porphyrin | Anecdote.

(Yes, I know, and this is it for the day, I swear.)

I'm presenting a patient to the attending physician, who is also our residency directior; she's extremely supportive of my specfic writing.

"So," I say, just to recap a little, "He was on nafcillin and rifampin for ages for the staphylococcal wound infection, and of course the tenor of the flora in his wound changed. He's now growing e. coli from the wound, and..."

My attending starts laughing, and interrupts me. "I can tell you're a writer."

I blink. "Uh?"

"The 'tenor of the flora'. I love that. I love that phrase, it's just so smooth and professional sounding."

I bite my lip, and think to myself, Actually, the phrasing on that's rather clunky, *I* think.

But if I said THAT out loud she'd probably just laugh even more.