Saturday, June 20, 2009

Superstition

I massaged a lady yesterday who had a rather large growth on her lower leg. It's part of my job to do a skin assessment, so I asked her about it.

She told me that having the growth removed kills people!

Apparently, she was twice scheduled to go into her doctor's office to have it removed, and on both occasions the doctor had a death in the family and had to cancel.

The third time she was going to go in, her own grandfather died.

She took it as a sign to leave the growth alone. In her words, "It's supposed to be there."

I generally consider myself to be a very rational, reasonable person, but this chain of events would make me hesitate, I believe. I think I'd schedule with a different doctor, maybe!

How superstitious are YOU, my readers? Would you have reacted the same way as my client, under these circumstances?

10 comments:

Alan said...

The client is irrational.

BUT!

Even if she's right, I'd still keep scheduling appointments to have it removed because the idea that I could kill people just by making an appointment with a doctor is made of win.

Buck said...

Would you have reacted the same way as my client, under theses circumstances?

In a word, no. But I like Alan's train of thought... assuming I had control over who dies.

Roismhaire said...

Depends on the growth!
IF there's a chance that the growth could turn into cancer or some other thing that would be a negative impact on my heath, then I'd have it off.
If not, the growth makes a helluva conversation starter and it's "got a story" - kind of like a scar, as you discovered.

Christina RN LMT said...

Thanks for "playing", you guys!

Alan, your mind is very twisted. I like that!

Buck, you're equally as twisted as Alan...

Roismhaire, it was a pretty big, round bump, almost the size of a golfball, that was more darkly pigmented than the rest of her skin. She called it a "cuboid", but that can't be right (at least, according to wikipedia! ;))

I'd get it removed. I also think she's full of it, but of course I couldn't say that to her.

Unknown said...

Amputate the entire leg. Problem solved.

10% said...

Breda wins the "Take off and nuke the entire site from orbit, it's he only way to be sure!" award. I figure it needs to be removed, and even if it kills a few folks, at least I no longer have a crazy relative killing growth on my leg. Besides, if said growth is sentient, maybe it needs to be destroyed before it takes over the world. Kill it with fire!

Anonymous said...

She'll be dead in under a few years.
Her bad.

Dick

Christina RN LMT said...

Breda, I somehow question your objectivity in this matter...;)

10%, it was a fairly icky growth, and I tried to avoid touching it...maybe it should burn!

Dick, I never cease to marvel at people's stupidity. But then again, I strangely believe in tip karma.

Anonymous said...

I would have it removed. I'm that selfish.

Christina RN LMT said...

Nah, you're that SMART.