I'm such a wimp...

I'm a writer/journalist and I consider myself pretty curious and game for anything. In the spirit of being supportive of my husband, I'm all right with watching "Trauma: Life in the ER" during dinner, and I'd like to think that if I had to assist him at a roadside accident I'd have no problem.

But last night he brought home a training video about how to insert a particular kind of IUD, since he was going to be doing it the next day and I thought "I'll watch it too." I watched the part with the Drs. talking about it, but as soon as they got to the practical stuff, I got weak in the knees and had to leave the room. He's laughing at me, and I'm going "THAT'S what you do all day??!!??" 8O

Has anyone else gotten "too close" to the medical stuff and freaked out?

Eliz

[PrincessFiona]

OMG

Eliz, I am laughing out loud. I would have had to leave the room too

YUCK!

Kris

[Auspicious]

That's so funny! Now I want to see that video, just to see if I could handle it.

I LOVE those medical shows, but we don't have any of the cable channels that show them. Knowing this, my mom sent me a videotape of like 8 hours of "Maternity Ward," which I watch with rapt attention and my jaw hanging open half the time. I can handle all the screaming and the C-sections and whatnot, but the most shocking thing to me was when they used the defibrilator on the day-old infant. I actually rewound that part to show my boyfriend: "Look at them beating up on this tiny baby!" (Of course they're actually saving his life and he wasn't injured, but it looked so harsh when they shocked him 8O . I'll probably be one of those nervous mothers who never lets her kids out of her sight for fear they'll get hurt.)

Overall, I love the medical stuff, but I'm sure my thresh-hold will be put to the test in coming years.

[DCJenn]

After 15 years of working with people who do crazy stuff to themselves- i can take just about anything. That said, I get queazy looking at blood bags. Don't get it.

Jenn

(and this weeks Prader-Willi story was watermelon gum [wrapped, in a bag] up an anus....and I'm not kidding!)

As a radiologist, my dh does many different things, from reading and interpreting MRIs to fluoroscopy (nicknamed "fluro" by the in crowd, and involving barium enimas and bowel studies). When my dh was a resident, he came home one day after his first day on fluro. He was livid. He slammed his stuff down on the counter and said "I didn't go to school for THIRTEEN years just to stick rubber tubes up people's butts!!!!" Naturally, he got used to it...

I nearly peed my pants laughing, which he did NOT think funny...

Oh and, yes, a training video on that one would make me want to ...

I'm always interested in those medical dramas, but don't do so well in the graphic parts. I cover my eyes and wait for my bf to tell me that it's ok to look. The last one we saw was of a guy who fell off a ladder and landed on a tree branch. He impaled himself through his rectum on a 4 inch thick tree branch! The branch went all the way through to his chest. It was insane and I couldn't exactly watch when they took him into surgery.

Basically, I'm fine at watching gorey movies and lots of blood on fiction shows, but show me the real thing on tv and I can't watch!

Sharon

I can't watch those videos at all. I have become such a wimp as I have gotten older. I had no problems with the "Miracle of birth" movies or anything and I loved the medical Discovery shows BUT... some t.v. shows I can't even watch.

The other night my husband was watching CSI Miami and a dead guy had something he was holding in his clenched fist. To see what it was, they cut off the hand and put it in the microwave for the hand to open. My husband thought the whole medical forensic stuff was cool .... I was like ... THIS IS SICK!!!

I don't need to know everything that my husband does ... it is better for my stomach!

Robin

[SueC]

We don't watch CSI, but I did see that part the other night and it totally grossed me out. I cannot handle things like that--I barely handle the bodily fluids of my own children! Whenever we watch those reality medical shows I look away if they show any blood or anything disgusting. When both of our daughters were born my OB told me to look down to watch them being born and I did but I really DIDN'T want to see that!

[Michele]

I'm really curious about the IUD video. I had one inserted about 3 months ago and wish I could've seen it. It hurt really badly by the way.

I guess since I'm in medicine too I don't get grossed out....but Russ gets grossed out when I tell him about the rectal palpation of cows. Once I was palpating a cow with diarrhea....hmm...I'm sure you all can get the visual...Russ wouldn't touch me for a week!

Oh...but watching someone brush their teeth....that makes me queasy.

Michele

Ha...I am not laughing at the expense of the others who have commented...but I am laughing because I am also a "big baby" as an anesthesiologist once called me on the way to surgery.
I have a fainting problem when approached with needles, or being told I am going to get a shot. My DW thinks this is just sooo funny.
I scared the be-Jesus out of some little gray-haired nurse that came to our house and took some bloodwork for my life insurance policy!
Once I began getting tunnel vision and listing to one side before my wife (then a med student) slammed me against the wall to keep me from doing a head first landing on the tile floor after a tetanus shot.
It might be funny for most to see a 6'4" 225 lb guy just pass out when someone comes in with a needle...sorry I am not laughing!! (Ok, maybe after I wake up...)

[PrincessFiona]

wimps

Crack me up, Matt! I can just imagine it!

Michelle....the whole cow thing....I'm with your husband there 8O yuck!

Kris