A puppy girl patient comes to your clinic with a terrible tummy ache >~<
Is there any way the doctor could help her ease the pain? 🥺💕
Aww, I'm very sorry to hear you've been dealing with consistent chest pain. They can get quite worrying if they don't go away on their own; even more so if they are especially painful, that you've come to the hospital.
After inviting you into the exam room, I would ask you to sit down on the edge of the exam bed and describe to me what's going on. If it's causing you physical discomfort, I'd instruct you to lay back on the bed with your head against a soft pillow I have placed there. After putting on a pair of gloves, I'd begin to gently press against several locations across your chest and tummy, asking you if any particular area is more painful than the other; all while reminding you to take slow deep breaths while I'm examining you to make sure you stay relaxed. I would then note down any areas that felt particularly painful for you; especially if one of the areas was near where your appendix is as that might require emergency surgery...
Next I would listen to your heart and lungs using a stethoscope. All while trying to listen to anything that sounds abnormal for either; that could indicate a problem with your lungs thats causing any particular pain.
If you seem especially uncomfortable, I might decide to monitor her more carefully with an EKG. Sticky electrode pads could be placed on your chest and sides so the I can watch her heart rhythm. The soft beeping of the machine helps make sure her body is coping well while she’s in pain and to really see if theres anything in particular going wrong.
Sometimes stomache aches can make patients breathe fast or shallow. If the puppy girl starts panting or feeling dizzy, I would gently place a oxygen mask over her nose and mouth which should help you relax slightly.
For a closer look, I might bring over the ultrasound machine. A little warm gel is spread across your tummy before the probe glides slowly across her skin. The screen beside the bed lights up with moving gray images that allows me to look at your stomach and intestines, checking for trapped gas, irritation, or anything unusual.
If she’s dehydrated or needs medication to calm the cramps, I might start on IV medication. A soft band is tied around her arm while the doctor finds a vein and places the catheter. Soon a bag of fluids drips slowly through the tubing, helping your body rehydrate while medication eases the painful spasms in her belly.
Throughout the exam, I would keep reassuring her as youre doing so well, sometimes even rubbing gentle circles over her stomach to help the tight muscles relax. A warm compress might be placed over your belly as well, the soothing heat helping calm the ache. Consistent and confident reassurance can help you feel more comfortably, as running all these tests and exmaining you might feel a little embarrassed, hopefully the careful and gentle attention I am giving you is helping you feel at ease are closely/carefully looked after.
With some fluids, medication, and plenty of rest under observation, the cramps should gradually settle down. Before long the sick puppy-girl who came in whining with a tummy ache will hopefully be curled up comfortably under a blanket instead, feeling much better and ready to go home.
This is; of course, if nothing majorly serious is identified in any of the exams that rewuires surgery or anything invasive like that. But lets not worry about that now... 😉❤️
