Exactly this. Last week I took a tumble down the flagstone steps in our back yard. I landed hard on the edge of the flagstone sticking out, somewhere on the hip I’d had replaced about a year ago so my immediate concern was that I’d damaged it or broken something else. Although I had full range of motion, it hurt to put weight on that leg. So I had my husband trundle me off to ER to get an x-ray to determine if I’d done any bone damage. None thank goodness and when the massive bruise appeared it was closer to the buttock area than the hip. I’m still using my rollator and canes but I was told to expect a 2 to 6 week recovery from such a fall.
But here’s what relates to what you wrote. The x-ray tech was training a new student so a few more x-rays to get it right. They could see the image after each take, and I could not. After the first take, the trainee went “Oh Wow!” I was immediately alarmed, thinking “what damage did I do?!” Turned out he was awestruck at the image of the hip implant, but his reaction of wonder was not the reaction I had to his reaction.. The radiologist cleared me and my claim to fame about having good bones, even in my 70s, remains intact. It wasn’t until I got home that I thought I should have told him the effect his reaction had on me. It was a spontaneous outburst on his part, even though he knew that the reason I was there was to make sure that I hadn’t damaged the implant or the hip. But it would have made a good teaching moment to let him know that he should keep reactions to the x-rays he takes, to himself.
Exactly this. Last week I took a tumble down the flagstone steps in our back yard. I landed hard on the edge of the flagstone sticking out, somewhere on the hip I’d had replaced about a year ago so my immediate concern was that I’d damaged it or broken something else. Although I had full range of motion, it hurt to put weight on that leg. So I had my husband trundle me off to ER to get an x-ray to determine if I’d done any bone damage. None thank goodness and when the massive bruise appeared it was closer to the buttock area than the hip. I’m still using my rollator and canes but I was told to expect a 2 to 6 week recovery from such a fall.
But here’s what relates to what you wrote. The x-ray tech was training a new student so a few more x-rays to get it right. They could see the image after each take, and I could not. After the first take, the trainee went “Oh Wow!” I was immediately alarmed, thinking “what damage did I do?!” Turned out he was awestruck at the image of the hip implant, but his reaction of wonder was not the reaction I had to his reaction.. The radiologist cleared me and my claim to fame about having good bones, even in my 70s, remains intact. It wasn’t until I got home that I thought I should have told him the effect his reaction had on me. It was a spontaneous outburst on his part, even though he knew that the reason I was there was to make sure that I hadn’t damaged the implant or the hip. But it would have made a good teaching moment to let him know that he should keep reactions to the x-rays he takes, to himself.
Good thoughts! I’m re-reading How Healing Works. So incredible how much healing is really in the context and culture rather than the treatment itself.