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Do you use the correct words or dumb down when you see the doctor?

(81 Posts)
Genevieve489 Wed 08-Mar-17 11:40:45

I've just come back from seeing a GP I didn't know and, yet again, have been asked if I was a 'medical person'. I'm not! I believe this was because I used the term 'labia'.

Many years ago the same thing happened when I explained to a hospital consultant that one of his colleagues had performed a sphincterotomy on my bile duct.

As a retired English teacher, I believe that if one knows a word - and understands what it means - then we should use it! Has anyone else had this sort of reaction? Or do you find yourself dumbing down when faced with a medical professional?

JackieBee1 Thu 09-Mar-17 21:25:55

I once went to get a morning after pill and had to see the practice nurse. She said to me: '"So you've had an accident?" "No" says I. "Having an accident" means to me that you have been unable to "control your bladder". I refused to say anything more to her because I had booked 'A morning after pill" appointment! She was running round like a headless chicken cos she thought they'd lost my notes. Sounds harsh, but she was a particularly condescending person. Why she couldn't just say "morning after pill" is beyond me.

MargaretX Thu 09-Mar-17 21:49:07

When I think about having the correct German name for some conditions I realise I had no difficulty there. I came as a healthy young wife whose first visit was to the gynecologist
and so I learned the rest of the terms as the years went by, and had never used them in English.

I always use the correct medical terminlology if I know it

My last visit was because of excema and I had looked on the internet and knew the name. My GP ignored this and got down a huge book from his bookshelves and tried to look it up and needed his reading glasses because the print was so tiny.
He couldn't find them so in the end he asked for the name and prescibed me some cortison ointment.
Its like that most times. Its a mixture between what I know and what he is an expert in but we get on well.

Penstemmon Thu 09-Mar-17 22:40:04

I accompanied a small child to see the school doctor (when they existed!) who asked the little las (agd 4/5) 'Have you passed water today?'grin

Elrel Thu 09-Mar-17 23:32:38

'Yes, sir, there's a river down the road!' would be a deserved response!

Aslemma Fri 10-Mar-17 10:50:08

I remember many years ago having a mole removed from my leg. A week later I was asked to go back as they wanted to do more. As they wanted me to go in within three weeks I guessed it might be more serious so asked the doctor what the problem was. He replied "Oh, you wouldn't understand if I told you. " i suggested he tried telling me so he said "hystiocytosis". as he strutted out of the room. I obviously had a word with my own doctor and when I went back to the hospital the doc there said "Let's have a look at the errrr." I replied "The hystiocytoma, the small cancerous growth with some cancerous cells?" He said, "Oh, you looked it up" "No, I asked my doctor, and if you stop treating me like an idiot we may get on better!"