Dialogue/Story
Slow Speed begins at: 1:35
Explanation begins at: 3:59
Normal Speed begins at: 16:20
Complete Transcript
Welcome to English as a Second Language podcast number 1,243 – Getting an Anesthetic.
This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 1,243. I’m your host, Dr. Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in beautiful Los Angeles, California.
This episode is about going to a hospital and getting a special kind of drug so that you don’t feel any pain. I want that. Let’s get started.
[start of dialogue]
Nurse: I’m here to prep you for your procedure. Did the doctor already talk to you about the general anesthetic you’ll be getting?
Bruce: I don’t need a general anesthetic. I want to be conscious during the procedure.
Nurse: You’ll be inhaling a general anesthetic and getting an intravenous muscle relaxant. That’s standard for this procedure.
Bruce: I’m not a wimp. Tell the doctor all I need is a local anesthetic to numb the area.
Nurse: You’ll need something stronger. You don’t want to feel any sensation or pain during the procedure.
Bruce: I’m not afraid of a little pain. Bring it on!
Nurse: Anyway, the general anesthetic will wear off soon after the procedure. However, the doctor will keep you under sedation for the rest of the day so you can rest.
Bruce: Forget it. When it’s done, I’m going home. I’m not staying here overnight.
Nurse: That’s not advisable. You need to remain under observation for 24 hours.
Bruce: That’s for other people. I’m tough. I’ll be up and ready to go. What’s that needle for?
Nurse: It’s to give you a shot before your procedure.
Bruce: [whimpers] I don’t like needles. Get that away from me!
[end of dialogue]
Our dialogue begins with a nurse saying to Bruce, “I’m here to prep you for your procedure.” “To prep” (prep) means “to prepare.” “Prep” comes from the verb “prepare.” It’s a short form of that verb. “To prep” means to make someone ready for something – in this case, the nurse is prepping Bruce for his “procedure,” something that the doctor is going to do to him.
She then asks Bruce, “Did the doctor already talk to you about the general anesthetic you’ll be getting?” An “anesthetic” (anesthetic) is medicine that is given to you to prevent you from feeling pain. A “general anesthetic,” however, is medicine that usually makes you unconscious. This is something that is used, for example, when you are going to have what is referred to as a “major,” or important, “surgery” (surgery). A “surgery” is when a doctor goes inside of your body, cuts into your body, to do something we hope that will make you better.
So, a “general anesthetic” is something that usually puts you to sleep. This is compared to a “local (local) anesthetic,” which just makes certain parts of your body no longer feel anything so that the doctor can work on a certain part of your body without putting you completely to sleep. Bruce says that he doesn’t want a general anesthetic. He wants “to be conscious (conscious) during the procedure.” “To be conscious” is to be awake. It’s the opposite of “to be unconscious,” which is to be basically asleep.
Don’t confuse the word “conscious” with a similar sounding word, “conscience” (conscience). “Conscience” refers to your feelings of right and wrong. “Conscious” refers to being awake.
The nurse says, “You’ll be inhaling a general anesthetic and getting an intravenous muscle relaxant.” “To inhale” (inhale) means to breathe in, to bring in air or something else into your body, specifically into your “lungs” (lungs). Your “lungs” are what you use to breathe. Former president Bill Clinton famously said, when asked if he had ever smoked marijuana, that yes, he had, but he “didn’t inhale” – that is, he didn’t put the marijuana smoke into his lungs. We love politicians.
Anyway, the nurse says that Bruce is going to be inhaling a certain kind of gas which is a general anesthetic and getting an “intravenous muscle relaxant.” “Intravenous” (intravenous) refers to something going through your veins, which is a part of your body that carries blood. “Muscles,” of course, are those parts of your body that move your body parts, your bones, back and forth. A “relaxant” (relaxant) is something that relaxes you, make your muscles loose and, we would say, “limp” (limp), which is the opposite of “firm.”
So an “intravenous muscle relaxant” is basically an injection – that is, something that is put into your body with something called a “needle” (needle). A “needle” is a small thin metal tube, basically, that goes into your skin so that drugs can be put into your body.
The nurse is going to give Bruce a general anesthetic, which he will breathe in to his lungs, as well as what we would call simply a “shot” (shot), which is taking a needle and putting something into your body.
Bruce says, “I’m not a wimp.” A “wimp” (wimp) is a weak person who is not brave, who is not courageous, who is afraid of pain. Bruce says, “I’m not a wimp. Tell the doctor all I need is a local anesthetic to numb the area.” We explained “local anesthetic” as being a drug that prevents pain in a certain part of your body. The verb “to numb” (numb) means to cause you to lose feeling in a certain part of your body. If you lose feeling, you won’t feel pain there. That’s the purpose of a “local anesthetic.”
When you go to the dentist who works on your teeth, the dentist will often give you a “local anesthetic” to numb the parts of your mouth where the dentist will be working. The nurse says, however, that Bruce needs something stronger. “You don’t want to feel any sensation or pain during the procedure,” she says. “Sensation” (sensation) here means feeling something that you can feel when someone touches you – that’s a “sensation,” or at least one possibility of a sensation.
Bruce says, “I’m not afraid of a little pain. Bring it on!” That phrase “Bring it on” is used to show that you are ready for some problem or difficult situation or challenge. The nurse says, “Anyway, the general anesthetic will wear off soon after the procedure.” She’s explaining to Bruce that after the doctor has finished with his procedure, whatever it is, the general anesthetic “will wear off.” “To wear (wear) off” means to slowly, gradually, lose strength or effectiveness.
If you take a pill, if you swallow a pill that has medicine, eventually the medicine will probably “wear off,” meaning it will no longer be effective, perhaps two hours or five hours from when you take it. The nurse explains that the doctor will keep him “under sedation for the rest of the day.” “Sedation” (sedation) is when you are given drugs that don’t necessarily make you fall asleep but make you very calm, make you very relaxed.
Bruce says, however, “Forget it,” meaning no, I don’t want that. “When it’s done,” meaning when the procedure is finished, “I’m going home. I’m not staying here overnight,” meaning he doesn’t want to sleep at the hospital until the next day. The nurse says, “That’s not advisable.” “Advisable” (advisable) means recommended or useful or helpful.
The nurse says that Bruce’s idea of just leaving right after this procedure is “not advisable.” It’s not a good idea. “You need to remain under observation for 24 hours.” The phrase “under observation” means that someone is watching you or someone is monitoring you to make sure there aren’t any more problems. That happens a lot at a hospital. We say someone is “under observation” when the doctor and the nurses keep the person in the hospital to make sure there aren’t any more problems.
Bruce says, “That’s for other people. I’m tough,” meaning I’m strong. I’m brave. “I’ll be up and ready to go,” meaning after the procedure he’ll be ready to go home. Then he says to the nurse, “What’s that needle for?” The nurse says, “It’s to give you a shot,” an injection, “before your procedure.” The nurse is going to take the needle and inject, or put into his body, the drug.
Bruce suddenly, who said he was very tough and strong, starts to whimper. “To whimper” (whimper) means to make a small sound that indicates that you’re very scared. Bruce says, “I don’t like needles. Get that away from me!” We learn, of course, that Bruce isn’t as tough as he says he is.
Now let’s listen to the dialogue, this time at a normal speed.
[start of dialogue]
Nurse: I’m here to prep you for your procedure. Did the doctor already talk to you about the general anesthetic you’ll be getting?
Bruce: I don’t need a general anesthetic. I want to be conscious during the procedure.
Nurse: You’ll be inhaling a general anesthetic and getting an intravenous muscle relaxant. That’s standard for this procedure.
Bruce: I’m not a wimp. Tell the doctor all I need is a local anesthetic to numb the area.
Nurse: You’ll need something stronger. You don’t want to feel any sensation or pain during the procedure.
Bruce: I’m not afraid of a little pain. Bring it on!
Nurse: Anyway, the general anesthetic will wear off soon after the procedure. However, the doctor will keep you under sedation for the rest of the day so you can rest.
Bruce: Forget it. When it’s done, I’m going home. I’m not staying here overnight.
Nurse: That’s not advisable. You need to remain under observation for 24 hours.
Bruce: That’s for other people. I’m tough. I’ll be up and ready to go. What’s that needle for?
Nurse: It’s to give you a shot before your procedure.
Bruce: [whimpers] I don’t like needles. Get that away from me!
[end of dialogue]
There’s no better way to prep yourself for speaking English than to listen to the wonderful scripts written by our excellent scriptwriter, Dr. Lucy Tse. Thank you, Lucy.
From Los Angeles, California, I’m Jeff McQuillan. Thanks for listening. Come back and listen to us again right here on ESL Podcast.
English as a Second Language Podcast was written and produced by Dr. Lucy Tse, hosted by Dr. Jeff McQuillan. Copyright 2016 by the Center for Educational Development.
Glossary
to prep – to prepare; to make someone ready for something
* How are you going to prep for the exam?
general anesthetic – a medicine that affects the entire body, making the patient unaware of his or her surroundings, usually used for major surgery
* The general anesthetic put Mimi to sleep right away and she didn’t feel anything during the operation.
conscious – awake and aware of one’s surroundings, and able to interact with other people and things
* Were you conscious immediately after the accident, or did you wake up at the hospital?
to inhale – to breathe in; to bring air or another gas into one’s lungs
* You need to calm down. Try to inhale deeply and slowly five times.
intravenous – through the veins; referring to something that is put inside one’s body through a needle that it poked through the skin and into one’s vein
* Victor isn’t able to eat anything, so the nurses have to feed him through an intravenous tube.
muscle relaxant – a chemical or medicine that makes one’s body relax and become loose and limp so that one has little or no control over one’s movements
* This muscle relaxant should help to reduce your back pain.
wimp – a person who is not brave or courageous, especially one who is afraid of physical work or pain
* This won’t hurt at all. Don’t be such a wimp!
local anesthetic – a medicine that makes one small area of one’s body lose sensation or feeling, typically used for minor surgeries or treatments
* The dentist is going to put some local anesthetic around the tooth before pulling it out.
to numb – to cause something to lose all feeling
* A stroke can numb an arm, leg, or the side of a face. If you experience any of those symptoms, go to see a doctor immediately.
sensation – feeling; touch
* Joy moved her hands through the sand, enjoying the sensation of the grains of sand between her fingers.
bring it on – a phrase used to show enthusiasm and readiness or eagerness to accept a new challenge, problem, or difficult situation
* I’ve been training for this race for months. Bring it on!
to wear off – to gradually lose effectiveness or strength, often used when talking about medicine or drugs
* Terrence had a lot to drink, but the effects should start wearing off soon.
sedation – the use of drugs or medicine to make someone very calm or sleepy for a period of time
* The doctors have put her under sedation to give her body more time to heal.
advisable – recommended; thought to be beneficial, useful, or helpful
* On very hot days, it’s advisable to drink lots of water and avoid heavy exercise.
under observation – where one can be seen, watched, and monitored by others, especially by healthcare professionals
* All of our mental patients are under observation by trained psychologists and psychiatrists.
tough – very brave and strong; not easily hurt, intimated, or frightened
* That little boy is tough! No matter how many times he falls down, he still gets back up and tries climbing that tree again.
needle – a very small, thin metal tube with a pointed end, used to insert medicine through the skin and into the body
* Kids are often scared of needles, so many doctors offer a nasal flu vaccine that can be taken through the nose instead of as a shot.
to whimper – to make a small, quiet, whiny sound when one is very scared or sad
* You were whimpering in your sleep last night. Did you have a bad dream?
Comprehension Questions
1. What would you expect a wimp to do?
a) To say “bring it on”
b) To be very tough
c) To whimper
2. Who would be most aware of his or her surroundings?
a) Someone who has been given a general anesthetic
b) Someone who has been given a local anesthetic
c) Someone who is under sedation
Answers at bottom.
What Else Does It Mean?
to wear off
The phrase “to wear off,” in this podcast, means to gradually lose effectiveness or strength: “People who move to other countries often love everything at first, but those emotions wear off as people learn more about the new culture.” The phrase “to wear out” means to make someone very tired: “Wow, that long walk around the lake really wore me out!” The phrase “to wear out” can also mean to damage something or make it seem old through use: “I’m amazed by how quickly our boys wear out their shoes!” Finally, the phrase “to wear away” means to erode or to become thinner and weaker over time: “The carpet is wearing way in the hallways where people walk the most.” Or, “Paint wears away quickly in places where there is a lot of wind and rain.”
needle
In this podcast, a “needle” is a very small, thin metal tube with a pointed end, used to insert medicine through the skin and into the body: “The student nurses have to learn how to place a needle in the patient’s arm quickly and accurately.” When talking about sewing, a “needle” is a very small, thin piece of metal with a tiny hole at one end through which thread is placed: “Can you help me thread this needle?” Or, “Please use a smaller needle for the stitches, or it will leave holes in the fabric.” Finally, the phrase “like looking for a needle in a haystack” describes trying to find something that is almost impossible: “Trying to find a phone number for a real person at the phone company rather than a computer-generated recording is like looking for a needle in a haystack.”
Culture Note
The Classic Game “Operation”
“Operation” is a “table game” (a game played at a table, not while moving around) that was created in 1965. It is a “battery-operated” (uses batteries to run) box with the “image” (picture or drawing) of a human body that has many holes cut out of it. The game begins with a small plastic body part or other object placed in each hole, and the players must use small “tweezers” (a small metal tool used to pinch and grab objects) to pull the objects out without touching the “edges” (sides) of each hole. If the metal tweezers touch the metal edge of the hole, there is buzzing sound and the patient’s red lightbulb nose “lights up” (a light turns on). Then it is the next player’s turn.
The body parts include an “Adam’s apple,” which is the “common term” (used by ordinary people, not by doctors) used to refer to the “lump” (raised area) in a man’s neck that moves when he speaks. There is also a “broken heart” that represents “heartbreak” (feelings of sadness and loss, especially when a relationship ends). Players can try to pick up “butterflies in the stomach” which represent feelings of nervousness or anxiety, especially before performing or speaking in public. And they can try to pick up the “bread basket,” which is a plastic slice of bread and a reference to a common term for one’s stomach.
In 2004, the game makers, Milton Bradley, asked players to vote on a new piece to add to the game. They selected an ice-cream cone in the brain to refer to a “brain freeze,” or the intense headache many people feel when they eat something that is very cold too quickly.
Comprehension Answers
1 - c
2 - b