Finding the Funny-Tales from the GI
Oh the indignity of it all: the fasting, the ban on all opaque liquids, and that really awful prep drink. If you understand what I just wrote, then I can safely assume your annual visits to the doctor are now focused on preventive care, or what I shall now call, “palliative care—the long game.” Over the summer I was told I needed a colonoscopy. This was clearly something I was looking forward to, so after some scheduling issues, in the end, I got mine.
So why am I writing about a medical procedure that’s not high on most folks lists of “fun things to talk about at the bar?” The main reason is that one of the challenges I face when talking to people about how to bring more humor into their lives is getting them to see the funny when they normally wouldn’t. People assume there’ less funny out there than there is. When people begin to learn about stand-up they’re often told to go “find the funny” in their lives. But as each of our lives is unique, it’s hard for me to find those things that could be funny in their lives. It’s hard for me to “write their jokes.”
Aside from the obvious jokes fart jokes, innuendo about your end-o, and any other piece of bathroom humor sure to tickle any middle school boy, there’s still lots of funny to be found no matter where you find yourself. If you start paying attention for the funny, the world is going to serve it up to you like you were at an all-you-can-eat buffet.
Filed under “things I learned at the doctor’s office” is the fact that when you’re dehydrated your veins flatten out and you become harder to “stick.” I was such a difficult stick that they had to bring another person who was good at “difficult” cases. The nurse who first tried gave up after the fourth attempt. She was apologetic about the issues, and while having a needle literally poking about under your skin is something “…that will wake you up” it’s not like it was intentional. Were she to become more flustered that would have likely made the situation less pleasant all the way around. Exasperated and sorry for the issues, she resigned herself to calling for another nurse. As she was trying to salvage the situation, she was cleaning up all the ripped open bags and spent alcohol swabs, she said, “Well I’m going to leave a little alcohol out for the next person.” What a kind act.
It was only later did I realize that that was a great place for the funny. I mean honestly, how many workplaces are there where no one would bat an eye when hearing that? Not many. And for someone like me, a patient, a person who was already a bit nervous and had just experienced some discomfort, had the nurse riffed some joke about workplaces and leaving out alcohol, I am sure I would have appreciated it. I think I did make a little joke so the nurse could be less worried.
As I’ve written about here and here, humor is helpful in that situation for both patient and provider. The provider would have made a little joke to lighten my spirits and in so doing relieved herself of some worry about the missed sticks, and I would have likely laughed and forgotten, for a moment or two, the discomfort. And if the research is correct, that analgesic effect of the laughter would have carried over. It’s literally a win win. I also now have a story I can use that is both funny and instructive—so yeah, it’s all got to come back to me.
If this story is any way relatable,
I encourage to you to go out and find the funny in your life. You just have to look. Even something as simple and everyday as an alcohol swab, can, in the hands of a nefarious joker, be fodder for a smile.