Are you a student?

Amidst a recent Facebook post suggesting that “my wheels are falling off” as I approach 30, I have found my saving grace.  Despite any physical ailment that makes you feel old, a compliment, whether intentional or not, makes it all go away, if only for a little while. 

Background Info:

Yesterday on a Facebook post I mentioned that I felt like I was getting old, citing back pain, upcoming knee surgery, and the fact that I have been put on thyroid medication.

Picture retreived online from the Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants website.

At about 1:00 a.m. I am called to the ER for a patient with suspected appendicitis: a 22 year-old female with RLQ pain, fever, and loss of appetite today.  As I walk into her room to introduce myself, I find a relatively attractive brunette in pink sweats, slippers, and hospital gown lying on her stretcher, and her knight in shining armor boyfriend at her side.  She smiles.  He tenses up.  As I finish explaining who I am, and that I will be taking her down the hall for a CAT SCAN, I ask if there are any questions.  Only one:

Jealous boyfriend: “Can I come with?” 

(At this point I realize that this guy sees me as a threat, which is a compliment in itself I guess, because I am definitely not a threat.)

Me:  “Of course.  I can’t let you in the room during the scan, but you are welcome to come along.  There is a sitting area outside of the room.”

We walk down the hall to CT.  Boyfriend takes a seat in the waiting area and I roll the patient the rest of the way into the CT room and close the door.  As I get the patient positioned on my table, she asks, “So are you a student?”

I initially think to myself, “Crap.  Am I acting like I don’t know what I am doing or something?  Why would she think I am a student?”  I push the thought aside and say, “No, I have been doing this for like 7 or 8 years.”

Patient: “Wow!  You look so young.”

Me (smiling on the inside, and probably on the outside, too): “Thanks, I guess I’ll take that as a compliment.”

I suppose if an attractive 22 year-old female thinks I look young, the wheels aren’t falling off just yet.  Then again she had just been given morphine for her pain.   Crap!  I hadn’t thought of that until now.