opportunities to hear a St. Jude mechanical valve clicking away in rural Colorado. I'm happy that I was able to give them a thrill. Fun stuff!

Philip

 

[Nancy]

They used to bring all the little first year med students in to listen to Joe's double mechanicals. It was a teaching hospital. He wanted to charge admission.

Pretty funny isn't it?

 

[Karlynn]

My band loves to have me hold a microphone to my open mouth so they can hear the click through the sound system. I've been playing with some of these people for 14 years, and they still think it's hilarious. (Musicians are easily entertained by dumb things.)

I hope you heal quickly!!

 

[geebee]

I had more people interested in my "perfect, classic murmur" than ever in my ticking, although the ticking still seems to bring attention. I even had one doctor say, "What a shame the murmur will be gone". Say WHAT?

Hope your foot is "stable". I broke mine a while back and it is not fun. Makes some really pretty colors under the skin tho.

 

[aussigal]

I too have been the source of fascination for all the trainee doctors at my local clinic...they are quite interested in me and want to know all about how my heart problem was diagnosed etc.,.

Hope your foot heals well...

 

[sue943]

I have not had that dubious pleasure as I fortunately haven't been in hospital, even ER, since it was all over. However, when I had endocarditis and was sent to a huge training hospital I had hoards of students coming to ask if they could listen to me, I was even used as a 'case' for a doctor's very important examination, one governing his advancement in the medical system (for the Brits, his Membership).