Not bad for a short person

I recently went out to the waiting room to retrieve my first patient of the day. "Whoa Judy," she hooted from her seat, "Have you gotten shorter?"

Argh, do not tell a middle-aged woman she's getting shorter. My face must've fallen because she quickly backtracked: "It's just that you look so tiny." As if that improved the situation--she may as well have remarked 'But you don't sweat much for a small woman.'

The entire incident made me feel a little short with her.