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Old 08-12-2019, 08:58 AM
 
Location: Near the beach
599 posts, read 272,343 times
Reputation: 798

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Seven paragraphs to whine about a three letter word.
Oh dear

 
Old 08-12-2019, 08:59 AM
 
14,309 posts, read 14,103,544 times
Reputation: 45441
Quote:
Originally Posted by MaryleeII View Post
Attention Health Care Professionals:


Its a BREAST not a BOOB!


I suppose such is marginally acceptable in casual conversation, but not in a medical/professional setting!


The last time I went for a mammogram, the technician actually call it a "boobie" I just let it go, I figure perhaps that's all she knows! However, it the facility is called the Breast Center, not the "Boob Center"


We call it a mammogram, doctors allow us to use this word, as in you need to schedule a mammogram, or you're overdue for a mammogram, ….. so its assumed we know some "big words" but not others. I guess I should schedule a "boobie exam" next time, just so we're all on the same page


What should we call a pelvic exam, just so the patient understands and feels more at ease they're not being confused with medical terminology? Suggestions?
I think this is an example of why working in the health care professions is so difficult.

No matter what you say or do, someone is likely to take offense.

From my standpoint, I don't really care what certain things are called. I just want good, competent medical care. And, above all, I don't want to have to pay the equivalent of one-fifth of my entire income just to get it.

I'll take cheap and politically incorrect any day.
 
Old 08-12-2019, 09:46 AM
 
Location: Bella Vista, Ark
77,772 posts, read 104,140,979 times
Reputation: 49244
I always taught my kids correct words for their body parts and the physical needs, whether it was the bathroom habits or talking to a doctor, but we also had simple acceptable words for talking among each other as well. I think whatever makes you feel comfortable is accepted.
 
Old 08-12-2019, 10:04 AM
 
8,692 posts, read 4,931,772 times
Reputation: 21113
I would rather the doctor ask me to pee....then take a leak, or drain the monster.
 
Old 08-12-2019, 10:11 AM
 
Location: Wine Country
6,103 posts, read 8,762,397 times
Reputation: 12324
I find it mind boggling that someone can get this upset over normal words used by everyone. I cannot imagine what else offends this person.
 
Old 08-12-2019, 10:33 AM
 
13,262 posts, read 7,935,364 times
Reputation: 30752
I wouldn't call it a current trend. It's a word that's been around forever. To ME, that word isn't as offensive as another one I can think of, for the same act.


I do agree that it's a slang word, and in a more professional environment, urinate would be a better word to use. But in a casual setting, "pee" isn't a big deal to me.
 
Old 08-12-2019, 11:01 AM
 
Location: SW Florida
14,804 posts, read 11,951,796 times
Reputation: 24535
Quote:
Originally Posted by MaryleeII View Post
I am soooo tired of the current trend to refer to urine as "pee". To my idea, that's a slang, or gutter word, marginally acceptable in casual conversation, but not in a professional setting.


I find it off-putting, unprofessional, and at times degrading for a doctor or other healthcare professional to call it "pee" It seems this is an increasingly accepted word in the medical profession. Articles written for patients in publications such as WebMD, PubMed, etc which used to refer to it as urine now consistently call it "pee". I find it almost hilarious, while at the same time irritating to read an article calling urine "pee".


Articles about the dangers of dehydration admonish you to take note if your "pee" has turned brown, or if you cease "peeing" you may be dehydrated. Ok, I suppose they may not be sure of their target audience, and want to use words most everyone can understand. But really, isn't it going too far when a doctor or nurse asks you how many time you "pee" in a day? Or it hurts when you "pee"? Or can you give a "pee" sample now?


However, in medical journals, written for professionals, its still referred to as urine. Examples: I recently had some urine tests done. The results included specific gravity of the urine, protein in the urine, color of the urine, etc. At no time was it called "pee" I recently had an appointment with a urologist, it said Baylor Urology Center on the door, not Baylor dept of Pee My doctor is a urologist, not a doctor of "pee".


The same with calling feces "poo" or "poop", by professional doctors, and articles who's target audience is perhaps not educated enough to know what feces are. My DS, 22, recently had colorectal surgery, he was offended (and rightly so), by the steady stream of medical professionals who asked him about his poo, poop, and poo poo He was so offended he almost cancelled the surgery, I managed to keep him there by telling him most of those people are just ignorant, don't let it bother you.


Look, I realize many people are ignorant of the correct words, and medical professionals need to use terminology the patient will recognize. However, don't just assume every patient is so ignorant they don't know what urine is! At least start out assuming the patient has a few brains. If they give a blank look when asked if they experience pain with urinating, then say does it hurt when you "pee". or whatever works for the particular situation.


I just find it annoying and degrading the medical profession communicates amongst themselves with "big words" like urine, defecation, feces, etc but talks down to patients like they are all ignorant, uneducated low-lifes!
I have to admit while I have no problem hearing (or using) the vernacular among us unwashed folks in the real world here for those bodily functions or body parts mentioned in this thread (more in a lighthearted vein than anything else), I too find it mildly annoying to hear a medical professional use these terms when speaking to their patients. There's an assumption, when they do so continually, that they think patients are ignorant of the real terms or processes, and they think patients won't understand unless they do use the "baby" talk, I guess.

So I might find it annoying, but there are also lots of folks out there who complain when they think medical professionals are talking to them in terms they don't understand, or above their heads. So what's a doc to do, unless he/she knows the patient well enough to speak to the patient on his/her preferred level.

What I've found very effective in minimizing a doc's "baby talk" to me is to use the correct terms or processes myself when I speak to him/her. I discovered that years ago-as a retired health care professional myself it came as second nature to do that, and I didn't even realize the effect it would have. It might take a couple visits, but they realize you'll probably understand what they're telling you without the baby talk.

Something else that annoys me when I hear it is the use of the terms "blood thinners" for anticoagulants (such as coumadin, for example) used to treat people at high risk for strokes or to dissolve existing blood clots. Anticoagulants work to prevent blood clots, they do NOT "thin the blood" so IMO it's misleading to refer to "blood thinners"and I especially find it annoying when a health care professional does so.

The cardiologist I see seems to default to a language meant to be understood by elementary schoolers when he speaks to many of his patients. He also tells them diuretics will make them "pee" a lot, and so on. Perhaps that's what they need to get the information-he knows the patient population and demographics around here, but I don't need to hear that and it's annoying. One time, though, after the topic of "blood thinners" came up (his words), I had a question, but referred to them as anticoagulants. Maybe it was that, as well as other things I said, but he asked me if I had been in health care "in my last life". I said, "yeah", he said, "I figured so", and asked me what I did.

Well, after that, no more baby talk from this guy. He explains thing on a more professional level, and I appreciate that. Now, LOL, if I could just get him to stop saying, after I had a pacemaker put in for 'sick sinus syndrome", that my (cardiac) "electrical system is shot." But IMO that's more amusing than anything, and he's partly right.
 
Old 08-12-2019, 11:43 AM
 
Location: Juneau, AK + Puna, HI
10,408 posts, read 7,507,369 times
Reputation: 15720
It's not commonly perceived as an offensive word, and just one syllable opposed to three. P I S S is a bit harsh (deleted by filters here as a word), but I like Pee.

If the health care person substitutes arsehole for anus, I'd definitely be a bit taken aback.
 
Old 08-12-2019, 11:46 AM
 
Location: Oort cloud
167 posts, read 188,762 times
Reputation: 633
OP I hope if you go to the doctor for a broken finger you don't say a broken finger but instead refer to your fractured phalange.
Your hives are urticara.
Your itching is pruritus.
The list could go on...
I suggest you and a few other people in here that are bothered by "regular" words take a seat and relax. If speech between patient/provider was 100% medical it would be near incomprehensible for the average person.
 
Old 08-12-2019, 11:58 AM
 
Location: Middle of the valley
48,287 posts, read 34,411,101 times
Reputation: 73226
Quote:
Originally Posted by walmill View Post
OP I hope if you go to the doctor for a broken finger you don't say a broken finger but instead refer to your fractured phalange.
Your hives are urticara.
Your itching is pruritus.
The list could go on...

I think this is the issue. At what point do you draw the line from slang/casual usage to medical terminology?

A doctor could tell a patient that they are hypertensive, and they will probably not know what that means. In an effort not to make anyone feel stupid, they dumb down the dialogue. Which is actually very considerate.

But no matter what you do, you'll offend someone, though I hope the OP meant the rant to be funny.
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