The Funny Side of health care
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The Funny Side
Most people know that humor is good for whatever ails them but when was the last time you laughed out loud? The purpose of this page is to help you do just that by sharing the funny side of health care.
Delivery Time
A man comes into the ER and yells, “My wife’s going to have her baby in the cab!” I grabbed my stuff, rushed out to the cab, lifted the lady’s dress, and began to take off her underwear. Suddenly I noticed that there were several cabs, and I was in the wrong one.
Doctor in Texas
Diet Problems
I was caring for a woman from Kentucky and asked, “So, how’s your breakfast this morning?” “It’s very good, except for the Kentucky Jelly. I can’t seem to get used to the taste,” the patient replied. I then asked to see the jelly and the woman produced a foil packet labeled “KY Jelly.”
Doctor in MI
A new, young MD when doing his residency in OB,was quite embarrassed performing female pelvic exams. To cover his embarrassment he had unconsciously formed a habit of whistling. The middle aged lady upon whom he was performing this exam suddenly burst out laughing and further embarrassed him. He looked up from his work and sheepishly said, “I’m sorry. Was I tickling you?” She replied, “No doctor, but the song you were whistling was ‘I wish I was an Oscar Meyer Wiener.”
Toxic Parents
From a medical student currently doing a rotation in toxicology at the poison control center: Today, this woman called in very upset because she caught her little daughter eating ants. I quickly reassured her that the ants are not harmful and there would be no need to bring her daughter into the hospital. She calmed down and at the end of the conversation happened to mention that she gave her daughter some ant poison to eat in order to kill the ants. I told her that she better bring her daughter into the emergency room right away.
Colonoscopy Humor
A physician claims these are actual comments from his patients made while he was performing colonoscopies:
1. “Take it easy, Doc, you’re boldly going where no man has gone before.”
2. “Find Amelia Earhart yet?”
3. “Can you hear me NOW?”
4. “Oh boy, that was sphincterrific!”
5. “Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?”
6. “You know, in Arkansas, we’re now legally married.”
7. “Any sign of the trapped miners, Chief?”
8. “You put your left hand in, you take your left hand out. You do the Hokey Pokey….”
9. “Hey! Now I know how a Muppet feels!”
10. “If your hand doesn’t fit, you must acquit!”
11. “Hey, Doc, let me know if you find my dignity.”
12. “You used to be an executive at Enron, didn’t you?”
AND FINALLY (drum roll and cymbal crash…..)
13. “Could you write me a note for my wife, saying that my head is not, in fact, up there?”
Examination Room
At the beginning of my shift I placed a stethoscope on an elderly and slightly deaf female patient’s anterior chest wall. “Big breaths,” I instructed. “Yes, they used to be,” remorsefully replied the patient.
Doctor in Washington
I was performing a complete physical, including the visual acuity test. I placed the patient twenty feet from the chart and began, “Cover your right eye with your hand.” He read the 20/20 line perfectly. Now cover your left.” Again, a flawless read. “Now both,” I requested. There was silence. He couldn’t even read the large letter on the top line. I turned and discovered that he had done exactly what I had asked; he was standing there with both his eyes covered. I was laughing too hard to finish the exam.
Doctor in MA
There’s nothing worse than a snotty doctor’s receptionist who insists you tell her what is wrong in a room full of other patients. I know we all have experienced this, and I love the way this guy handled it.
An 86-year-old man walked into a crowded doctor’s office. As he approached the desk, the receptionist said, “Yes sir, what are you seeing the doctor for today?”
“There’s something wrong with my penis,” he replied.
The receptionist became irritated and said, “You shouldn’t come into a crowded office and say things like that.”
“Why not? You asked me what was wrong and I told you,” he said.
The receptionist replied, “You’ve obviously caused some embarrassment in this room full of people. You should have said there is something wrong with your ear or something and then discussed the problem further with the doctor in private.”
The man walked out, waited a few minutes and then re-entered.
The receptionist smiled smugly and asked, “Yes?’
“There’s something wrong with my ear,” he stated.
The receptionist nodded approvingly and smiled, knowing he had taken her advice. “And what is wrong with your ear, Sir?”
“I can’t piss out of it,” the man replied.
The doctor’s office erupted in laughter.
While acquainting myself with a new elderly patient, I asked,”How long have you been bedridden?” After a look of complete confusion she answered “Why, not for about twenty years — when my husband was alive,”
Doctor in OR
Problems with Medications
During a patient’s two week follow-up appointment with his cardiologist, he informed me, his doctor, that he was having trouble with one of his medications. “Which one?” I asked. “The patch. The nurse told me to put on a new one every six hours and now I’m running out of places to put it!” I had him quickly undress and discovered what I hoped I wouldn’t see. Yes, the man had over fifty patches on his body! Since incident, the instructions now include removal of the old patch before applying a new one.
Doctor in Virginia
Dr. Notes
Sometimes Doctors, for a variety of reasons, write the most amusing things? The following are notes from Medical Records – These are actual doctors’ notes (unedited) on patients’ charts:
1. Patient has chest pain if she lies on her left side for over a year.
2. On the 2nd day the knee was better and on the 3rd day it disappeared completely.
3. She has had no rigors or shaking chills, but her husband states she was very hot in bed last night.
4. The patient has been depressed ever since she began seeing me in 1993.
5. The patient is tearful and crying constantly. She also appears to be depressed.
6. Discharge status: Alive but without permission.
7. Healthy appearing decrepit 69 year-old male mentally alert but forgetful.
8. The patient refused an autopsy.
9. The patient has no past history of suicides.
10. Patient has left his white blood cells at another hospital.
11. Patient’s past medical history has been remarkably insignificant with only a 40 pound weight gain in the past three days.
12. Patient had waffles for breakfast and anorexia for lunch.
13. Between you and me, we ought to be able to get this lady pregnant.
14. Since she can’t get pregnant with her husband, I thought you might like to work her up.
15. She is numb from her toes down.
16. While in the ER, she was examined, X-rated and sent home.
17. The skin was moist and dry.
18. Occasional, constant, infrequent headaches.
19. Patient was alert and unresponsive.
20. Rectal exam revealed a normal size thyroid. (ouch!)
21. She stated that she had been constipated for most of her adult life, until she got a divorce.
22. I saw your patient today, who is still under our car for physical therapy.
23. Both breasts are equal and reactive to light and accommodation.
24. Exam of genitalia reveals that he is circus sized.
25. The lab test indicated abnormal lover function.
26. The patient was to have a bowel resection. However, he took a job as a stockbroker instead.
27. Skin: Somewhat pale but present.
28. The pelvic examination will be done later on the floor.
29. Patient was seen in consultation by Dr. Blank, who felt we should sit on the abdomen and I agree.
30. Large brown stool ambulating in the hall
31. Neurosurgeon charted procedure with a big typo! “Pt. is post-op day 2 for butt hole washouts”. He should have charted “burr hole washouts” (Thanks Vivi)
Getting Older
The Doctor told me, I should start an exercise program.
Not Wanting to harm this old body, I’ve devised the following:
Monday
Beat around the bush
Jump to conclusions
Climb the walls
Wade through the morning paper
Tuesday
Drag my heels
Push my luck
Make mountains out of mole hills
Hit the nail on the head
Wednesday
Bend over backwards
Jump on the Band Wagon
Run around in circles
Thursday
Advise the President on how to run the country
Toot my own horn
Pull out all the stops
Add fuel to the fire
Friday
Open a can of worms
Put my foot in my mouth
Start the ball rolling
Go over the edge
Saturday
Pick up the pieces.
Sunday
Kneel in prayer
Bow my head in thanksgiving
Uplift my hands in praise
Hug someone and encourage them.
Whew! What a workout!
Before Death – Cancel your Credit Cards
My Aunt died this past January. Her credit card company billed her for February and March for their monthly service charge on her credit card, and then added late fees and interest on the monthly charge. The balance had been $0.00, now it was somewhere around $60.00 so I placed the following phone call:
Me: “I am calling to tell you that she died in January.”
CC company: “The account was never closed and the late fees and charges still apply.”
Me: “Maybe, you should turn it over to collections…”
CC company: “Since it is 2 months past due, it already has been.”
Me: “So, what will they do when they find out she is dead?”
CC company: “Either report her account to the frauds division, or report her to the credit bureau…maybe both!”
Me: “Do you think God will be mad at her?”
CC company: “excuse me?”
Me: “Did you just get what I was telling you, the part about her being dead?”
CC company: “Sir, you’ll have to speak to my supervisor!”
(Supervisor gets on the phone)
Me: ”I’m calling to tell you, she died in January.”
CC company: “The account was never closed and the late fees and charges still apply.”
Me: “You mean you want to collect from her estate?”
CC company: “… (stammer)” …. “Are you her lawyer?”
Me: “No, I’m her great nephew.” (Lawyer info given… )
CC company: “Could you fax us a certificate of death?”
Me: “Sure.” ( Fax number is given ) (After they get the fax)
CC company: “Our system just isn’t setup for death…”
Me: “Oh…”
CC company: “I don’t know what more I can do to help…”
Me: “Well… if you figure it out, great! If not, you could just keep billing her…I suppose…don’t really think she will care….”
CC company: “Well…the late fees and charges do still apply.”
Me: “‘Would you like her new billing address?”
CC company: “That might help.”
Me: “Odessa Memorial Cemetery (address and plot number given. )
CC company: “Sir, that’s a cemetery!”
Me: “What do you do with dead people on your planet?!”
Death
One day I had to be the bearer of bad news when I told a wife that her husband had died of a massive myocardial infarct. Not more than five minutes later, I heard her reporting to the rest of the family that he had died of a “massive internal fart!”
Dr. in Manitoba, Canada
After Death
The Cardiologist’s Funeral
A cardiologist died and was given an elaborate funeral. A huge heart covered in flowers stood behind the casket during the service.
Following the eulogy, the heart opened, and the casket rolled inside.
The heart then closed, sealing the doctor in the beautiful heart forever.
At that point, one of the mourners burst into laughter. When all eyes stared at him, he said, ‘I’m sorry, I was just thinking of my own funeral…
I’m a gynecologist.’
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Last post October 30, 2016
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