If you ask a medical worker about their worst patient or encounter, they are unlikely to reveal much in person. However, I figured that if you offer them an anonymous online thread, they'll tell you all about their oddest, saddest, and funniest stories (and most of the time all of that combined into one)!

With that being said, I decided to ask medical workers of Bored Panda to share their weirdest patient stories and they sure delivered without hesitation!

#1

“Medical Workers Of Bored Panda, What’s The Weirdest Thing A Patient Has Ever Come In With?” (40 Stories) I once had a patient who came in with her baby daughter. The daughter was a baby, maybe one by the looks of it. The lady told me all these things about how she was anti-vax and blah blah. She then asked me to “fix” her baby. You guys, it was d**d. She was holding a goddamn corpse.

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#2

“Medical Workers Of Bored Panda, What’s The Weirdest Thing A Patient Has Ever Come In With?” (40 Stories) Before I had a liver transplant, I suffered from a condition called "Ascites" that makes you retain fluids and your belly looks like you are 11 months pregnant (I am a guy). Every week I'd go to the hospital to get the fluids drained (usually around 10 to 11 liters). Since it was a teaching hospital, more often than not there was an attending nurse and a very young doctor.

The procedure required an ultrasound machine, operated by the nurse, and a 9" needle to penetrate the abdomen and find the sack with the liquid. Most young doctors had never done anything like it and they were nervous and a little bit disturbed. Once this very young doctor got physically sick and white as a sheet. He also couldn't find the sack. He kept prodding and getting more and more panicked. By then I was an old hand at it and I had seen it done properly at least a dozen times, so I asked him "do you mind if I give it a shot?".

At first, he blabbed something incoherent, so I added, "I won't tell anyone, I just can't afford to leave without being drained, this is the one day a week when I get to feel normal for a few hours". He finally agreed and I took hold of the 9" needle. Watching the ultrasound screen, in a few seconds I found the sack and we started filling 2-liter bottles with the liquid.

It was a 12 liters day, requiring six two-liter bottles. My father-in-law drove me there that day, and he was watching the proceedings, but it was too much even for him. He passed out and had to be put on a gurney. Both the doc and my FIL were traumatized. The nurse joked with me about it. I eventually got a liver transplant and that issue went away. I am almost at the 20 years mark.

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Kim Lorton
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wow! Amazing story! I am so glad you got your transplant! I worked in a teaching hospital and assisted new doctors snd experienced ones do this, for ascites and for draining fluid off the lungs. I even assisted one butt head doctor do a liver biopsy at bedside, who didn't numb the patient up enough and it was hell! He was so full of himself, i wanted to stick that freaking needle in him! Good pain meds were given afterward! It was as bloody as they say it is!

Joan Zatorski
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am so sorry you have suffered this way. I hope this posts inspires people to become organ donors: sign your drivers license, everyone!

Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Indeed. I was a donor from the day I turned 18. I never thought I'd be the one in need of a organ donation. My donor was a hero. A very young skydiver that survived long enough after a failed jump to authorize the harvesting of his organs, as his family was far away. When I hear people whining about not wanting to donate for some petty reason, I think of him and his courage. I try, and sometimes succeed, to live up to his example.

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Suzi Q
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have Polycystic Liver disease. My liver is full of cysts that keep generating. It's a common condition for kidneys but rare for it to be only involving the liver. It took a couple days to diagnose it (5 days in the hospital in immense pain.) I was referred to a liver transplant specialist. Turns out my liver functions normally but they have to drain a very large (grapefruit sized) cyst. When they drain it (same process op describes,) they shoot alcohol into it so it won't refill. Thankfully my doctor got it on the first shot. However the alcohol spilled out of the cyst. That was THE most painful thing ever. I'm not a stranger to pain (major chronic pain and multi level back deterioration,) but this was a different level of pain. I don't envy this person. Glad his transplant worked.

KimB
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Holy crap! Sir I salute you that is incredible! I've seen many aspirations done and I don't know if I could steady my hands to do that on a patient let alone myself!!! Congratulations on your 20 years that's awesome and blessings that you have 100 more years! :)

lil ninja
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Now there are these amazing things called PleurX drains… so much easier now and can be done at home.

Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had no idea.Thank you for bringing it up. I hope I'll never need them, but I sure could have used them back then. Going around with a belly up to here, on a skeletal body, was terrible. I tried coaching my daughter's tennis team but I couldn't hit backends because the belly was in the way. Second to the post transplant period, that was the worst.

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Cecily Holland
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am so glad you don’t have to go through that anymore. I’ve been known to boot students out of the room. Don’t try using the they have to learn guilt trip on me. They see your file with consent for medical students and think you are their personal pin cushion. I withdrew consent. There are limits

Shelby Moonheart
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm glad you were able to get a transplant. I and seven months out from getting a new kidney. Transplants are miraculous.

Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Kidneys are supposed to be easier than livers, but it's still a traumatic experience and knowing someone else might have had it tougher is going to be a small consolation. All the best to you.

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Yayheterogeneity
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm very glad for you, that you are doing so well. Sounds like you had to suffer through quite an ordeal to be well again.

Leo Domitrix
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Congrats! Twenty years is a great milestone after a transplant!

Skyler Sage Tang
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I remember my first drain - I thought I hit an artery. One of the scariest times of my life

Brenda
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

BFF had non-alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver. First time they drained it was 21 liters! She went as needed & they usually took 15 to 18 liters .She was 5ft 3 and the sheer weight was 25 to 40 pounds each time. Sadly she passed before a transplant could be done

Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am very sorry to hear about your BFF. I can't imagine what 21 liters would feel like. I thought my 12 liters was some kind of record, but I see I was wrong. Unfortunately, a lot of the people I shared my journey with didn't make it either. Many because of unrelated health issues like diabetes, heart conditions or simply age. I struggled with survivor's guilt for years afterward, something no one warned me about and I still do to an extent. You think, "why me and not them"? Again, my condolence for your friend.

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Kathleen Suileabháin
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There are some videos on YouTube…it’s a fun procedure, if you’re interested in that sort of thing.

Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am not sure I'd want to watch it, but of course it's on YT. I am interested in the alternative procedure someone else brought up. PleurX drains. I may watch that, but the actual procedure? It was hell. Not the procedure itself, that I got used to, but the whole "walking around with 12 liters of liquid" thing. That I could have done without.

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Holly Hobby
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Liver TX recipient here. I remember the drawings. I think by the time we've semi recovered from the transplant we should have an honorary degree lol

Calyx Teren
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I went with my dad to have his ascites drained when he had cancer. I admired his endurance so much and wished he had never had to show it.

Jai-mee Vinson
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I hope he took notes. Way to go! Literally taking your health into your hands. How did they figure out this was your prognosis and what test needs to be done to prove or disprove “ascites”?

Zack Podany
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

First, congrats. Honestly, glad to hear the replacement parts are holding. Second, I hope you never have a similar conversation with your dentist.

Amy Chirman
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Congratulations! My husband will celebrate seven years post-transplant next month.

Coco
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This reminds me of that guy that removed his own appendix. Can’t seem to remember what his name was though.🧐

Britches are for everyone
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I worked in dialysis and we put big needles in people every day to clean their blood. Not nine-inch needles, but there are two big ones that go into a person's arm. There were occasionally patients who did it themselves and they were experts at it. Something about knowing your own body. And then I didn't have to do my job and I could just sit there and chat with them.

Keisha Washington
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Dude you have a pair of mammoth sized balls to do that. High 5 my dude!!

Mary Jeffries
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had a patient and one of the ascites pokes never healed but continued to seep. We put a colostomy pouch in it and she didn’t need a tap very often after that. An accidental good thing…

Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It didn't work for me for the longest time, until it did. By then a lot of the fluid was going down into my legs and Furosemide did help at that point. I have no idea why or how. I still remember the day the liquid shifted to my legs. I was driving a huge U-Haul truck in the process of moving closer to the hospital. Once I got off the truck I couldn't walk and felt even more miserable. I spent the night with my legs elevated. I think I still have some PTSD from that period.

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Leoninus Fate
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

damn my mom has this right now along with liver failure and cancer, they refuse to take the fluid off her...until she gets almost septic then they take just enough off and shove her back home.... we have the money to help her and insurance, we just got an a$$ dr/hosp, she still goes shopping and does everything with bags hanging off her side to filter her urine cause her bladder doesn't work too, so... someone inf heaven or hell wants her here{only in her late 50s}

Zero
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Damn. Watched docs drain a couple quarts of fluid from my grandma's lungs and while fascinating was still kinda gross. As long as it didn't drain into an old Mtn. Dew bottle, think I might be ok to watch.

Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I know. It looks exactly like p**s. I remember staring at the bottles unable to comprehend all that stuff came out of me. 1/10 would not play again.

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ispeak catanese
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's an amazing and awful sight. I'm glad you are no longer subjected to that.

Brook Schmidt
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Pretty gross when those glass jars are still warm when they get to the lab. Lol

eff the haters
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sorry but I have to laugh at the thought of looking like you are eleven months pregnant

Joran Quinten
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nothing better than draining the old sack while your FIL is passing out from watching

It's Me
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I’m trying…. So hard not to laugh. I mean that sucks but it’s… wow.

Viktor
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I’m impressed (negatively) that someone could struggle to find a 12-liter (!!!) sack of fluid. You must have been able to hit basically just about anywhere in the general abdomen area.

Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You would think, but it doesn't work like that apparently. My understanding is that there are sacks where the fluid goes and you have to pierce the right one. Ultrasound helps, but everything is in black & white and you want to be careful what you stick with it.

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Mistiekim
Community Member
2 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

I’m sorry, but this would never happen. If you were going so frequently you’d have a drain. If not, and if your doctor was young they would know this procedure. Or if that was true that he couldn’t another doctor would be called in. No hospital anywhere is going to let a patient do a procedure on themselves.

Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I didn't do "the procedure". There is more than just sticking the needle in it and poke around for the fluid sack. There were times when inexperienced doctors gave up and I had to leave after a drain of maybe a half liter. I just couldn't have that. All I did was to guide the needle to where I thought the sack was. The needle was already inserted and since that was easily my twentieth procedure I had, and the doctor's first, I had a better idea of where the fluids were. In fact, both the doctor and I had our hand on the needle and I guided him to where I thought it would work, and it did. For that matter, more than once I helped lab techs find my veins for one of the innumerable blood drains since my veins were collapsed and my body was so wasted and dehydrated, taking blood could take 45 minutes. At times I had a procession of nurses and doctors trying to find a line. It would be a pretty strange thing to make up, wouldn't it?

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#3

“Medical Workers Of Bored Panda, What’s The Weirdest Thing A Patient Has Ever Come In With?” (40 Stories) I had a patient that wouldn’t let me take his temperature with a non-contact device on his forehead. He was worried about “blasting radiation into his pituitary gland”. First of all, you’re 90 so I’m sure by now your pituitary gland is a little bag of sand by now; and secondly, where did you get this info? Facebook?

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#4

“Medical Workers Of Bored Panda, What’s The Weirdest Thing A Patient Has Ever Come In With?” (40 Stories) Too many!

The guy that used tampons as earplugs at night, forgot to take them out and had a shower. He didn't realize how absorbent they were!

The woman complained of a sudden and severe irritation 'down there'. She had sequin knickers and wore them inside out, several of them had come loose and worked their way inside.

The lovely old lady who came in with 'stabbing pains in the chest', upon inspection we noted that she was indeed being stabbed, by the lamb-chop bone in her bra.

The young lad that had a speculum stuck in his mouth. We don't where/how he got it but apparently, he was trying to pretend to be a duck. (For the guys out there that don't know, a speculum is a medical tool that is most commonly used for examining vaginas).

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#5

“Medical Workers Of Bored Panda, What’s The Weirdest Thing A Patient Has Ever Come In With?” (40 Stories) My friend was an ER doctor. Had a guy come in with a flashlight stuck up his b**t. When my friend came back from his break he asked the other doc how the patient with the flashlight up his b**t was doing and the other doc asked him, "Which one?" It was a busy night!

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#6

“Medical Workers Of Bored Panda, What’s The Weirdest Thing A Patient Has Ever Come In With?” (40 Stories) We had a patient who came to the ER after a car accident and had a metal fence pole all the way through his right chest, in the front, out the back. He previously had his right lung removed so he walked away with no injury after a pipe through the chest.

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#7

“Medical Workers Of Bored Panda, What’s The Weirdest Thing A Patient Has Ever Come In With?” (40 Stories) Not medical, but dental. Had a woman who was obviously an addict come in for a tooth ache. I had to help her fill out the new patient form because it confused her too much. Every health question was met with ‘what’s that?’. We finally get her back in the room to start X-rays and holy smokes. No wonder this lady had a toothache. She was LITERALLY growing ALGAE on her teeth. It was horrendous. We ended up having to refer her to a dental hospital because the work was so extensive. I couldn’t eat anything with seaweed in it for years. It looked just like the stuff on her teeth.

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Jayne Kyra
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

BRB, gonna brush my teeth again. Edit: Just got back from the dentist. No cavities!

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#8

“Medical Workers Of Bored Panda, What’s The Weirdest Thing A Patient Has Ever Come In With?” (40 Stories) I work in learning disability care and once had to accompany a young lady to the hospital who was complaining about pain when urinating.

Somehow she had inserted peas into her urethra and attempted to fish them out with a bobby pin - over a week before she went to the ED.

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#9

“Medical Workers Of Bored Panda, What’s The Weirdest Thing A Patient Has Ever Come In With?” (40 Stories) A 79-year-old man presents to ER with an aerosol air freshener can up his a**…told the doctor it “slipped in" when he went to sit on the toilet…it was so far in there he needed full abdominal surgery to remove it because even the colonoscope couldn’t reach it!

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#10

“Medical Workers Of Bored Panda, What’s The Weirdest Thing A Patient Has Ever Come In With?” (40 Stories) Not me but my dad who was a physician. He said he hated the ER, this was back when there were no "ER specialists" just doctors on call. I asked him why, and he said he was sick of "removing" things that had no business being where they were. I said, "like what?" And he said, "like flashlights, baby bottles, and squash." I asked no more.

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#11

“Medical Workers Of Bored Panda, What’s The Weirdest Thing A Patient Has Ever Come In With?” (40 Stories) A woman came into our ER with a very swollen finger and in a lot of pain. While doing a lot of dishes, a box of spaghetti fell over, as she tried to catch it to avoid it falling into the sudsy sink, one strand impaled itself under her fingernail. Since her hands were so wet, the spaghetti slid all the way to the top of the nail. It. Was. Horrifying. Everyone was cringing! The doctor had to cut a slit into her fingernail to fish it out! We all had funny reactions! The woman said it was so painful that she wanted her finger cut off! She had instant relief when the doc cut the nail and relieved the pressure.

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#12

“Medical Workers Of Bored Panda, What’s The Weirdest Thing A Patient Has Ever Come In With?” (40 Stories) I once had to explain to a patient that there was no need for us to check his b12 levels because he was actually not on a vegan diet.

Still, he insisted on being a vegan because he only ate poultry regularly, while other meats or fish only "a few times a month" and also it was always organic. He genuinely thought he was a vegan and therefore needed his b12 level checked.

I ended up saying, "b12 deficiency is only a problem for those vegans who don't eat meat."

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#13

“Medical Workers Of Bored Panda, What’s The Weirdest Thing A Patient Has Ever Come In With?” (40 Stories) Was on a med-surg-gyn-weird diseases floor. Had a patient come in with Pemphigus. A skin disease. A not often seen one.

Also had a patient come in with a rare genetic disease that both parents were Caucasian, but the baby had very dark skin and hair and their features were Caucasian. He was also in a wheelchair and his skin was very delicate and broke down easily. Can’t remember the name of it, De. … something. But it was very interesting.

I also had several patients with cystic fibrosis, under this one doctor’s care. They aged from teens to 36. Very old for a patient with CF. He was very invested in their care. One patient came in and he was dying. He asked that any nurse not comfortable with his morphine dosing schedule, not take care of his patient. He was of the opinion, that they could pretty much tell you when and how much they wanted or needed, and where to get it. He later was in the news as the doctor who broke the genetic code for CF. He was based in Orlando, Fl. He was an amazing doctor!

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Caro Caro
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Bless him. A doctor who really wanted the best for his patients. Although in my opinion, most doctors and other health care workers do want the best. Kim, you must have found all this very interesting.

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#14

“Medical Workers Of Bored Panda, What’s The Weirdest Thing A Patient Has Ever Come In With?” (40 Stories) I’m the patient here. Guess what I did?

Yeah, I ate a flower with a bee on it. Not only did I get stung, but guess what else?

The flower was the one thing I was allergic to. I couldn’t breathe because I still had a petal AND a bee stuck in my mouth, and my tongue basically blew up. I did not eat any greens, or anything purple because the flower was purple.

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#15

“Medical Workers Of Bored Panda, What’s The Weirdest Thing A Patient Has Ever Come In With?” (40 Stories) Not my story but my friend is a paramedic and got called to a house where someone thought a person "might" be d**d. The guy had hanged himself at least 3 weeks previously. Think advanced state of decomposition. She said she can remember thinking, "What do they expect us to do? Resuscitate him?"

Obviously, she didn't say anything and just contacted the police. I assume some people just panic and don't know who to call in this situation.

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Laura Jones
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

so sad no one had worried where he was for 3 weeks that guy certainly needed some friends

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#16

“Medical Workers Of Bored Panda, What’s The Weirdest Thing A Patient Has Ever Come In With?” (40 Stories) Had a patient call 9-1-1 with a three-liter coke bottle up his a**.

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#17

“Medical Workers Of Bored Panda, What’s The Weirdest Thing A Patient Has Ever Come In With?” (40 Stories) I'm not a doctor, but I was once in the doctor's office waiting for a check-up when this woman bolts in with her young child, screaming that she was bleeding. Her kid was on her period.

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Pa4040
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I believe that there are too many women (mothers) who are extremely uncomfortable discussing anything related to how the body works and changes during puberty, but not knowing that your daughter is probably on her period?

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#18

“Medical Workers Of Bored Panda, What’s The Weirdest Thing A Patient Has Ever Come In With?” (40 Stories) My wife works in the ICU and a large lady came in once and they had to give her a sponge bath and they found an old oreo under her b**b.

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#19

“Medical Workers Of Bored Panda, What’s The Weirdest Thing A Patient Has Ever Come In With?” (40 Stories) I had a severely psychotic patient who was convinced she had consumed human flesh and was always trying to induce vomiting. She was eventually discharged. Later she was re-admitted when her relative (a new mother) had caught this patient preparing to eat the baby.

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#20

“Medical Workers Of Bored Panda, What’s The Weirdest Thing A Patient Has Ever Come In With?” (40 Stories) As a paramedic with over 25 years in the job, I have witnessed a lot of things.

One that sticks with me is a call I dealt with over 20 years ago. A lady dialed 999 and the call was passed as "broken finger". It was only when we arrived we found that she had actually broken a fingernail, and was wanting us to fix it as she was going to a dinner party and wanted to look her best. For context, the patient lived in a large house with a private drive and considered herself to be in the upper class.

My crew mate did indeed 'fix' the broken fingernail back on, with a big comedy bandage you would normally expect to see in a cartoon. Our patient was not impressed by this, as it made her look ridiculous, and she uttered that immortal line "I will get you sacked for this".

My crew mate, being less subtle than me, educated the lady on the inappropriateness of the situation (in words of very few syllabus) and it would be a shame if we did get sacked and details of this call 'leaked' to the press. I don't believe a complaint was ever made...

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Miss Frankfurter
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

She should have had to pay a fine for this. Not that it would have made a dent in her bank account. But she'd probably be pissed to have to pay it. Or contact some connection to get it tossed.

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#21

“Medical Workers Of Bored Panda, What’s The Weirdest Thing A Patient Has Ever Come In With?” (40 Stories) Not a doctor. Sat in the waiting room at the health center, waiting for my doctor when a worker from the building project next door came in. He had his hand wrapped in a big towel and just stood in the line for the receptionist.

He left a large trail of blood running from the towel. Not dripping, running in a small stream. Luckily someone more or less shouted to get him some attention. When a couple of nurses came running the dude said something like: "I just cut myself a bit", not really seeming to realize it had to be bad. Either he was cool as a cucumber or in chock. Probably the latter.

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Happi doggi (ve/ver/vis)
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If he thinks he just cut himself “a bit” what could he have done that was worse than this?

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#22

Parents brought their 8 yo daughter in with a crooked forearm, stating they had no idea what happened. Turns out the girl broke her arm right before departing on a Disney vacation. They asked her if she'd rather go to the hospital or go on vacation. She chose vacation (shock) and as a result of really poor parenting, something that would have been remedied with a simple cast turned into surgery and a longer, more painful recovery for their daughter.

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Susi Moffitt
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Horribly irresponsible! Some people either shouldn't have kids or they should ACT like parents!!

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#23

“Medical Workers Of Bored Panda, What’s The Weirdest Thing A Patient Has Ever Come In With?” (40 Stories) P**is fish…. A fish swam up into this man’s urethra. He had been on vacation and WAITED UNTIL HE WAS BACK to get looked at!!! That was nearly 20 years ago and I will never forget that poor guy.

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Lance LaRocque
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The TV show River Monsters had an episode on that fish. If I remember correctly it lives in the Amazon River

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#24

“Medical Workers Of Bored Panda, What’s The Weirdest Thing A Patient Has Ever Come In With?” (40 Stories) Mostly ER.

1. Dead babies brought in.

2. 17 yo girl stabbed in the heart by someone who tried to steal her cellphone, dead on arrival.

3. Lady attacked by a pet python. I clamped onto her wrist and wrapped itself around her neck, luckily she survived.

4. Guy took Viagra, effects did not wear off, 36 hrs later he came into ER because to pain was too much.

5. Police officer shot in the face, had to have total reconstructive surgery.

And so much more...

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Brian Bennett
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Emergency rooms are horror stories and unbelievable things have to be attended to its the next worst thing from COVID!

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#25

“Medical Workers Of Bored Panda, What’s The Weirdest Thing A Patient Has Ever Come In With?” (40 Stories) I once handled a man that had inserted the p**is in an active vacuum cleaning pipe, it swelled a lot and got stuck. Totally purple after removal.

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#26

“Medical Workers Of Bored Panda, What’s The Weirdest Thing A Patient Has Ever Come In With?” (40 Stories) A patient who filled a condom with Hard as Nails (a glue that sets hard as nails) inserted it while the glue was still not set. Then it set and it took every surgical instrument we could think of to extract it.

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Jonathan
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'd be curious as to exactly what thought process he had going on here lol

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#27

My mom was an ER doctor. Years ago an older man had a motorcycle wreck on the turnpike and they were ready when he came in. Everyone took their places (he was unconscious) and began cutting clothes off. All of the sudden everyone stopped…. He had a tiny padlock through the end of his penis with a chain going up to a nipple and a tiny lick holding it there. No keys to fit on his person. They had to call maintenance to bring cutters to cut the locks.

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#28

“Medical Workers Of Bored Panda, What’s The Weirdest Thing A Patient Has Ever Come In With?” (40 Stories) I work registration in the emergency room…I’ve seen some weird stuff in the month and a half I’ve been here. We had one woman come in with a lit cigarette and a newborn…she had given birth in her car, and decided to wait to come in so she could finish smoking.

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Miss Frankfurter
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A month and a half? Oh its just the beginning! Be prepared to see anything and everything.

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#29

“Medical Workers Of Bored Panda, What’s The Weirdest Thing A Patient Has Ever Come In With?” (40 Stories) Found a 6mm fragment of a metal axe in a guy's eyelid - he had no idea it was there.

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#30

“Medical Workers Of Bored Panda, What’s The Weirdest Thing A Patient Has Ever Come In With?” (40 Stories) Saw this guy who ‘accidentally’ injected an EpiPen into his junk.

He got worried and came into the ED. He claimed it was totally an accident and just wanted to see how the thing worked, but his friend told us he was out of viagra and wanted to see if the EpiPen works as a replacement, since it’s epinephrine/adrenaline.

Spoiler alert, it doesn’t.

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#31

“Medical Workers Of Bored Panda, What’s The Weirdest Thing A Patient Has Ever Come In With?” (40 Stories) Urgent care registration staff here. Had a man come in because he "needed a boil on his arm checked out". I didn't ask him to, but he unzipped his jacket (no shirt on underneath) and showed me his arms. This was NOT just a boil, he had rubber surgical drains coming out multiple sites on each arm.

He had left an out-of-state hospital where he was being treated for purulent cellulitis without notifying doctors or getting his Rx for antibiotics. He said he had to get to Montana for a friend's funeral and didn't have time to stop long. Our doctors told him his case was too severe and he needed to go to the ER because he was septic. He refused an ambulance ride and said he'd drive himself. We checked hospital records later that day and the man never checked in at the ER. He just continued his drive across state lines.

Maybe there were eventually 2 funerals in Montana that day.

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#32

My mum, before retirement was a diabetic wound care specialist (UK based). One patient (no names were given) she told me about was a gentleman who came in with what looked like lots of ulcers over his leg. For those who don’t know about diabetes, patients have to look after their legs and feet due to circulation issues, due to not looking after their blood sugars. Anyway, this gentleman had these ulcers on his legs and my mum asked “what on earth had happened?!!” Turned out that due to his diabetes he had lost the feeling in his legs and he was chatting away on the telephone, not realising that his new puppy had been chomping away at his legs!!!!

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#33

“Medical Workers Of Bored Panda, What’s The Weirdest Thing A Patient Has Ever Come In With?” (40 Stories) A 'Rampant Rabbit' in the bowel. Amazing x-ray! Ouch.

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Pa4040
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wait what? Was that an actual rabbit?? Or is it just the name of some adult toy that I never heard of ?

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#34

I work in an Emergency Operations Centre where the emergency calls come in. Took a call from someone reporting an RTC. Patient wasn't breathing well so I advised the caller to put one hand on the patient's forehead and another hand under their neck and to tilt the head back to open the airways. Caller said 'I'm not going to do that'. When I asked why he said 'He doesn't have a forehead any more'. The patient had jumped from a bridge and then been hit by a lorry and dragged several feet along the tarmac.

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#35

Patient was me but it wasn't anything really weird...I got hit by a hockey ball in the face, which hit the bone on my right cheek...very clean and semi-deep cut so blood went EVERYWHERE and fast. Other kids I was training with were horrified, as were coaches. Not going to lie, even with holding pressure against the cut when I turned up in the ER it was hard to tell where I was injured there was so much blood. I looked like Carrie. Traumatised more than a few people. Oops.

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Thay
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ouch! My face hurts now but hope yours is all better..... Damn I seriously feel that😆

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#36

When I was about 5 or 6 I shoved a peanut so far up my nose I had to go to hospital to have it removed, the thing that I remember most was how surprised I was that the doctor just dropped the peanut (once removed) down the back of a radiator instead of giving it back to me to eat.

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iBlank
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

for me it was a berry off a holly bush... was shooting them out of my nose at my brother, and accidentally breathed in once

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#37

My co worker from years ago was a RN and she was fond of casually telling ER horror stories. One memorable story she told was when this motorcyclist was brought into ER, fully conscious, but he had a broom handle that had impaled him through the stomach, he had somehow run into a broom stick. He had been wearing a leather jacket and the zipper had come out the other side.

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Laura Mende (Human)
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A friend of my dad died when they made a motorcycle tour. That friend's brakes were broken. He flew out of a curve, head first into a tree. He was wearing a helmet, but of course still had a headache. Dad told him to take off his helmet to check for injuries. As the friend takes off the helmet, the skull pops open and the friend falls over dead. The helmet had held his cracked skull together. That was almost 40 years ago, Dad only got to talk about it recently. Even today he can't forgive himself for telling his buddy to take off his helmet. He could live.

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#38

My dad is an er doc and I’ve heard it all. Eyeball hanging out by optic nerve. Saved the eye. Also cysts. Lots and lots of cysts. Cups of pus. I will never be a doctor due to these stories.

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Walter Brameld
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Does an eye still work the same after that? Seems like the muscles that move it would be torn off. Do they try to reattach them?

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#39

Guy had a penile pump. His wife gave him a powerful bj and the thing popped! He’d come in for a replacement

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#40

Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia, i was a fairly nee nurse and the diagnosis was a long shot. It took 8-10 weeks to get the results and by then everyone assumed it was negative. Surprise!!!

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Miss Frankfurter
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wow! With those kinds of things they usually tell us we've been reading waaaay to much, and come up with weird suggestions. Good on ya for speaking up and thankful they listened to you. I was an experienced nurse and had worked in a hospital where A LOT of docs would never encounter the things we dealt with in their entire careers. At a hospital I worked at later we had a patient where labs said something was wrong with his pancreas and he had a high fever. Scans showed nothing. I suggested to the doc she do something called a Spiral CT. Something not usually done. I suggested this because of what I had encountered at the previous hospital. I said that I'd bet he had an infection in the back of his pancreas. Hard to diagnose. She did, and sure enough there it was. She thanked.me for saving his life.

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#41

Some years ago, I was checking into a hospital so I could get an MRI of my spine. As I was giving my info to the admin person, a man (~50's?) rushed in wearing a woman's robe. He bumped me out of the way and told the woman behind the counter "I need to see a doctor NOW! I got my penis caught in my zipper!" She politely instructed him to stand back and she would go get someone to help him, which she did. I sat there with my jaw on the floor, trying really hard not to look at the poor guy, but you know, train wreck. He moved over to a corner near the doors that medical staff would call people from and was wrestling with his issue. The admin lady came back and apologized for the interruption. We continued with my in processing and someone came to get the poor guy with the zipper mishap. Just as we were about to wrap up, one of the nurses came out to the admin lady, handed her an ID and insurance card and said "We're gonna have to admit this guy. He's into the meat and we need to do surgery".
My admission process was completed by then, so I went to sit and wait for my turn to be seen. I played these events back in my head and just couldn't get over the poor guys condition and appearance. Was he caught in the act of something naughty? Was that his wife's robe? At what point do you decide it might be a good idea to seek medical assistance? Dang!!

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Marilyn Holt
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So just here I want to give kudos to every doc, nurse, registrar, assistant--anyone who works in ER because ........how do you do it? I so so so grateful for you all.

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#42

Not a medical worker and not a patient but my little sister once broke her collar bone on a family mountain biking trip. Was in extreme pain but decided not to tell anyone so that she could go swimming later. Jumped into a tube while swimming and ended up breaking it in another place. Had to get screws or whatever. I decided to not know all the details as medical stuff makes me nauseous. She's all good now though, still doing stupid reckless crap and i'm still waiting for her next ER visit.

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Timmy Pillinger
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Thing about collarbones, is that you are better off breaking them than the spine they attach to. Which is why it's a good survival thing to have your collarbone go first it's your body's crumple zone

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#43

Why are so many sexual stupid problems are clogging up our ER's? I am not a prude I was a nurse years ago. We had this problem then but I don't think as frequently. People don't want to or can't learn or learn from uneducated media (Facebook and the like) are promoting these problems with gusto! Example if hand sanitizer kills COVID - drink some - it has been done with the same results as COVID! People just use that thing called a brain and maybe it will save your life or save you from a stupid embarrassing situation.

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Aeon Flux
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Isn't a big percentage of ER cases people who have something unusual stuck in their r****m?

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#44

I used to clean operating rooms at a local hospital. There was a little dumbwaiter type setup that went from the o.r. rooms to the morgue. It was always open when my shift began. Sometimes there were sad things in there (a child's finger), but we were always amazed by the sheer number and variety of things we saw that were removed from peoples butts! The weirdest was a mannequin hand!

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#45

A mom and her adult son came to the ER one Saturday evening with a complaint of "cholesterol crisis."

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#46

My Grandparents were always at the hospital (both with long-term conditions), and they loved talking to other patients. Grandad got chatting to a man in his early 30s with a hole in his heart. I had been told that is a condition babies Always die from, very soon after birth.

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Lisa Shaw
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Babies don't typically die of a hole in the heart, I have two daughters with holes in the heart and they are 30 and 37 years old, they can live with the hole. Significant holes can be closed, if necessary.

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#47

Not a doctor but I manage medical care so I've seen it all. One lady worked in a cannery for decades. Not young.
Decided she had suffered little bits of metal in her vajayjay from her work. Went to the clinic, spread herself wide, and insisted the poor doctor take a long hard look. Poor guy. She was just crazy is all.

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#48

Not the doctor, I was the patient. Well, one of them. My younger brother and I were taking turns getting spun upside down by my older brother. I was being spun upside down and my younger brother got in the way. My tooth went into his forehead. My brother started bleeding and my tooth got knocked lose. My brother had to get butterfly stiches and I had to wear a retainer for a while. To this day my brother has a tiny scar on his eyebrow and I don't know about now but the second to last time I went to the dentist they said my tooth was still a little lose. I doubt it's still loose though because the orthodontist probably would have mentioned it when I got my braces Monday.

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