ti think that a doctor's receptionist should know what wheeze means when used in connection with asthma.

[LackaDAISYcal]

Just called to make an appointment and when she asked what for I explained that he has asthma and that he started coughing yesterday and his wheeze is really bad.

her....His what?

me....wheeze

her....sorry I don't know what you mean

me....a wheeze; he has asthma.

her....yes I know what asthma is but I don't know what a wheeze is.

Me....W.H.E.E.Z.E, one of the main symptoms of asthma.

her...oh, right. do you want an appointment then?

no I just thought I'd share!

I'm scottish and live in Yorkshire, but c'mon!

You should have said to her 'yes its a medical term, but i wouldn't expect you to know, youre not a doctor' silly bint

lol VT

She actually had me wondering whether only Scottish asthmatics wheeze or whether it's called something different here!

no, Eglish asthmatics 'wheeze' too, including myself

She maybe though tyou were saying his wee was really bad. Maybe if you said he was wheezing she might have clicked.

English

i am not from Eglish

I've never heard it called a wheeze! We say she's wheezing or she's a bit wheezy. Maybe a regional thing. Poor receptionist - she was probably embarrassed afterwards!

maybe hocuspocus!

thankfully we have a computerised check in so I don't need to go anywhere near the desk....I'll slink in and out again, or slink as much as I can with three children in tow!

oops, hocuspontas

I would have said his chest is bad or he is very wheezy. "his wheeze is bad" could sound as though the wheeze was a part of his anatomy and been confused with wees and had her thinking he was having problems weeing. Receptionists don't get medical training, and this lass may have just started.

As an english asthma sufferer of 35 yrs it has always been referred to as a wheeze
eg:
Her wheeze is worse
She is very wheezy
She has been wheezing all night

I'm originally from Lancashire so don't think its a nothern thing either...maybe the receptionist was just having a bad day - although with our doctors receptionist every day is a bad day!