Country Tough

I dropped by my doctor's office yesterday for my annual physical. While I was sitting in the waiting room a little old lady came in. She stood about 5' 4" or so, and I'd guesstimate her to weigh in at somewhere between 110-120 pounds. Her skin was tanned and leathery. The muscles in her arms and legs were long and lean. They were the kind of muscles that you get from work, not working out. I'd put her age in the late 50s or early 60s.

She walked up to the receptionist and apologized for coming in without an appointment, but said she was a little worried. I wasn't trying to listen, but it's a small room and she had a strong voice.

Turns out she was lifting a wagon off a baby goat (!) when she felt something "pop" in her side. She said she took a couple of aspirin, but it still hurt. She also said that it really hurt "something awful" when she coughed.

The receptionist checked the schedule and said she might be able to work her in later that afternoon. The little old lady said thank you, and then asked if the receptionist had a kleenex. The receptionist gave her one, and the little old lady promptly went through a body-shaking wracking spasm of coughing. When she was done there was blood on the kleenex.

The receptionist immediately sat the little old lady down and called the doctor, who called an ambulance and sent her off to the ER with what he suspected was a broken rib and a punctured lung.

And the little old lady was trying to cure that with a couple of aspirin.

They raise 'em tough around here...