Sunday, January 4, 2009

The Photo Op

Several mobile phonesImage via Wikipedia
2315 hrs.

"How's this one?" I ask, cocking an eyebrow in her direction.

"Yeah, well no... you've got to get in a lot closer," advises Mrs. J., "Let's try again."

I figured she'd say that. It's not quite what I wanted to hear, but this camera phone is awful. I've already taken three pictures and so far, none were to her liking. Mrs. J. lies down again by her husband, positions his face cheek-to-cheek with hers and she smiles. I bring the cell phone in much closer and get another shot.

"Okay, better?"

"Oh, tons", she replies. "Can we do one or two more like that?"

"Sure."

The patient's wife resumes her position and as I lean forward to take the picture, a stream of green-black secretions oozes from the dead man's mouth; just missing his wife's hand. Mrs. J. simultaneously drops her husband's head and bolts from the bed.

"What the f*@k was THAT!?!"

"I think we'll call that a wrap, Mrs. J."


For information on post-mortem photography click here and here.



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6 comments:

Anonymous said...

OMG! That pretty much says it all. ;)

Buck said...

Things that make you go, "huh?"

That's why I love reading your adventures. Even in all my years in Trauma I never had anyone ask to take a photo with the deceased.

I've picked up very large women from a swoon off the floor, I've watched gang fights in a waiting room, I've had to call the cops to keep a shooter from breaking into the OR to finish the job... but not once have I been asked to photograph the deceased with their loved one lying in the bed next to them.

dethmama said...

@ Buck...
I imagine with the advent of camera phones, people have been taking a lot of pix of the dead "on the sly" in hospital settings.
Interestingly, "formal" post-mortem photos are very common in neo-natal ICU's. A true adventure for the future in that one.

Kit Courteney said...

Blimey, I don't half learn a lot when I come here.

soulsoprano said...

Umm, a prototype for one of your new features? "Your Moment of EWWWW!"?

dethmama said...

@ Kit... we aim to educate ;)

@ soulsoprano...LOL!! You may regret giving me that suggestion.