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CUTTING REMARKS
John D. Kelly IV, MD
The Waiting Room
You learn a lot when you visit the patient's family after surgery.
T
he waiting
room is a
FRIENDLY CHAT Meeting with the
patient's family after surgery in the waiting
room is always a fun sociological exercise.
cross-sec-
tion of family life. I
just wish I had
more slices of The
Waltons instead of
Modern Family.
Still, I always marvel at the variety of
personality styles I
encounter in the waiting room.
1
The Angry Divorce Couple. The patient's mom and dad sit across
the room from each other and never make eye contact. The neg-
ative energy is palpable. Dad is accompanied by his new girlfriend,
who conveniently avoids all interaction with mom. I relay the details
of surgery to both parents and Mom quickly retorts, "Don't forget to
tell him everything." Well, I thought I just did. Call security!
2
The Nervous Nellies. This family makes coffee nervous. They've
been calling the OR nurses every 10 minutes for a status report
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