about ten years ago, I thought I had cracked a rib playing in the waves at the beach. My wife did not believe I had broken the rib. So i went to urgent care to get an X-ray to prove that i was worthy of sympathy. So I get the X-ray and the doctors eyes get really big and ushers me into another room. She pointed to a large mass by my intestines and said that i have some sort of tumorous growth and that was why i had this pain. It might very well be cancer she said. I was stunned but not surprised. i always feel I’m going to die. That weekend I was sad, but not extremely sad. I got my papers organized. everything seemed different, unreal. I hadn’t gotten my diagnosis yet but the doctor seemed pretty somber. i assumed the worst and assumed I would die soon …
When I had a radiologist review the X-rays four days later, he said the doctor was an idiot, that it was a large gas bubble.
I’m not sure what the mortal of the story is. Be ready for good or bad news at any time?
it’s unclear whether the rib was cracked. there may have been a hairline fracture but the X-ray was unclear.
