One early morning at my new job, while I was switching from one patient's room the next, I noticed a nurse bringing in a child in a wheelchair, followed by two concerned parents. I finished seeing my other patients and I made my way to the child's room. She was in tears.
This 9 year old girl was apparently doing cartwheels in the school yard when she suddenly felt pain in her right knee then stopped moving. School nurse called the parents and she was brought in. I had a lot of thoughts crossing my mind while they were describing the event to me, as there are few medical cases that are specific for children in this age group that we as doctors need to be on the lookout for and had already drawn up plans in my head to get a series of x-rays.
I sat in front of the child in the wheelchair, she was already teary eyed. I examined her knees together side by side, they looked the same, no evidence of any swelling or redness. I then reached out and touched her right knee......she screamed in pain and I jumped. wow. I reached and touched her right hip she cried out loud again. This time I thought something was odd. I had barely touched her. I moved behind her and then touched her mid back...she screamed again. Hmmm.
I looked at her parents and they seemed horrified. I moved in front of her again and then I asked her to point out with her left index finger and then I gently pulled her finger. She screamed in pain again. I could barely stop myself of chuckling. This kid was fooling us all. I looked at the parents again and from the look on their faces they had realized it too.
"tell me, what do you want to be when you grow up" and she immediately answered "cheerleader!". I shook my head and told her that she can't be a cheerleader and she perked up and angrily asked why not.
"Because cheerleader are very flexible and they can do jumping jacks" she immediately stood up and was mad and said "I can do jumping jacks too!" and started to hop up and down in the room. I told her that I still wasn't sure because cheerleaders can do the splits. Suddenly she went down on the office floor and did the splits.
I looked at her parents and told them I don't think we need to do any X-rays. They looked embarrassed and thanked me and they all left the office. That was one funny encounter. The next time I saw her (weeks later) she ran towards me yelling "Hi Dr. Chili". That last name of mine has been pronounced so many ways before, but never Chili.
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