A Clinical Episode...

So yesterday I was at the ED for clinical time...I am getting ready to start an IV on a patient. She was a woman in her 40s and her father was there. I introduced myself and set about finding a vein that was suitable. The patient father asks

"Are you ready for the hurricane?"

"Well, I bake my own bread and I don't drink milk, so I have no reason to rush out to the store..."

That was kind of a joke....I do bake bread and I don't drink milk, but it was suppose to be an observation of the absurdity of peoples actions when they hear of incoming natural disturbances...They all run out and buy milk and bread. But their response was somewhat suprising....

"You don't drink milk?" the patient said..

There was a harshness in her words that was unexpected for the mildly mannered folks they seemed to be. I told them that I do eat yogurt though. And they were immediately more at ease.

"Do you make your own yogurt?"

I told them I did, then the conversation moved on to using pasteurized milk vs. raw milk for yogurt. If I had ever tried Kefir and why do so many new aged crunchies have to buy cultures and starters through the mail and at Whole Foods that aren't really necessary. We also talked about how greek yogurt has gotten so popular and how it uses more milk.

I looked at them again. They were definitely rural folks, and realizing how dairy-centric the conversation had been, I went for a shot in the dark....

"Are you folks in the dairy business?"

Thank god I'm not lactose intolerant...Security may have to of been called.