Turn Into

I had a mother-daughter encounter last week. The 19 year old girl has been having "heart pains" for some time; they're associated with meals, especially eating fatty foods. They cause cramping pain that lasts for up to an hour, sometimes accompanied by nausea & vomiting. The pain is 10/10 when it happens, but there is no pain between attacks.

(Buzz in now if you know the answer.)

The mother was understandably concerned that her daughter was unwell. She sat in the corner of the room and shouted out answers as I asked questions.

"She works too hard! She never stops and takes rest!"
"Her diet is very poor - she never eats vegetables"
"She shouldn't be drinking, right Doctor? Alcohol is bad for young women..."

(It should be noted that these were responses to the questions "How, what, where & when")

At the end of the consultation, as I explained the likely diagnosis and arranged for some tests (Buzz in now for extra credit) the mother stood up and grabbed me.

"You have to tell her she can't drink on the birth control pill. It will kill her."

I actually laughed. I turned to the daughter and said, "If you smoke while you're on the birth control pill, there is a chance it could kill you by causing a blood clot to form and flick off into your lungs. Unfortunately (to her mother) drinking does not increase your risk."

Her mother was not impressed.

It reminded me of my parents. They used to imply that every drink I had was one step closer to my grim death vomiting in an alley somewhere. That staying up past 10pm would lead to clinical depression. That high fat foods would actually stop my heart on consumption. Parents want their kids to be safe, to slow down, to eat well and live good, clean lives.

I am up early, doing homework before heading off to Seaton House. I have eaten a balanced breakfast. I ran yesterday and I am not drinking this week. I caught myself saying to my bf, "It's not that you drink too much, it's that I worry that one day you'll die of cirrhosis of the liver or get permanent brain damage..."

I have turned into my parents. Sigh.