1/
“Where are your people from? Maybe Mississippi or an island?” - India.Arie
His voice sounded like music. Rolling up and down in these soft, lulling rhythms telling of both his present illness and of lands far away from Georgia.
I had to coach myself not to get lost in it.
“Where are your people from? Maybe Mississippi or an island?” - India.Arie
His voice sounded like music. Rolling up and down in these soft, lulling rhythms telling of both his present illness and of lands far away from Georgia.
I had to coach myself not to get lost in it.
2/
Me: “Okay. Walk me through what happened.”
Him: "Started with a bit of nausea first. The pain in my abdomen and vomiting didn't start until that evening. I'd been in queue at the grocery store. I thank the good Lord that I was able to make it out of those sliding doors."
Me: “Okay. Walk me through what happened.”
Him: "Started with a bit of nausea first. The pain in my abdomen and vomiting didn't start until that evening. I'd been in queue at the grocery store. I thank the good Lord that I was able to make it out of those sliding doors."
3/
Me: “So you vomited as soon as you got outside?"
Him: "Indeed, Dr. Manning. And it was just terrible. I did feel better for a beat but not even 30 minutes later, it returned. Fortunately, I was home by then."
Abdomen.
Queue.
Indeed.
A beat.
Me: “So you vomited as soon as you got outside?"
Him: "Indeed, Dr. Manning. And it was just terrible. I did feel better for a beat but not even 30 minutes later, it returned. Fortunately, I was home by then."
Abdomen.
Queue.
Indeed.
A beat.
4/
Eventually we got to the bottom of it. Biliary colic complicated by a mild pancreatitis. With pain control, bowel rest, and fluids, he was feeling better. An elective cholecystectomy was planned. We began to make some small talk.
Me: "I love the melody of your voice.”
Eventually we got to the bottom of it. Biliary colic complicated by a mild pancreatitis. With pain control, bowel rest, and fluids, he was feeling better. An elective cholecystectomy was planned. We began to make some small talk.
Me: "I love the melody of your voice.”
5/
Him: “I find the way you speak interesting, too. I've been trying to place it.”
He smiled, his near perfect teeth gleaming against espresso skin.
Him: “You aren’t from Georgia.”
Me: "You're right. And you aren’t from Georgia either.”
Him: “No, my dear, I am not.
Him: “I find the way you speak interesting, too. I've been trying to place it.”
He smiled, his near perfect teeth gleaming against espresso skin.
Him: “You aren’t from Georgia.”
Me: "You're right. And you aren’t from Georgia either.”
Him: “No, my dear, I am not.
6/
Him: "Want to see who can guess where the other is from first?"
Me: *squinting one eye playfully* "Oh yeah. Game on, sir."
He narrowed his eyes, folded his arms, and sniffed once.
Him: "Big city. Not the south."
Me: *eyes widening*
Him: “Knew it. Your turn.”
Him: "Want to see who can guess where the other is from first?"
Me: *squinting one eye playfully* "Oh yeah. Game on, sir."
He narrowed his eyes, folded his arms, and sniffed once.
Him: "Big city. Not the south."
Me: *eyes widening*
Him: “Knew it. Your turn.”
7/
I curled my lips and nodded.
Me: "Caribbean? West Indies?"
Him: *face impassive*
Me: “Well?”
Him: *bobbles head* "Eh . . .somewhat. Depends upon whom you ask."
I clapped and let out a victorious laugh.
Him: “What was that for?”
Me: “HA! I know the answer!”
I curled my lips and nodded.
Me: "Caribbean? West Indies?"
Him: *face impassive*
Me: “Well?”
Him: *bobbles head* "Eh . . .somewhat. Depends upon whom you ask."
I clapped and let out a victorious laugh.
Him: “What was that for?”
Me: “HA! I know the answer!”
8/
Him: "I doubt that, Dr. Manning."
He laughed at my self-congratulatory naïveté. Then he raised one eyebrow and pointed at me.
Him: "You . . .are from . . . California. Los Angeles would be my guess."
My face gave it all away.
Him: "I doubt that, Dr. Manning."
He laughed at my self-congratulatory naïveté. Then he raised one eyebrow and pointed at me.
Him: "You . . .are from . . . California. Los Angeles would be my guess."
My face gave it all away.
9/
Him: “Ha! Knew it!”
*high five over the tray table *
Me: “Man. You're good."
Him: *smug shrug in reply*
Him: “Ha! Knew it!”
*high five over the tray table *
Me: “Man. You're good."
Him: *smug shrug in reply*
10/
Me: “Okay but. . .You DO know I know where you're from don’t you?”
Him: “I think you’re just trying to get me to talk more for clues. But that won’t help you.”
He laughed again. I snorted back.
Him: “I’m waiting.”
Me: “Wait. Are you trashtalking, sir?”
*laughter*
Me: “Okay but. . .You DO know I know where you're from don’t you?”
Him: “I think you’re just trying to get me to talk more for clues. But that won’t help you.”
He laughed again. I snorted back.
Him: “I’m waiting.”
Me: “Wait. Are you trashtalking, sir?”
*laughter*
11/
Finally, I took out a paper scrap, wrote on it, and slammed it on the tray table like a royal flush. I pushed it forward then leaned back in the bedside chair with my hands splayed open.
But not before dropping my pen like a mic for effect.
(Pretty much exactly like this.)
Finally, I took out a paper scrap, wrote on it, and slammed it on the tray table like a royal flush. I pushed it forward then leaned back in the bedside chair with my hands splayed open.
But not before dropping my pen like a mic for effect.
(Pretty much exactly like this.)
12/
He sat up in his bed and slid on a pair of reading glasses. The sides of his mouth turned downward and his chin jutted out. I could tell that he was impressed.
Him: “Wow. You even said ‘South America.’”
That seemed to make him very happy.
Which made me happy, too.
He sat up in his bed and slid on a pair of reading glasses. The sides of his mouth turned downward and his chin jutted out. I could tell that he was impressed.
Him: “Wow. You even said ‘South America.’”
That seemed to make him very happy.
Which made me happy, too.
13/
And you may wonder how I knew. It's because I was taught by a nurse several years before.
“No one seems to even know where Guyana IS,” she’d said.
“It’s in the Caribbean. . . near Trinidad. . . right?”
“Eh. . .”
Then she schooled me on her home country.
Yup.
And you may wonder how I knew. It's because I was taught by a nurse several years before.
“No one seems to even know where Guyana IS,” she’d said.
“It’s in the Caribbean. . . near Trinidad. . . right?”
“Eh. . .”
Then she schooled me on her home country.
Yup.
14/
“Guyana, South America,” she’d proudly repeated.
And I never forgot it.
Within two days my patient was feeling better and ready for discharge. And in those two days not only did I learn much more about HIM but even more about Guyana, South America, too.
Yup.
“Guyana, South America,” she’d proudly repeated.
And I never forgot it.
Within two days my patient was feeling better and ready for discharge. And in those two days not only did I learn much more about HIM but even more about Guyana, South America, too.
Yup.
15/
Guyana, South America.
Not to be confused with Ghana in Africa.
Or Guinea in Africa.
Or The Gambia or Gabon--also in Africa.
Or French Guiana which, no, does NOT share a border with Guyana (but we do with Brazil, Suriname, and Venezuela since you mentioned it.)
Mmhmmm.
Guyana, South America.
Not to be confused with Ghana in Africa.
Or Guinea in Africa.
Or The Gambia or Gabon--also in Africa.
Or French Guiana which, no, does NOT share a border with Guyana (but we do with Brazil, Suriname, and Venezuela since you mentioned it.)
Mmhmmm.
16/
And this? THIS is what's so cool about working in diverse settings. With heterogeneity in our interprofessional teams and patients, cultural competence grows. We get pearls on the fly. We see one another better.
And seriously--who doesn't just want to be SEEN, man?
And this? THIS is what's so cool about working in diverse settings. With heterogeneity in our interprofessional teams and patients, cultural competence grows. We get pearls on the fly. We see one another better.
And seriously--who doesn't just want to be SEEN, man?
17/
Here's what I know for sure:
The need for cultural competence isn't limited to certain people. Slowing down and listening gives us some mighty lessons.
About people.
About places.
And sometimes? About geography.
Yeah.👊🏾😉
#iseeyou #diversitymatters #try
Here's what I know for sure:
The need for cultural competence isn't limited to certain people. Slowing down and listening gives us some mighty lessons.
About people.
About places.
And sometimes? About geography.
Yeah.👊🏾😉
#iseeyou #diversitymatters #try
