SWEET LITTLE FOUL MOUTHED LADY

I remember a 90 something sweet looking lady who was admitted in my ward 2 weeks ago for a UTI (urinary tract infection). Of course she had a lot of other comorbidities like hypertension and some cognitive impairment.

When you look at her, you would be amazed at the angelic smile that seemed to be perpetually fixed upon her face. I guess when you lose all your teeth, the face kinda reassign itself into an angelic smile.

So every morning, I was greeted by an angelic smiling grandma, who just nodded at my questions, or perhaps mumbled a few words; always with that smile.

All was smiley and well, until last Thursday. That morning I found it hard to wake her. She was more drowsy than usual. When the nurses tried to wake and feed her, she flew into a rage.

From her angelic mouth, came forth the foulest of chinese adjectives! She was cursing the nurses with words that describe everything from their ancestors (3rd and 4th generation, in the past and the future) and every vile description of the female genitalia in the chinese language!

I was quite taken aback actually by the stream of profanities. A quick check with a bedside blood sugar monitor revealed a reading of 2.1 mmol/L (normal above 4 mmol/L).

She had hypoglycemia. Her blood sugar was low enough to turn a nice sweet elderly lady into a venomous foul-mouthed, porridge bowl throwing, spoon flinging, pillows flying, screaming and kicking grandma!

Moral of the story?
1. Don't judge a lady by her smile. I am sure she didn't suddenly acquire her vocab armament during the hypo episode. She must have been pretty conversant in it when she was much younger. I have an aunt who can shoot off profanities without so much as a blink. One of those Mae West personality.

2. Don't ever, ever go hypoglycemic if you got something to hide!!!

If you think she was bad, wait till you talk to her children.....