Ouch! That really hurts!… or “¡Me duele mucho!”

If anyone has wondered where I have been for the last few weeks, suffice to say that life simply got in the way, so when I was just about to get myself up and  running (forgive the pun here but I don’t get much entertainment at the moment), I literally tripped over a broken drain and fell in the street.

It would have been really embarrassing except that the pain in my wrist, and the thought that I might never write again, helped me overcome the sense of embarrassment.  Perhaps I should have been grateful for that small mercy, but I wasn’t.

I would have preferred the embarrassment.

Instead I cried tears of fury and then frustration as the consequences  of the fall began to dawn.

I had broken my wrist badly in two places and, the day before yesterday, had emergency surgery to insert a lovely, shiny plate and several titanium rods to hold all the broken bits in position.

For those who believe me and don’t need photographic evidence, please look away.

For the rest, here is the x-ray of the result. Amazing what they can do!

I suppose I have to count my blessings, but I’m still busy counting titanium rods at the moment.

I’m fortunately still able to type, one-handed and very slowly and I’m finding it very difficult to add many pictures to this little post

Oh yes, but what has this got to do with Spanish?

Well, as this all happened in Spanish in Spain, it’s only right that I take the opportunity to use this unfortunate incident to practise a bit of  ‘Emergency Room’ vocabulary.

Abridged version of the conversation I could have had on the way to  the Emergency department two days ago (with a few added extras), to cover all eventualities, just in case.

¿Dónde está el hospital, por favor?    Where is the hospital, please?

Quiero ir a URGENCIAS.     I want to go to EMERGENCIES.

Tengo seguro médico.        I have medical insurance.

No tengo seguro médico.    I haven’t got medical insurance.

Puedo pagar.                        I can pay.

Quiero ver a un médico.    I want to see a doctor

¿Cuánto cuesta ver a un médico?   How much is it to see a doctor?

 

When I finally saw the doctor, the conversation went along these lines:

El médico:”¿Qué le pasa?”         The doctor: “What happened?” or “What’s wrong?”

¿Cómo?                                                                                How?

¿Cuándo?                                                                          When?

“¿Dónde le duele? “                                                 Where does it hurt”

¿Le duele esto?                                                                         Does this hurt?

¡ME DUELE …..MUCHO!                                          IT HURTS….VERY MUCH!

Vamos a sacar una radiografía.                     We’re going to take an x-ray

Vamos a hacer un análisis de sangre.         We’re going to take a blood test.

La muñeca está rota.                                      The wrist is broken.

El tobillo está roto.                                          The ankle is broken.

La pierna está rota.                                           The leg is broken.

Tiene un esguince de la muñeca.                    You have a sprained wrist.

Tiene un esguince del tobillo.                         You have a sprained ankle.

 Necesita un vendaje.                                       You need a bandage.

Necesita una escayola.                                    You need a plaster cast.

Vaya a la farmacia con esta receta.              Go to the chemist with this prescription.

Tome la medicación en esta receta.            Take the medication in this prescription.

Tome las pastillas en esta receta.                 Take the tablets in this prescription.

KEY VOCABULARY

Un seguro                                             Insurance

Un seguro médico                               Medical insurance                            

Doler…… Me duele…… ¿Le duele?                         To hurt……It hurts me……Does it hurt you?.

Sacar una radiografía                                     To take an x-ray

Hacer un análisis de sangre                           To have a blood test

La muñeca                                                       The wrist

El tobillo                                                           The ankle

La pierna                                                         The leg

Rota                                                                   Broken (for feminine nouns)                                                            

Roto                                                               Broken (for masculine nouns)

Un Esguince                                                        A sprain        

Un Vendaje                                                         A bandage

Una Escayola                                                     A plaster cast

Tomar medicación                                        To take medication

Una Receta                                                      A prescription

Las Pastillas                                                    The tablets

 

Grammatical point    FORMAL ‘USTED’ FORM OF VERB

A  Spanish doctor will ALWAYS address a patient using the formal ‘USTED’ form of the verb, as will all other health professionals; nurses, carers, hospital workers, pharmacists, etc.

See examples above:

Tiene = (Usted) tiene

Necesita= (Usted) necesita

Imperative (!)              Above used for doctor’s ORDERS (!)

Vaya= Vaya (Usted)             Go (!)  (For more articles on verb IR (to go) see HERE) 

Tome= Tome (Usted)         Take(!) (medicine)

 

I really do hope NO ONE needs to use any of that EMERGENCY vocabulary and phrases………

but I hope it might help in the future if ever needed.

Well, that was really tiring. Typing with one hand is really exhausting.

Anyone want to try their hand at translating the following from Spanish to English, leaving your translation in comments box below?

Es muy lento escribir con una mano

Estoy muy cansada ahora.

Voy a dormir

Buenas noches