OET Listening Part A
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You hear a general practitioner talking to a patient called Elena Marsh. Complete the notes with a word or short phrase that you hear.
Dr Whitfield: Good morning – Elena, isn’t it? Do sit down.
Elena: Thank you, doctor.
Dr Whitfield: Now then – what can I do for you?
Elena: It’s my right shoulder. It’s been going on for four months now, and it’s slowly getting worse. I know how it started: we decorated the spare room in spring, and I spent a whole weekend painting the ceiling above my head. Nothing hurt at the time, but within a week the shoulder felt sore, and it hasn’t got better since. Most of the time it’s a dull ache, the whole way from my shoulder down to my elbow, and it never really goes away.
Dr Whitfield: And is it worse with certain movements?
Elena: It is. If I reach behind – doing up a zip, tucking my blouse in – I get these twinges out of nowhere, sharp enough to make me cry out. They only last a moment, but they’re really painful, and I never know when they’re coming. The only thing that helps a little – and it doesn’t last long – is a hot shower. While I’m under it the whole arm loosens up nicely, but as soon as I’m out, the pain comes straight back. Ordinary painkillers don’t really help at all, so I don’t bother with those anymore. And it isn’t only the shoulder now: at first I thought I was imagining it, but this last month my neck has started to hurt as well. The arm has got so stiff that I think I’m standing awkwardly to protect it. And nights are difficult: if I roll onto that side I’m wide awake, and most nights my sleep is broken.
Dr Whitfield: That sounds exhausting. And outside the house – hobbies and so on?
Elena: Well, I’ve had to stop the badminton – I played every Tuesday evening for fifteen years, and I really miss it. Work is difficult, too: I’m on reception at a dental practice, and I can’t reach the high shelves anymore, so one of my younger colleagues gets those files down for me. I feel like a nuisance. I have tried a few things myself, though. I rub in ibuprofen gel morning and night – I can’t honestly say it does much, but it feels like I’m doing something.
Dr Whitfield: What about vitamins, supplements, other therapies – anything like that?
Elena: Two things. My sister kept telling me to try fish oil – she takes it herself and swears by it – so I took the capsules every day for six weeks. They made no difference at all, though I did finish the whole tub. And I paid to see an osteopath a couple of times as well. He was very nice, but at forty-five pounds a visit it was more than I could afford, so I didn’t go back.
Dr Whitfield: I see. Now, your health in general – any other conditions, any surgery in the past?
Elena: High blood pressure – I’ve had that for several years now. I take water tablets every morning and it stays at a safe level. The nurse checks it regularly, and it’s always fine – to be honest, I hardly think about it. Apart from that I’ve been very lucky: the only time I’ve ever been in hospital was when I had my knee done, back in 2019, and it healed well – no trouble since.
Dr Whitfield: Let me examine you. Arm out to the side as far as it goes… now above your head… and behind your back… and now keep your elbow tucked in at your side and rotate the arm outwards for me… yes, that’s very restricted.
Elena: That last one hurt, I’m afraid. What’s wrong with it, doctor – and will it get better?
Dr Whitfield: What you have is a frozen shoulder: the lining around the joint has become inflamed and tight, which is why every movement is limited. It will get better, though not quickly – and you’re at an early stage, which helps. First, I’ll send you for an X-ray, just to be sure nothing else is going on inside the joint.
Elena: Whatever you think best. And is there anything for the pain in the meantime?
Dr Whitfield: One option is a steroid injection, which can ease the pain a great deal while the shoulder recovers – have a think, and we’ll decide together at your review.
Elena: I will. And should I just rest it apart from that?
Dr Whitfield: No – quite the opposite. I’m referring you to the physiotherapy team, who’ll start you on a program of gentle movements – and depending on progress, they may also offer you hydrotherapy. Now, what that involves is doing your…
You hear a surgeon talking to a patient called Raymond Kerr. Complete the notes with a word or short phrase that you hear.
Dr Lindqvist: Come in, Mr Kerr, come in – have a seat.
Raymond: Thank you, doctor.
Dr Lindqvist: Now, I’ve had the letter from your GP, and I’ve looked at your scan – but I’d like to hear about these attacks in your own words.
Raymond: Well, they’re getting worse, if anything, doctor. I had another attack on Friday night. They follow a pattern now: the pain sits just under my ribs, on the right side, and it comes on fast – soon I can hardly speak. And it’s a gripping kind of pain – that’s the best word for it. It doesn’t come and go in waves. It stays at full strength from the first minute to the last.
Dr Lindqvist: And is it over quickly, or does it go on?
Raymond: It goes on, doctor. The worst ones go on for as long as three hours before the pain finally stops – and all that time I’m walking around the house, because I can’t sit still and I can’t lie down. My wife has learned just to leave me alone. I sweat right through my shirt, and every attack ends the same way – vomiting, I’m afraid.
Dr Lindqvist: And how long have you been having them?
Raymond: A couple of years now, doctor – though it took the two of us a while to take them seriously. The first one we assumed was just trapped wind: it passed by the morning, and we forgot all about it – at the time that seemed reasonable. But they’ve been coming closer together ever since – first they were months apart, then only weeks. These days there’s just a fortnight between them, at most. As for what starts them off – I’ve thought about it a lot. My wife and I even kept a food diary for a few weeks, writing down every meal. And the only thing I’m really sure about is cheese. I’ve stopped eating it completely. That’s helped a little, but the attacks still come.
Dr Lindqvist: And what about everyday life, between the attacks – what has it changed?
Raymond: Quite a lot, if I’m honest. On Sunday mornings my grandson and I always went swimming together – I’ve had to stop that, because I can’t risk an attack while I’m looking after him. And we’ve cancelled the holiday we’d booked abroad for the spring. My wife says it would be no fun being far from home if I’m ill, and I can’t really argue with that. As for medicine when an attack comes – nothing seems to work. My son got me some peppermint capsules from the chemist a while ago. I took them for a whole month, and they did nothing at all. Apart from that, I just wait for it to pass.
Dr Lindqvist: Right – everything you’ve described fits with what your GP found on the scan: a number of stones in the gallbladder – gallstones – and they’re what’s been causing these attacks. Your GP also arranged some blood tests, and those didn’t show up any problems, which tells us the stones aren’t causing any trouble beyond the attacks themselves.
Raymond: Yes, that’s what he told me. It was a relief to have a name for it, to be honest. So, what do we do about the stones?
Dr Lindqvist: Well, your GP asked for my opinion on whether an operation is the right way forward – and I think it is. When the attacks come as often as yours, the usual answer is to remove the gallbladder. I’ll add you to my list here at City Hospital. A letter will come in the post with the date of your operation.
Raymond: OK. And will the operation happen soon?
Dr Lindqvist: Quite soon – but before anything goes ahead, the anaesthetist will see you first, to go over your general health.
Raymond: Fair enough. And while I’m waiting – is there anything I should do, or not do?
Dr Lindqvist: Yes – keep your meals light and simple, and stay away from fatty foods for the time being.
Raymond: I will – my wife will make sure of that. She’s already been reading all about it, and planning my meals for me. Now, doctor, how long will it be before I’m properly back on my feet? It’s my daughter’s wedding at the end of September, you see, and I really want to be well again by then.
Dr Lindqvist: I’d be very surprised if you weren’t. Most people are back to their usual routine well within a month. As for the operation itself, let me explain what I’ll actually be doing. The gallbladder lies just beneath the liver…