A tour leader informed me that a 70 year-old in
his group had severe abdominal pain.
I explained that this was probably not something
a housecall would solve. He would almost certainly need an emergency room visit.
“They understand,” said the tour leader. “But
they want a doctor to come to make sure.”
He was not being honest, as I discovered. Anxious
to avoid accompanying the man and his wife to the hospital, he had insisted on
a housecall hoping that I would make the problem go away.
He had also not passed on my suspicions, so the
couple was shocked when, after an examination, I repeated it. The husband
refused to go, pointing out that their return flight left the following day. He
added that he was merely constipated. Telephoned, his doctor at home had agreed
and recommended an enema.
I responded that being on the spot gave me
priority. The guest assured me he would think it over and go to an ER if the
pain persisted.
I passed a worried night. In the morning, the
wife declared that her husband felt a littler better. Feeling “a little better”
in response to a doctor’s query means “no better.” I warned them not to board
the plane if the husband had any abdominal pain. Two hours later the wife
phoned to announce that he was entirely better, and they were leaving for the
airport.
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