Learn English 🇺🇸 English Listening Comprehension - The Health Scare

0:10 Good morning.

0:10 It's a lovely Saturday, isn't it?

0:12 Oh, hi.

0:14 Yeah, it's it's fine.

0:17 Good morning.

0:18 You're up early.

0:19 Usually, I don't see you until the afternoon.

0:21 Are you heading out to take some photos?

0:23 No, no photos today.

0:25 Just running an errand.

0:28 To the store.

0:29 Oh, really?

0:31 I need to go to the store later, too.

0:33 I need to buy some yarn for my knitting.

0:35 What are you looking for?

0:36 Just things, you know, basic stuff.

0:40 Toothpaste, maybe some uh ice.

0:44 Ice?

0:45 You've got a freezer in your apartment, right?

0:48 Why do you need to buy ice?

0:50 It's not for drinks.

0:51 It's for Never mind.

0:53 I've got to go.

0:55 Have a good day.

0:58 Ouch.

0:59 Wait a minute.

1:00 You're holding your left hand against your chest.

1:03 You look like you're in pain.

1:05 I'm fine, really.

1:06 It's just a scratch.

1:08 I'm a nurse, remember?

1:10 I know the difference between a scratch and pain.

1:12 Let me see your hand.

1:14 It's nothing.

1:15 I just had a little argument with a frying pan.

1:18 Mason, please.

1:20 Show me.

1:21 If it's infected, it could be serious.

1:24 Fine, but don't make a big deal about it.

1:27 Oh my goodness.

1:29 That's not a scratch.

1:30 That's a burn, a nasty one.

1:33 It looks worse than it feels.

1:36 The skin's bright red and it's starting to blister.

1:39 How long ago did this happen?

1:41 Maybe 20 minutes ago.

1:43 I was making breakfast.

1:45 20 minutes?

1:47 And you didn't put it in cold water?

1:49 Why is it shiny?

1:50 Did you put grease on it?

1:53 It's butter.

1:54 My grandmother always said, if you burn your hand, put a stick of butter on it.

1:58 It stops the pain.

2:00 No, no, no.

2:01 That's a terrible idea.

2:03 It is?

2:04 Yes.

2:05 Butter holds the heat inside the skin.

2:06 It makes the burn deeper.

2:08 We need to wash that off immediately.

2:10 Come on, let's go back to your apartment.

2:12 I really don't want to trouble you.

2:14 I was just going to the pharmacy to get some bandages.

2:17 You can't put a bandage on top of butter.

2:19 We need to clean it properly.

2:20 I'm not asking, I'm telling you as a medical professional.

2:24 Okay, okay, you win.

2:34 Okay, put your hand under the water.

2:36 The water should be cool, but not freezing cold.

2:39 That stings.

2:40 I know, but we have to get the butter off and cool the tissue down.

2:44 Keep it there.

2:44 Don't move.

2:45 How long do I have to stand here?

2:47 I've got a lot to do today.

2:49 At least 10 to 15 minutes.

2:51 We need to stop the cooking process in your skin.

2:54 Cooking process?

2:55 That sounds disgusting.

2:57 It's true.

2:58 A burn continues to damage the skin even

3:00 after you take your hand away from the fire.

3:02 The heat stays in the tissue.

3:04 The water takes the heat away.

3:07 Fine, 15 minutes.

3:08 I guess I can wait.

3:10 So, tell me, how did this happen?

3:12 You're usually very careful.

3:14 You worked in Antarctica.

3:15 That's a dangerous place.

3:17 Well, it's a funny story.

3:19 I was trying to cook something fancy.

3:21 Fancy, like what?

3:23 I was trying to make a glaze, you know, sugar and butter.

3:26 I was watching a cooking video online,

3:29 but then I saw a bird on the balcony railing.

3:32 A bird?

3:33 Yes.

3:34 It was a peregrine falcon.

3:36 I'm sure of it.

3:37 They're very rare in the city.

3:39 I grabbed my camera with one hand and without looking,

3:41 I reached for the pan with the other hand.

3:44 Oh, Mason, you and your photography.

3:46 You've got to focus on one thing at a time.

3:49 I know.

3:50 It was stupid.

3:51 I want to be a chef one day, you know,

3:52 but a chef with burned fingers isn't very useful.

3:55 Accidents happen to everyone, even professional chefs.

3:59 The important thing is knowing how to treat it.

4:02 So, butter is bad.

4:03 What about ice?

4:04 Should I put ice on it later?

4:06 No, definitely not.

4:08 Ice is too extreme.

4:10 It can damage the skin cells because it restricts blood flow.

4:13 Just cool water and then a clean bandage.

4:16 It's strange.

4:16 All the things I learned as a kid, they're wrong.

4:20 Medical knowledge changes.

4:21 We learn new things all the time.

4:23 That's why I'm here in DC doing this exchange program,

4:26 to learn different methods.

4:28 Is it really that different?

4:30 A burn is a burn, right?

4:32 Whether you're in New Jersey or Washington, D.C.

4:35 The injury's the same, but the system is different.

4:38 And the way people react is different.

4:40 How do you mean?

4:41 Well, at my hospital in New Jersey,

4:43 Penn Medicine, it's a very large teaching hospital.

4:46 We have the newest technology for everything.

4:49 But sometimes, it feels a bit automatic.

4:53 Here in DC, in the clinic where I'm working,

4:55 we see patients from all over the world.

4:58 We have to spend more time explaining things.

5:00 We have to understand their culture.

5:02 Like explaining to a stubborn guy why butter's bad?

5:05 Exactly.

5:07 In some cultures, people use toothpaste on burns.

5:10 In others, they use oil or egg whites.

5:12 Egg whites?

5:13 That's a new one.

5:14 It's surprisingly common.

5:17 But as a nurse, I have to respect the patient, but also teach them the science.

5:21 It's a balance.

5:23 I guess I'm just old-fashioned.

5:24 When I was at Bird Station in Antarctica, we didn't have a lot of supplies.

5:28 We had a doctor, but he was more like a general mechanic for humans.

5:32 We used whatever we had.

5:34 It must have been very hard being so far away from a real hospital.

5:38 It was scary sometimes.

5:39 If you got really sick, they had to fly you out,

5:42 but the weather's often too bad for planes.

5:44 So, you learn to just deal with it.

5:46 You ignore the pain.

5:48 I understand.

5:49 That's survival mode.

5:50 But you aren't in Antarctica anymore, Mason.

5:53 You're in a nice apartment building.

5:54 You don't have to just deal with it.

5:57 You can ask for help.

5:59 Yeah, I guess old habits are hard to break.

6:01 I hate going to doctors here.

6:03 It feels like a business.

6:05 They make you wait for hours, then they talk to you for 2 minutes,

6:08 and then they send you a huge bill.

6:10 I know.

6:11 The American system can be frustrating.

6:13 It's complex and expensive.

6:15 That's something we talk about a lot in my exchange program,

6:18 how to make it better for patients, how to make it more human.

6:22 Well, having a neighbor who's a nurse helps make it more human.

6:26 I try my best.

6:27 Okay, let's check the time.

6:28 It's been 12 minutes.

6:30 How does it feel?

6:31 Better.

6:32 The stinging stopped.

6:33 It just feels numb now.

6:36 That's good.

6:37 Let's do 3 more minutes just to be safe.

6:40 Oh, that's my oven timer.

6:42 You've got something in the oven?

6:44 Don't worry, it's just bread.

6:46 I was baking bread to go with the glaze.

6:48 Can you uh take it out for me?

6:51 Sure.

6:52 I'll save the bread.

6:53 You stay at the sink.

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7:15 Wow, that smells delicious.

7:17 You really are a chef.

7:19 I try.

7:20 I'm thinking about changing careers, leaving the prospecting business.

7:24 I want to cook for people.

7:25 It makes them happy.

7:27 I think that's a wonderful idea.

7:29 It's certainly safer than mining for rare earth minerals.

7:32 Well, usually safer.

7:35 Usually.

7:36 Okay, the hand is dry.

7:38 I'm going to apply this antibiotic ointment.

7:41 It prevents infection.

7:43 Okay.

7:44 And now, I'm wrapping it with a sterile gauze bandage.

7:47 Not too tight.

7:48 We want the blood to flow.

7:50 You're very good at this.

7:51 Your hands are very steady.

7:54 Thank you.

7:54 It helps with my hobby, too.

7:56 Oh, that's right.

7:57 You mentioned knitting earlier.

7:59 You do handcrafting?

8:00 Yes.

8:01 I love it.

8:02 Knitting, embroidery, crochet.

8:05 It's very relaxing after a long shift at the hospital.

8:08 What are you making right now?

8:10 I'm trying to make a sweater for my sister, but I'm having a problem.

8:14 A problem with the knitting?

8:17 No, the knitting's fine.

8:18 But I want to sell some of my work online to make a little extra money.

8:23 But my photos look terrible.

8:25 Your photos?

8:26 Yeah, the colors never look right.

8:29 The yarn looks brown instead of purple, and it's always blurry.

8:32 I just use my smartphone, but I don't know how to make it look professional.

8:36 Ah, well, Margaret, today's your lucky day.

8:40 Why is that?

8:41 Because you just saved the hand of a very good photographer.

8:45 That's right.

8:46 You've got that big camera.

8:48 I can help you.

8:49 It's probably a lighting issue.

8:51 People usually take photos indoors with yellow light bulbs.

8:54 That messes up the colors.

8:55 You need natural light.

8:57 Natural light?

8:59 Like outside?

9:01 Or near a big window.

9:02 And you need a stable surface.

9:04 No shaking hands.

9:06 I see.

9:07 Tell you what, since I can't cook or work for a few days,

9:10 why don't you bring your crafts down here this weekend?

9:13 I can set up a little studio in my living room.

9:15 I'll take some high-quality photos for your online shop.

9:18 Really?

9:19 You'd do that for me?

9:20 Of course.

9:21 It's the neighbor exchange program.

9:23 You trade medical care for photography services.

9:26 That sounds like a fair deal.

9:28 I accept.

9:30 So, what do I need to do now?

9:32 Keep it clean.

9:33 Don't get it wet for 24 hours.

9:35 When you shower, put a plastic bag over it.

9:38 Ugh, a plastic bag?

9:40 I'll look ridiculous.

9:42 Do you want an infection?

9:44 No.

9:44 Then use the bag.

9:46 And take some ibuprofen if it starts to throb.

9:49 But I think you'll be fine.

9:50 It's a second-degree burn, but it's small.

9:53 Thanks, Margaret, really.

9:54 I was being stubborn earlier.

9:56 I appreciate you stopping me.

9:58 That's what neighbors are for.

10:00 And maybe next time you want to watch a bird, turn off the stove first.

10:06 [laughter] Deal.

10:09 Okay, that's great.

10:11 Now, just move the scarf a little to the left.

10:13 Yes, I want to catch the texture of the wool.

10:16 How does it look?

10:18 Beautiful.

10:19 The light from the window is perfect today.

10:21 Okay, one more.

10:22 Smile.

10:26 All right.

10:26 I think we've got some great shots.

10:29 Can I see?

10:30 Here, look at this one.

10:32 Wow, Mason, that looks amazing.

10:35 The purple's so vibrant.

10:36 It looks like something from a magazine.

10:39 See?

10:39 It's all about the white balance.

10:41 And look at you.

10:42 You're using your left hand to adjust the lens.

10:45 Yeah, it's healing really well.

10:48 Let me take a quick look.

10:49 Go ahead.

10:50 Hmm, the blister's gone down.

10:53 The skin's pink, but it's healthy.

10:55 No sign of infection.

10:57 I followed your orders.

10:58 Kept it dry, changed the bandage, no butter.

11:02 Good boy.

11:03 See, modern medicine works better than grandma's myths.

11:07 You were right.

11:08 If I'd used butter, it probably would be a mess right now.

11:12 I'm glad you're okay.

11:14 And I'm so happy about these photos.

11:16 My sister's going to be so impressed.

11:19 You know, this was fun.

11:20 I haven't done product photography before.

11:23 Usually, I just take pictures of landscapes or rare birds.

11:27 You're talented.

11:29 If the chef thing doesn't work out, you can definitely be a photographer.

11:33 Actually, I have some news.

11:36 What?

11:37 I made that bread again yesterday,

11:39 and I took some to the family on the third floor.

11:41 You know, the one with the two daughters?

11:43 Ah, yes.

11:45 The older daughter?

11:46 The one you like?

11:48 Yeah, well, she loved the bread, and we're going to have dinner tomorrow.

11:53 I'm cooking.

11:55 Mason, that's fantastic.

11:57 A date.

11:59 Yeah, I'm a little nervous, but at least I can use both hands to cook now.

12:04 Just promise me one thing.

12:06 What?

12:07 If you see a bird outside the window, ignore it.

12:10 I promise.

12:11 I'll close the blinds.

12:13 Well, I should let you get ready for your big date.

12:16 I'll take these samples back upstairs.

12:18 Thank you so much for the photos.

12:21 Thank you for the medical care.

12:23 Anytime.

12:24 Just try not to need me again too soon.

12:26 I'll try my best.

12:28 Bye, Margaret.

12:30 Bye, Mason.

12:34 Okay, dinner tomorrow.

12:37 Menu, salad, cold soup, nothing hot.

12:42 Definitely nothing hot.