When you meet with a hematologist re: a blood disorder, the first thing they do is take your medical history to determine if you’ve ever had bleeding problems in the past.
Hematologist: “Ok, this is probably the most important question that will help me determine your blood clotting status– have you ever had any surgeries?”
Me: “No.”
Hematologist: “Lucky you! Have you ever broken a bone?”
Me: “I broke my foot about 9 years ago. Fractured my wrist when I was a kid. And, well, my nose was broken when I had a nose job, obviously, if that counts.”
Hematologist: “You had a nose job? But you just said you never had surgery!”
Me: “Oh, well, that’s like, not really a surgery.”
Hematologist: “A rhinoplasty is definitely a surgery.”
Me: “Ok, well, you say surgery, I say birthday present. Or family rite of passage. Or my mother’s suggestion. Or–”
Hematologist: “Ok just tell me if you had a bleeding problem during or after surgery.”
Me: “No.”
Hematologist: “Ok, any other surgeries I should know about?
Me: “No.”
Hematologist: “Have you ever had problems with your gums, or had gum grafting?”
Me: “No. But when I had my chin done they did cut through my gums in order to–”
Hematologist: “You had a genioplasty?! That’s ALSO surgery.”
Me: “Ok, well, that’s a very fancy word for it. And again, it wasn’t so much a surgery as just an add-on or a necessary complement to the nose–”
Hematologist:
I need a Jewish doctor.