allanb Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Sometimes a misunderstanding can be useful by making a word stick in your mind. I went to a local clinic yesterday to make an appointment for an échographie. The receptionist checked the doctor's prescription and suggested a date and time, which I agreed to. All this was done in French: no problem.The she said I would have to come to Agen.This surprised me: I know Agen, which is the principal town in the département, but it's about an hour away, and the local clinic seemed to me to be perfectly adequate. So I asked: why Agen?"It's normal," she said, "it's always necessary to come to Agen." So I said "Can you give me the address?" "Why?" she said. "Well," I said, "because I need to know where to go; there must be a lot of clinics there." It seemed obvious to me.By this time several people in the waiting room were taking an interest in this conversation. One lady pointed at my stomach and shook her head. This worried me: was I too fat? Did they have special equipment in Agen for people who were overweight?Then the receptionist, who I think had been trying to say something in English, finally found the words. "No breakfast!" she said triumphantly, and the penny dropped: I was required to arrive à jeun, i.e. fasting. I will know that phrase from now on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odile Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Great - reminds of the old gag about à quand le train pour Caen!When I spent 6 months in hospital in Switzerland after a nasty car crash (right leg smashed to bits from knee to hip) - I was joined on my ward by another your woman. Maria was Spanish, and had broken both ankles, 1 leg and her back jumping from a balcony. Amazingly due to excellent surgery, she started to walk after a few weeks - with 2 plaster casts from mid foot to knees, and a full cast with metal bars from top of leg to neck. Sister Renée (all Swiss hospitals were then run my religious sisters) asked her one morning 'Maria vous ètes allée à selle aujourd'hui'? Maria looked at her with her big eyes, and replied 'mais soeur Renée comment voulez-vous que je peux faire du cheval comme ça? Not easy to laugh until your tummy and ribs hurt, when you are in traction! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odile Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 by the way ALAN you are not pregnant are you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allanb Posted February 10, 2009 Author Share Posted February 10, 2009 [quote user="odile"]by the way ALAN you are not pregnant are you?[/quote]It would be the medical story of the year if I was.What made you ask?[edited] Oh, I see, because of the échographie. But they are used for other things, I promise you. I had one once after surgery, to check the condition of the blood vessels if I understood correctly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odile Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 sorry chessfou, it's just that I have only had experience of echographie used in pregnancy. Echosonography is apparently used for diagnosis in so many different medical conditions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odile Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 At the end of my first week in London, I had to go to the Swiss embassy to register. I was a bit lost, so I asked the way. The young guy was very friendly, and gave me clar instructions, making sure I understood him after each direction : You go straight, right? Then you take the second left, right? Then left at the roundabout, right?Well, you know can imagine the rest. It was closed by the time I got there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chessfou Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 [quote]sorry chessfou, it's just that I have only had experience of echographie used in pregnancy.[/quote][odile]chessfou ???????An échographie is simply an ultrasound. I've had a couple to check on my prostate. They're used for all sorts of abdominal investigations.allanb,The first time I came across "à jeun" (in a lab where I was to have a blood test) I thought it was a comment about age and how one ought to be younger ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odile Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 ooops, sincere apologies about names mix-up. Odile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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