Thingumybob

Handing my patient over to the recovery nurse this afternoon was a bit of a struggle.
“So, she had a….thing…doohickey…whatsit removed from the breast on this side, um what’s it called, it stretches the skin…?” looking an appeal at the surgeon. “A tissue expander” “Yes, that’s right, one of them, and then we replaced it with a…uh…you know…makes the breast bigger again…?” The surgeon is by now looking at me with some concern “an implant?” “Yes yes, that’s the one! Thanks!” With a nervous laugh. After all, what’s a little nominal aphasia between friends?