Culture Clash (2)
Michael Ceraolo
It was emphasized several times,
first,
by dispatch,
and
then by her family members,
that the patient spoke no English
Her son translated from the Russian
while we were at her house,
but
we were flying blind during the transport
We thought nothing further of it,
until
we arrived at the hospital
and miraculously
the cone of silence was lifted
and the patient responded to the nurse's questions,
saying that she had lived here for twenty-eight years
and spoke and understood the language
And,
to add injury to insult,
she then presented
with a completely different chief complaint
that made a mockery of our treatment of her
