nationality

Volunteered in the ED tonight.

First patient, 86 years old, numbness/headache in left hemisphere, blacking out of left eye every so often for hours at a time. She used to be a tour guide in the city, hosting at conferences held here. The uncomfortable part was taking off her leads- I had to see granny boobs. BLEGH!!!

One worker down on the floor asked me whether I was Chinese or not, and which language I could speak. Once I said Chinese and spoke to her in Cantonese, she complimented me, saying how she thought I was more handsome, now that she knew I was Chinese.

Why is it always the old Asian ladies that think I'm cute?

Second patient, 83 years old, diabetic, had colon cancer, pain in legs but generally all over her body. She began with complaining about being hungry, so I tried to bring the tray of food over to her to eat. She couldn't, or wouldn't, eat any of it. She settled on the wheat roll and some apple chunks, but only after I cut off the skin for her. During the time I was handing over the apples to her, she asked me what nationality I was. I told her Chinese, yet she assumed that I was either Japanese or Korean. Ladies came in to get her to sign insurance forms and other waivers, to which she suggested that I sign them for her, but the ladies told her that that was not possible. She told many stories, one about smoking, partying, drinking in the past, and another about all the small businesses surrounding her neighborhood, with the best bakery in town. Hilda's Bakery, I think it was called.

This patient was worried about being sent over to CPMC because they were horrible with her, but the staff were actually sending her to Mt. Zion, which made her still worry since it was not such a great neighborhood. A chaplain came in to comfort her, which made me uncomfortable- she told him that she wanted to tie a chain around my neck, and put an apple in my mouth, to take me with her to Mt. Zion. The chaplain teased me by saying that I might actually like that. At some point, I think she said she loved me. She offended the chaplain a little by asking if he were English. He was Irish. She also asked him about me," Isn't he a nice young man?" He replied comically with,"I'm afraid I'm going to have to refrain from saying that." He started chuckling, and pat my head. I tried to chuckle with him, to make the situation less awkward. Oh dear.

This same patient kept talking some more, and eventually the paramedics arrived to take her elsewhere. She had to go pee so I left the room, and my shift was over so I went back to lab.