Aragog from Harry Potter was probably every arachnophobe's worst nightmare, but anyone would be terrified to face a giant spider in the middle of the forest all alone. That’s one thing, however—would a giant spider tattoo freak you out?
Well, it definitely scared this nurse who ran out screaming after seeing it on a patient’s arm, even though it was very unrealistic. The original poster (OP) experienced more discomfort during her MRI-guided biopsy due to this nurse, so she wondered whether she should give the hospital honest feedback.
More info: Reddit
People all over the world have the strangest phobias and arachnophobia is one such fear
Image credits: EyeEm / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The poster had an MRI-guided biopsy done at a hospital where a healthcare professional saw her huge spider tattoo, screamed, and ran out
Image credits: No_Hyena8479
Image credits: evware00 / Reddit (not the actual photo)
The nurse's arachnophobia caused further problems during the patient's procedures as the woman was nervous
Image credits: No_Hyena8479
Image credits: Getty Images / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
The poster didn't say anything at the hospital but then got an email asking how her visit went
Image credits: No_Hyena8479
She was confused about whether to give an honest review of the healthcare professional, so she vented online
Today, we dive into a story where Reddit user No_Hyena8479 encountered one of the strangest experiences in a hospital. It was just a regular MRI-guided biopsy that she had to have done, but things turned weird after a healthcare professional saw the giant tarantula tattoo on her arm. Apparently, this woman was arachnophobic, so she screamed and ran out of the room.
While we all know that arachnophobia is an intense and irrational fear of spiders, did you know that 3% to 15% of the population has it? Today’s nurse was one of these and her phobia caused a delay in the poster’s procedure. However, OP stressed that even though the tattoo was large, it was very unrealistic.
Now, after being kept inside the MRI machine for 90 minutes, she was asked to turn over so they could dress her incision. Here again, the arachnophobic nurse was no help, despite being told to assist the patient, so the poster did it herself.
The whole thing was very uncomfortable for OP and the entire time, while one nurse was dressing her incision, the arachnophobe just stood in the corner doing nothing. Well, the poster was annoyed by it all, and honestly, who wouldn’t be?
She didn’t say anything in the hospital at the time, but then, she received an email from them asking how the visit went. She was confused about whether to give honest feedback and tell them about the nurse or have some grace because of her arachnophobia. Well, she vented online and folks showered her with advice.
Image credits: Liza Summer / Pexels (not the actual photo)
The first response from Redditors was shock over the whole situation that the poster had gone through. Although they sympathized with the nurse’s fear, they felt that she could’ve acted like a professional by assigning a different nurse to the poster, rather than going ahead with it herself.
People commented that it would be in the best interest of everyone if the poster were to give an honest review about the nurse. They felt that things could've gone horribly wrong if the case were more serious and the nurse had reacted similarly. Folks highlighted that it was unacceptable behavior and that, in the end, she was unable to do her job properly.
Many said that the nurse should go to therapy and get herself treated to overcome her fear, or it could impact her career. People also said that getting over her fear was treatable and that it was all her fault if she knew this and still didn’t make an effort to get better.
According to Verywell Mind, “Arachnophobia is most commonly treated with therapy, particularly cognitive behavioral techniques. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) focuses on replacing the negative automatic thoughts about spiders with more rational thoughts.”
Looks like the nurse might benefit from this and should get herself treated at the earliest. All the commenters agreed that the poster should tell the truth about the nurse, and even we feel like it would be a wise choice to do so.
What about you? What would you do in her shoes? Also, if you have any relatable arachnophobia stories, don’t forget to share them with us in the comments below!
Folks online were horrified by the incident and said she should give honest feedback, otherwise the nurse could put her patients in danger
