A medical riddle

[lederhosen]

Today, I punched a few numbers into the Spreadsheet of Doom that will determine how many 'remote Northern Territory Indigenous communities' NATSISS should survey. And then in the evening I chatted with my brother, who told me what might be the most WTF story I've ever heard from a medic:

Earlier this week, my brother was on a break in Darwin Hospital, standing near a stairwell, when a patient made a request of him. He didn't mention her exact age, but she was an adult Aboriginal woman, and she asked him to hold her hand when she went downstairs.

Before clicking the cut, see if you can guess why she needed him to do that (and no, my brother's laddish charm is not the answer).


Answer: She had never used a stairway before.


Unrelated, today is the second anniversary of one of the better decisions I ever made :-)

Comments

[malada.livejournal.com]

It could have been your brother's laddish charm - who better to go through a new and unknown experience then with a handsome laddie? ;-)

-m

[ambitious-wench.livejournal.com]

I can understand her request. Several years ago I road a subway for the first time in Boston; I was going downtown for the Gay Pride parade, and was terrified. I saw an older man with a PFLAG shirt on, and asked if I could sit with him, and he graciously invited me to take the seat. When I explained that this was my first trip ever on the subway, he took it seriously and chatted the whole time.

I've heard it said that racing greyhounds are often placed in homes after they retire, and have to be taught to use stairs.

I say good on that woman for facing her fear and asking for help.