Me too about labor – I had my eyes closed a good part of labor, but it was because it made it easier to keep focused. I was able to stay “out there” away from the pain, but could still communicate with the midwife and doc and my husband. I have also done it when I have been in the office for a migraine and the doc couldn’t turn off the light or there was a shade that couldn’t be closed, but I tried more of a one-eye closed thing because I felt weird not looking at the doc and I wear glasses so I couldn’t just wear sunglasses.
I guess it depends on what kind of sick. My migraines have visual disturbances of flashing lights and floaters in my left eye. At their worst light is like a laser boring into my left eye. While that is not ER “sick,” it definitely “sit on the neuro’s table with my eyes closed while I talk to him sick.” I know by now there is nothing in the ER for me. Thankfully it is a predictable, once-a-month occurrence, I am just riding them out until menopause, hoping they go away then.
Migraine? I keep my eyes shut when I have one, though it’s human instinct to open your eyes when someone speaks to you.
Err, to be clear, by no means am I suggesting a migraine should result in a visit to an ER. It does, IMHO, suggest a faker if the person doesn’t at least try to make eye contact. Try having a conversation with someone without ever making eye contact, it’s extremely uncomfortable for both parties.
Yeah, it is instinct. I usually end up doing some freak pirate wink thing. That is only in the throes of something really awful though – when it is out of control, which has only been once or twice in the last ten years. I have only been to the ER once and just for a Friday night CT per the neuro because I lost vision in the eye.
BTW just read Scalpel’s Drama Signs – I am in the clear, I never did it through an entire interview because I feel like an idiot and I feel like I am hiding – so I do my freak pirate wink thing or hand over the left eye so I can look with the right eye.
Hmmm. I sometimes keep my eyes shut when I’m focusing really hard on breathing during an asthma attack. I think I have mostly looked at ER docs, but the breathing groove is more important than eye contact because it’s either that or I lose control and can’t breathe.
Labor I had my eyes shut and the nurse gave me the stern ‘wake up, it’s time to push’ lecture and I explained I wasn’t tired at all, I just didn’t feel well. She didn’t quite know how to respond to that. I had the shakes super bad for hours with labor and was fighting them hard. I ended up with all sorts of sore muscles from the shakes. Labor was fine, the shakes are what kicked my ass.
I’m pretty sure 10/10 is not talking about the guy who has his eyes shut because he has a huge corneal abrasion or because he’s a CPR in progress. He’s talking about the other 98% of Eyes Shut patients who are just acting helpless and dramatic. They’re the same patients who manage to get from their house to the ER on their own but once in the examining room suddenly become too weak to sit up in bed so you can listen to their lungs. Or the back pain who walked in but now can’t even lift his legs off the bed for the doctor. These are the patients 10/10 is speaking of.
The same patient that will somehow manage to drive themselves to the ER but suffer from sudden paralysis in the parking lot necessitating someone going out to retrieve them with a wheelchair.
I’m just glad it happens to docs too! I thought it was just me. You know they’re “really” sick when they won’t open their eyes and won’t talk. Or maybe its the dramatic “barely talk” that makes you truly sick.
November 17, 2008 at 7:09 am
Doc, PLEASE. I have a BRAIN CLOUD.
November 17, 2008 at 7:25 am
does labor count?
I didn’t open my eyes for most of my second child’s birth, didn’t really want to be able to count how many people were attending.
November 17, 2008 at 7:39 am
Me too about labor – I had my eyes closed a good part of labor, but it was because it made it easier to keep focused. I was able to stay “out there” away from the pain, but could still communicate with the midwife and doc and my husband. I have also done it when I have been in the office for a migraine and the doc couldn’t turn off the light or there was a shade that couldn’t be closed, but I tried more of a one-eye closed thing because I felt weird not looking at the doc and I wear glasses so I couldn’t just wear sunglasses.
November 17, 2008 at 7:41 am
Eyes shut = not sick.
I’m going to expand on that thought in a post, thanks for the idea.
November 17, 2008 at 8:08 am
I guess it depends on what kind of sick. My migraines have visual disturbances of flashing lights and floaters in my left eye. At their worst light is like a laser boring into my left eye. While that is not ER “sick,” it definitely “sit on the neuro’s table with my eyes closed while I talk to him sick.” I know by now there is nothing in the ER for me. Thankfully it is a predictable, once-a-month occurrence, I am just riding them out until menopause, hoping they go away then.
November 17, 2008 at 8:16 am
Migraine? I keep my eyes shut when I have one, though it’s human instinct to open your eyes when someone speaks to you.
Err, to be clear, by no means am I suggesting a migraine should result in a visit to an ER. It does, IMHO, suggest a faker if the person doesn’t at least try to make eye contact. Try having a conversation with someone without ever making eye contact, it’s extremely uncomfortable for both parties.
November 17, 2008 at 8:25 am
Yeah, it is instinct. I usually end up doing some freak pirate wink thing. That is only in the throes of something really awful though – when it is out of control, which has only been once or twice in the last ten years. I have only been to the ER once and just for a Friday night CT per the neuro because I lost vision in the eye.
BTW just read Scalpel’s Drama Signs – I am in the clear, I never did it through an entire interview because I feel like an idiot and I feel like I am hiding – so I do my freak pirate wink thing or hand over the left eye so I can look with the right eye.
November 17, 2008 at 8:59 am
Heh. Did you guys (http://scalpelorsword.blogspot.com/2008/11/drama-signs.html) see the same patient? Oddly similar post on the same day…
November 17, 2008 at 9:25 am
Lemme guess….blonde?
November 17, 2008 at 2:14 pm
Hmmm. I sometimes keep my eyes shut when I’m focusing really hard on breathing during an asthma attack. I think I have mostly looked at ER docs, but the breathing groove is more important than eye contact because it’s either that or I lose control and can’t breathe.
Labor I had my eyes shut and the nurse gave me the stern ‘wake up, it’s time to push’ lecture and I explained I wasn’t tired at all, I just didn’t feel well. She didn’t quite know how to respond to that. I had the shakes super bad for hours with labor and was fighting them hard. I ended up with all sorts of sore muscles from the shakes. Labor was fine, the shakes are what kicked my ass.
M
November 17, 2008 at 3:12 pm
I’m pretty sure 10/10 is not talking about the guy who has his eyes shut because he has a huge corneal abrasion or because he’s a CPR in progress. He’s talking about the other 98% of Eyes Shut patients who are just acting helpless and dramatic. They’re the same patients who manage to get from their house to the ER on their own but once in the examining room suddenly become too weak to sit up in bed so you can listen to their lungs. Or the back pain who walked in but now can’t even lift his legs off the bed for the doctor. These are the patients 10/10 is speaking of.
November 17, 2008 at 6:01 pm
scalpel – is there a medical correlation between Eyes-Shut-Fakers and blondes??
November 17, 2008 at 6:26 pm
Hmmmm – generally if one is awake but eyes are shut, yes = not sick. If the patient is unresponsive to painful stimuli with eyes closed = sick.
November 17, 2008 at 6:56 pm
What Hallway Four said.
November 17, 2008 at 10:19 pm
The same patient that will somehow manage to drive themselves to the ER but suffer from sudden paralysis in the parking lot necessitating someone going out to retrieve them with a wheelchair.
November 17, 2008 at 10:44 pm
Yes, we call them the “dying swans”.
November 19, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Pet peeve #1 for me:
Please take the chewing gum out of your mouth when you describe your various aches and pains.You too, mom.
November 19, 2008 at 8:08 pm
even better when they start to uncontrollably blink their eyes
December 21, 2008 at 5:09 pm
I’m just glad it happens to docs too! I thought it was just me. You know they’re “really” sick when they won’t open their eyes and won’t talk. Or maybe its the dramatic “barely talk” that makes you truly sick.