Explaining it to the Doctor

[KELLYG]

I have been fortunate not to have suffered many injuries will training in MA but, when I have been injured it always seems to take the Doctor a while to understand how I got hurt.

I broke my finger sparing. The conversation with the Doctor went like this:
Why are you here. I broke my finger. How did it happen. I got kicked in the hand. Who kicked you. A 15 year old boy. Was this your son. No I don't have any children. Why did he kick you in the hand. We were scrapping. Are you a teacher. No I am not.>>>> I noticed at this point that he is more interested in how it happened than why I was there. He got a weird look on his face. I then thought, he thinks I was a victim of domestic violence. Just before he called 911 or who ever handles this problem I had to explain to him that I am a MA student.

Any of you have the same simular experiances?

 

[jks9199]

I have been fortunate not to have suffered many injuries will training in MA but, when I have been injured it always seems to take the Doctor a while to understand how I got hurt.

I broke my finger sparing. The conversation with the Doctor went like this:
Why are you here. I broke my finger. How did it happen. I got kicked in the hand. Who kicked you. A 15 year old boy. Was this your son. No I don't have any children. Why did he kick you in the hand. We were scrapping. Are you a teacher. No I am not.>>>> I noticed at this point that he is more interested in how it happened than why I was there. He got a weird look on his face. I then thought, he thinks I was a victim of domestic violence. Just before he called 911 or who ever handles this problem I had to explain to him that I am a MA student.

Any of you have the same simular experiances?

I've heard of it. In fact, I know a few women who have had concerned friends, counselors, doctors, and nurses push them to get "help" and offer domestic violence resources!

Easy way to forestall some of it is to give a more complete answer in the first place. For example, instead of "I broke my finger", etc., say "I was in karate class, and got kicked in my hand. I think I broke my finger."

 

[Josh Oakley]

I have a scar in my head from improper training with a sword. You can only imagine the conversations i had with the nurses and the doctor. Needless to say they remembered me when I came back to get the stitches out.

I went again to the same ward when I was sick and they STILL remembered me and gave me a light ribbing saying, "what'd you do THIS time?"

 

[DavidCC]

Nah, I just cut to the chase

"how did this happen?"
"martial arts"
"ok, that'll be $50 thanks"

 

[MJS]

I have been fortunate not to have suffered many injuries will training in MA but, when I have been injured it always seems to take the Doctor a while to understand how I got hurt.

I broke my finger sparing. The conversation with the Doctor went like this:
Why are you here. I broke my finger. How did it happen. I got kicked in the hand. Who kicked you. A 15 year old boy. Was this your son. No I don't have any children. Why did he kick you in the hand. We were scrapping. Are you a teacher. No I am not.>>>> I noticed at this point that he is more interested in how it happened than why I was there. He got a weird look on his face. I then thought, he thinks I was a victim of domestic violence. Just before he called 911 or who ever handles this problem I had to explain to him that I am a MA student.

Any of you have the same simular experiances?

Seems normal for medical staff to inqure of the exact nature. In many abuse cases, the victim doesn't want to talk about it, even though they know they should.

Martial arts related though, a while ago, I took a pretty good hit to the nose. I swore that it was broke. So, off to the ER I go. Of course, everyone that I dealt with inqured and of course I told them.

Doc: Why are you here?

Me: I got hit in the nose.

Doc: Did you get into a fight?

Me: Begin the long story of how it was a MA related injury. Of course, I had one nurse ask if my wife hit me! LOL! We had a good chuckle over this.

 

[hkfuie]

I am new to jujitsu and last week we worked on chokes. I thought my partner was being pretty rough (he's VERY enthusiastic), but not having trained chokes before, I thought it would be more like strikes to the body, and though they don't feel good, I can tolerate quite a bit without there being any lasting effect. Well, 6 days later and I keep going back and forth in my mind - do I call my doc? What do I tell her? I don't want any drugs, I just wanna know...how long does it take to heal? How soon will I be able to sing again or raise the pitch of my voice to call my dog?

As a matter of fact, this is probably a better place to ask!

 

[Xue Sheng]

Well I had to explain to 2 MDs how I broke my ankle. One being a CMA guy himself just laughed the other just stood there looking at me like I was crazy. Of course telling him the whole story might have been a bad idea if I were trying to convince him I was not crazy.

I broke my own ankle doing a Shaolin staff form. The staff spins over head then underneath as you jump it and one of my feet missed and I went down on the ground toes first. Then being a sane MA guy I stayed in class and help my Sifu with training others by holding a kick pad and jumping backwards on one foot followed by going out to dinner with my parents and, now, ex-wife. She made me go to the ER. The ER doc was a CMA guy the bone doc was not.

So basically the ER Doc KNEW I was crazy as soon as I said Shaolin staff and the bone doc had to figure that out from the story.

 

[HM2PAC]

Easy way to forestall some of it is to give a more complete answer in the first place. For example, instead of "I broke my finger", etc., say "I was in karate class, and got kicked in my hand. I think I broke my finger."

This would be an excellent way to lead into an explanation of the injury.

I am PA-C and have worked Orthopedic surgery and Trauma for about 10 years. If someone came in with that explanation and was reasonable, I wouldn't think twice about the validity of their statement.

The things that make the hair on the back of my neck stand up are:
1. Evasive answers.
2. Curt/short answers.
3. Me being forced to ask multiple questions to pull the answer out of the patient.

Just my $0.02

 

[bluemtn]

I haven't had to go to the doc's for ma- related injuries, but have had problems with feet, and also had to explain a slightly lower blood pressure (but not dangerous). I've either stated before the exam that I'm in martial arts, or just as I got a slightly puzzled look from them.

 

[Nolerama]

I just tell them I fell down the stairs...

Or my girlfriend was off her medication...

I'm kidding, really. She was on her medication at the time...

I'm actually not so worried about the doctor as much as I am about the insurance company that's covering the hospital visit. I've heard horror stories about peoples' insurance being revoked/severely limited in light of that person's active lifestyle.

Has anyone heard of that?

 

[karate-dragon]

Just dislocated my finger and popped the bone through sparring. The ER was amused. The insurance company was not. They did finally pay but really had to jump through hoops.

 

[jks9199]

This would be an excellent way to lead into an explanation of the injury.

I am PA-C and have worked Orthopedic surgery and Trauma for about 10 years. If someone came in with that explanation and was reasonable, I wouldn't think twice about the validity of their statement.

The things that make the hair on the back of my neck stand up are:
1. Evasive answers.
2. Curt/short answers.
3. Me being forced to ask multiple questions to pull the answer out of the patient.

Just my $0.02

Same things raise my suspicions as a cop when I roll up on someone who's hurt. If they're not giving me straight answers about how they got hurt -- I want to know what's really going on.

 

[jks9199]

I am new to jujitsu and last week we worked on chokes. I thought my partner was being pretty rough (he's VERY enthusiastic), but not having trained chokes before, I thought it would be more like strikes to the body, and though they don't feel good, I can tolerate quite a bit without there being any lasting effect. Well, 6 days later and I keep going back and forth in my mind - do I call my doc? What do I tell her? I don't want any drugs, I just wanna know...how long does it take to heal? How soon will I be able to sing again or raise the pitch of my voice to call my dog?

As a matter of fact, this is probably a better place to ask!

GO TO THE DOCTOR.

You're talking about problems breathing/speaking following work on chokes. You could have serious injury to your throat or vocal cords, and a doctor needs to check it out. Not folks who can't even hear you!

 

[IcemanSK]

Yeah, when you say MA class, they usually don't wanna know more. It's easier just to save the story for the folks who weren't at class that night & want to know.

 

[tshadowchaser]

Originally Posted by hkfuie
I am new to jujitsu and last week we worked on chokes. I thought my partner was being pretty rough (he's VERY enthusiastic), but not having trained chokes before, I thought it would be more like strikes to the body, and though they don't feel good, I can tolerate quite a bit without there being any lasting effect. Well, 6 days later and I keep going back and forth in my mind - do I call my doc? What do I tell her? I don't want any drugs, I just wanna know...how long does it take to heal? How soon will I be able to sing again or raise the pitch of my voice to call my dog?

As a matter of fact, this is probably a better place to ask!

Seek a doctor Immediately. It sounds like you need professional help.

I broke my finger sparing. The conversation with the Doctor went like this:
Why are you here. I broke my finger. How did it happen. I got kicked in the hand. Who kicked you. A 15 year old boy. Was this your son. No I don't have any children. Why did he kick you in the hand. We were scrapping. Are you a teacher. No I am not.>>>> I noticed at this point that he is more interested in how it happened than why I was there. He got a weird look on his face. I then thought, he thinks I was a victim of domestic violence. Just before he called 911 or who ever handles this problem I had to explain to him that I am a MA student.

Any of you have the same simular experiances?

My doctor knows I study and he has studied also so we are on the same page when I talk to him. Now his assistances are a different story so I make sure I say it happened when I was studying.
My son when he was six was taken to the doctor for an exam. The doctor at that time did not know he studied and was ready to call the authorities on us till the kid told them it happened at karate and he was proud of his bruises and those he gave the other kid in class.

 

[allenjp]

I've dislocated my knee twice in the last month. When the doc asked what happened I just said "Jiu Jitsu." Funny, he didn't even bat an eye...

 

[shesulsa]

I explained that I got hurt in martial arts class right up front.

And I will strongly echo what's been said already:

GET YOURSELF TO A DOCTOR - PRONTO!! And don't wait for him/her to figure out how you got hurt - TELL him/her right up front. It is more time efficient and if he/she knows how you got hurt, you can get more effective and appropriate treatment.

 

[Josh Oakley]

I think a book of stories behind marital arts injuries would make for a best seller.

 

[IcemanSK]

I think a book of stories behind marital arts injuries would make for a best seller.

Like Patrick Swayze in "Roadhouse."

Doctor: Do you always carry your medical records with you?"

Swayze: It saves a lot of time.

 

[Rich Parsons]

I explained that I got hurt in martial arts class right up front.

And I will strongly echo what's been said already:

GET YOURSELF TO A DOCTOR - PRONTO!! And don't wait for him/her to figure out how you got hurt - TELL him/her right up front. It is more time efficient and if he/she knows how you got hurt, you can get more effective and appropriate treatment.

Also if it is your family doctor you see regularly, then tell him or her even before you get hurt as part of your exercise program. This will let him or her know up front and then the simple statement that you were in martial arts class you got injured.

Of course some doctors will ask you why you continue even after you are injured. If you can find one who has trained or is training.