Our friend and colleague Mr. Lei is acutely aware of the fact that foreign teachers are a goldmine of the English language (if I do say so myself.) In addition to making chapter recordings and reading vocabulary for his classes in the Overseas Nursing department, Jason and I have been writing dialogues so his students can practice talking medically in casual conversation.
The instructions are to work the textbook symptoms and procedures into short, memorable dialogues. Want to learn about bacterial meningitis? Read about how "Friend 1" almost died when he was a kid!
Unit 44: Bacterial Meningitis
A conversation in which one friend tells another about the time he almost died from meningitis.
Friend 1: Hey, want to hear a crazy story? When I was younger, I almost died!
Friend 2: Really, how?
Friend 1: I had bacterial meningitis. It's a potentially fatal disease that can rapidly lead to death. First, I just had a cold. Then, suddenly, I had a really severe headache, drowsiness, delirium, irritability, restlessness, vomiting, and fever.
Friend 2: Oh, that sounds awful!
Friend 1: Yeah, that's not even the worst part. My parents knew something was really wrong when I resisted flexion of my neck, and I started to have convulsions. That's when they took me to the hospital.
Friend 2: You had convulsions? I don't believe you. You're making this up!
Friend 1: No, it's true! I received antibiotics intravenously for rapid effect. Nurses had to work really hard to save me. They kept the room as quiet as possible, put padded side rails on my bed so I didn't hurt myself during convulsions, and helped move my body around so I didn't aspirate on vomit or catch pneumonia.
Friend 2: Wow. I'm really glad you survived.
Friend 1: No kidding. For a while I was monitored for a slow pulse rate, irregular respirations, and increased blood pressure. But I recovered eventually.
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