It Started with a Cat Bite

This is the story of Massachusetts General Hospital case #31-2010: a 29-year-old woman whom I’ll call Melissa.I’m telling Melissa’s story not for its common-sense lesson—avoid interactions with cats*—but because it shows that doctor detective-work happens outside of TV Land.Melissa was a veterinary assistant at an animal hospital. One day, at work, a cat bit her right hand, in the meaty part where the thumb meets the palm. Bad kitty.Read more at...The Last Word on Nothing, October 2010.