If there is one rule in emergency medicine, it has to be “always expect the unexpected.” You can walk into a shift with a plan, thinking you have seen everything, but within minutes, life will surprise you. There is a Bomb in My Vagina: Short Medical Stories from 45 Years in Practice by Dr Craig A. Troop captures that perfectly. It is funny, shocking, and deeply human, reminding us that even professionals in high-stress jobs are never immune to surprise.
In the early 1980s, the emergency department of a Dallas hospital was as unpredictable as it was busy. On a typical night, there might be two doctors, a few nurses, and a steady stream of patients. Dr Troop worked with many nurses, but one in particular, Gale, stood out. She was young, inexperienced, and very proper. Raised in a conservative Southern Baptist home, she found certain topics off-limits, especially those involving intimacy or humour. To her, professionalism meant seriousness at all times, and she had already told others that Dr Troop’s humour was less than appropriate.
The night in question started like any other. The ER was full, the cases were varied, and the workload was heavy. There were patients with chest pain, children with fevers, people struggling to breathe, and others suffering from anxiety. The department was humming with activity when an ambulance radio call broke through the noise. A woman in her thirties was on her way in. She was stable but covered in blood. She smelled of alcohol and would arrive within minutes. Gale prepared the trauma room, expecting another routine case.
When the ambulance arrived, the scene was intense. The patient had long dark hair, heavy makeup, and a short miniskirt soaked in blood. She looked like a character straight out of a television drama. But she was calm and alert, and her vital signs were steady. Both Gale and Dr Troop assumed she had been stabbed or assaulted. Gale quickly began the standard trauma procedure: scissors in hand, she started cutting away the patient’s clothes to locate the source of the bleeding.
That is when things took a turn no one could have predicted. As Gale cut through the miniskirt, what she thought was a female patient suddenly revealed male anatomy. Without warning, Gale jumped back from the stretcher and shouted, “What the fuck!” It was a moment of pure shock, one that broke through her carefully maintained sense of composure and restraint. For a brief second, the strict, self-controlled nurse gave way to a very human reaction of disbelief.
Dr Troop, watching this unfold, could hardly believe it himself. The phrase “expect the unexpected” had taken on a whole new meaning. The situation, though startling, was not tragic. The patient, who turned out to be a man dressed as a woman, had multiple bruises and cuts but was not in serious danger. The same could not be said for Gale, whose confidence and composure never recovered from that night. She left the ER soon after, unable to shake off the embarrassment of her outburst.
The story, while humorous, carries a simple truth about life and work. No matter how professional, disciplined, or controlled we try to be, we are all human. Sometimes life catches us off guard, and all we can do is react. In a setting like an emergency room, those reactions come fast, raw, and honest. They remind us that even in an environment where people deal with life and death, laughter and surprise still have a place.
Dr Troop’s ability to tell the story without cruelty or judgment is what makes it stand out. He never mocks Gale or the patient. Instead, he finds the humour in the situation while still respecting everyone involved. His calm, observational style invites readers to laugh, but also to reflect on how unpredictable life really is.
The title of the story, WTF, captures not just a moment of shock but a universal truth. Every person, in every career, will face a situation that leaves them speechless. It may happen at work, at home, or in public. What matters is how we respond and what we take away from it. For Dr Troop, the night reminded him that humour is often the best way to handle chaos. For Gale, it may have been a lesson in humility. For the reader, it is a story that blends absurdity and humanity in a way that only real life can.
In the end, every story in There is a Bomb in My Vagina: Short Medical Stories from 45 Years in Practice is a glimpse into how unpredictable and wonderfully a doctor’s life can be. It is a reminder that even when everything seems under control, life still has a sense of humour to prove us wrong and make everything too good to believe to be true. Grab your copy from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/196964446X/
