As happens with a fair amount of frequency, I bumped into one of my old patients the other day. I think it was in either the coffee aisle or the bread aisle. He stopped and turned toward me, paused, and then asked "Are you Dr. Schmidt?" I'm never sure what will happen next but, casting my reservations aside, I answered in the affirmative. "Oh, ya. You fixed my daughter's arm a few years ago. She's the one who was kicked by a horse." The funny thing about that encounter is that, in my practice, being kicked by a horse puts you in a group of patients, not a class by yourself. I have at least one or two every year. And a cow injury or two. Here, being injured by a large farm animal is not a unique identifier. Welcome to my life.
The very next week, same store, peanut butter aisle, I bumped into another couple of patients, a husband and wife. He was wearing a sling because he had his shoulder operated the week before by another doctor. "So how ya doing?" "Okay" he answers. "This is gonna drive me nuts though 'cause I can't shoot my hand gun!" This guy is not a cop. But it gets better: "ya," he says, "I went out shootin' with my pastor and a couple of the deacons from my church last week and they were smilin' at me the whole time. I know why they were smilin' too. They were hopin' I'd have to sell 'em my hand guns because of this shoulder! I'm not sellin' my guns!!" This gave him a chuckle and a big ol' smile. It's not every church parish where the Sunday announcements might include something to the effect of, "The pastor and deacons invite all interested church members to join them in a handgun shoot next Saturday. Bring your weapon and a dish to pass." Welcome to my life
I don't have horses and I don't have any use for guns. Be that as it may, I enjoy having this close rapport with my patients. It can be a nuisance but, more often than not, it is satisfying to run into happy patients at the grocery store or in a local restaurant. The stories may be weird but that's half the fun. Welcome to my life
Talk about stickin' to your guns! Loved this. If I'm ever injured by a cow, I'll know where to go for help.
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