A great place to store ice?

Mr. L. was one of my favorite patients-- brilliant, funny, kind.  At age 74, he was generally in good health until he was rushed to the ER one day after his wife  suspected he was having a mini-stroke. When I asked what alerted her to a problem, she laughed and provided this explanation: They were at a funeral parlor attending the calling hours of a well-loved neighbor. The new widow was trying her best to provide iced tea for all the visitors as it was a humid summer day. The small container of ice kept running out, which required her to make multiple trips to the kitchen for more ice. After her third trip to the kitchen, my patient pointed to the casket and said, "If you'd just get rid of that dead body, you could store a lot more ice in there. It'd save you trips to the kitchen."  The new widow and my patient's wife stared at him in horror. Did he really say that??? Was he trying to be funny? My patient's wife  dashed him straight to the ER as she knew he would never utter such a tasteless remark in his right mind. It turns out she was right! The MRI revealed a new small stroke in the part of the brain that controls impulsivity and reasoning.

Sally Burbank M.D.