Big Urine, Little Urine

In Ecuador, especially among indigenous people, big urine is stool, and little urine (la orina chiquita, la orina pequeña) is urine. When people complain of problems urinating, the doctor has to be sure to specify which one.

Humorous story to remember this by: One doctor had an elderly gentleman who came in repeatedly saying, “I can’t urinate.”

The doctor gave him Hytrin, a medicine to help men with prostate trouble pee. He still couldn’t go. Finally, the doctor took him to the Emergency Room to put a Foley catheter in him. He starts to scream, “NO! I just can’t pee!”

The doctor remembered big urine vs. little urine and asked how many days since the gentleman pooped. It had been about 4 days. Milk of Magnesia cured him when a Foley catheter put into his bladder couldn’t.