Lo siento, no hablo Español.

Quite a large part of the population I work with are Spanish-speaking only although I've had a few Cantonese-speaking, French-speaking and Nepali-speaking patients. No matter the language though, there is one thing for sure.  Empathy does not translate.

The hospital I work at has what is considered a typical set-up with the language line. It goes something like this: I use a specific phone ('the blue phone'), click a few buttons, and voila, a person is on the phone who not only speaks English but speaks whatever language I chose as well (the language the patient speaks). The patient picks up the other receiver that is attached to the phone and there we all are together. I introduce myself and tell them who the patient is and give the interpreter the go-ahead to do their introductions. The interpreter introduces themselves with a fairly consistent little speech that I'm sure I'll have memorized one day soon and tells the patient who I am. From there, I talk to the interpreter like I am talking directly to the patient. No third person or whatever. If I want to know the name of the patient's new baby, I would not say to the interpreter, "Can you ask her what her new baby's name is?" I would say instead to the interpreter (while looking at the patient), "What is your new baby's name?" as if the patient understood what I said. I do my best to not sound like a robot and to use reflective listening skills, but gosh-darn-it, some of those interpreters just don't get it.

I find that this happens a lot...
Me: "Congratulations on your new baby.  I just have a few questions for you real quick if you don't mind."
Interpreter: "blah blah blah."
Me thinking: there's no way she said all I just said...so I'll repeat what I just said
Me: "I just have a few questions for you real quick if you don't mind."
Interpreter: "blah blah blah blah blah blah"
Me thinking: ok, I recognize some of those words in Spanish, I think she repeated what I said, I'll move on now.

Or sometimes this happens:
Me: "Can you tell me about the baby's father? Is he involved?"
Interpreter to patient: "blah blah blah blah blah."
Patient: "blah blah blah."
Interpreter to patient: "blah blah blah blah blah."
Patient: "blah blah blah"
Interpreter to patient: "blah blah blah blah."
Patient: "Si."
Interpreter to me: "She said yes."
Me thinking: she said yes, what? You talked back and forth to her and I know you said more than what I said because I recognized some of the Spanish words you used, so please just tell me everything that was said!
Me to interpreter: "Can you go ahead and tell me everything that was said and translated, please?"

I've even dealt with some very rude interpreters. The absolute worst is when I'm dealing with a patient who just lost her child (which happens about once every week or so, although not all of these patients are Spanish-speaking) and the interpreter conveys NONE of my empathy, calm voice tone, and/or actively listening cues.

The more I work through the language interpretation line, the more comfortable I have gotten with it and the more I've learned about how I should use it as a practitioner.  I've also picked up on a lot of Spanish!  I'm no where near being able to actually speak Spanish, but let me tell you - I know a lot of random Spanish words now, especially medical related words! I always make sure to look at the patient when I talk and when what I said is being translated, and I can usually tell what part of what I said is being translated at any given time and try to portray the correlating facial expression during that time. It's not easy though. And I've learned, the more dire the situation, the harder it is.

So basically, I have a love-hate relationship with the language translation line.  I'm so thankful that we have it available to use and cannot imagine not having it, but I do wish it was easier on the patient (like I need to learn Spanish!)!  I cannot imagine being somewhere for medical care, let alone while having a baby, and not knowing the language.  How scary?! (did you recognize that 'tuning in' skill?!)

What's your take on language translation lines? Any experience, good or bad, with it?

To Circ or Not To Circ...(potentially a little NSFW)

Is this really a question? Is keeping a baby boy intact or cut an issue? YES!

No matter your stance on the issue, male children are affected by your thoughts and beliefs on circumcision. I'm not here to sway you one way or the other, (remember I'm a social worker and I only want what is best for you in YOUR situation, I promise) but I do want you to make the BEST DECISION for YOUR child and in YOUR circumstance/s! I think I've also been thinking more and more about this issue since I'm a soon-to-be, second-time, AUNT to a boy!

Recently, I had the pleasure (wrong word?!) of witnessing a circumcision procedure. Wow.  I honestly had no idea what all went into the procedure.  It's not an easy, quick, snip of some skin at the tip of a baby's penis.  It's a little bit more than that.

I will spare you all the gory details but I will show you the tool that was used...

I'll let you figure out how that was used :)

After doing some research on circumcision (anyone who looks at my browser's history right now would probably be concerned!) I learned that there are many different ways to do a circ and many different tools one can use.  Whatever. I saw the one above used and that was enough for me. But still, what's the point of a circ?

For those on the camp side that are FOR circumcisions, they usually list the following reasons as to why:

• It's cleaner! Like, who has the two seconds it takes to clean a baby's penis properly anyways?!
• The bible says it should be done, duh!
• It's done to prevent UTIs, the spread of diseases, and to prevent penile cancer.  You want your kid to get cancer?!?!
• My son should look like his dad.  I don't want him to think he's different!
• An uncircumcised penis looks gross.  Who wants to see that?!

For those on the other side of the camp, who are AGAINST circumcision, usually have these reasons as to why:

• You are not cutting my son.  The procedure is painful and he'll remember it forever...ahhhh!
• Having foreskin makes sex more pleasurable, don't take that away!
• God gave him that skin for a reason, not for it to be taken away.
• If my son wants it done, he can decide on his own when he's old enough
• An circ'ed penis looks the same when it's erect!

Ok, yes, that's all dramatic and stuff (and I know there's a lot more reasons for both sides) but for some reason, this topic is a sensitive topic that people get dramatic about!  Anyhow, at the end of the day, and what I want to stress to you the most is, THIS IS YOUR DECISION (as a parent), please make it wisely and with as much knowledge as possible.  Don't listen to others out there.  Do your research.  And talk to your doctor!!! 

and...if you really wanna know what I would do if, heaven forbid, I ever have a son, hit me up  :)

Guess what I did today?!

I called a patient "MOM!"

Crazy, huh? But for real.  I did it without even thinking about it and it felt totally comfortable, natural, non-intrusive, and ok. I was actually a little surprised :) The patient did not seem to mind either...or her husband, the dad, or the aunt, or the grandparents that were present.  It really was natural.

So, suffice it to say, I'm apparently not too uncomfortable calling other people "Mom!"

Happy ALMOST FRIDAY!!!