Today has been a rather good day, to express my feelings in the least bit. Caleigh was discharged today, and she has a "clean" bill of health... sort of. She is completely fine except for those "few" injuries. She is staying at my apartment for at least the weekend. She is going to rest it up and relax; right now, everything hurts for her.
Today I returned to work for a long day at the emergency room. I continued my section on trauma, and I completed my first Friday as well. We were booked solid today; we had patients left and right. There were so many patients and so little doctors; the emergency room was in bad shape. As an intern doctor, we are not allowed to assist patients ourselves, only with our resident or attending physician.
Since I'm tired, I'm just going to share with you the one interesting story that we had tonight. There was a father who was about 53 named "Tom", and his son who was 23 named "John" who got into an intense argument. John despised his father and vice versa. To be concise, John shot his father in the thigh with a pistol and his father stabbed him in the abdomen. Talk about the drama in the family! They both arrived (all buddy buddy again, let me add) but both went away with the cuffs. The hospital is located DEAD SMACK in the middle of the ghetto, and I was told they get all the crazy admits from them.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
I Kissed You in a Style that Clark Gable Would Have Admired
I did not work today in the emergency room, but spent the day with Caleigh. She’s doing fine now, she looks horrible though. She looks worse than she actually is doing. She has a large cut on her right cheek, which was stitched up, and her whole chest is bruised. She fractured her left ankle and sprained her wrist. When I was actually able to see her, when she was conscious, she cried. I felt like a horrible person. I kissed her…I kissed her like never before. Then, I met her parents; let me tell you... bitchy mother. Her mother is the mother that every boyfriend or fiancé fears. She’s nice, but she has that... that flare... to her personality. The one that you know if you do one thing wrong, it's your head on the chopping block. Her dad is pretty chill, laid back... I don't think he loves her mom anymore; he gives me that impression. Oh by the way -- remember when I said she was being short? Yeah, well... guess who just started their period? Ha, so called that one. I just got back home, I'm going to sleep here tonight, and she is freaking out about me missing work. She doesn't understand that I'm not allowed to work until she leaves the hospital. I'm in love with her. I wasn't going to even post tonight, but I just laid there in my bed, and she is all I can think about. All I could think of was when I kissed her in a style that Clark Gable would have admired. I'm going to actually attempt bed now... but first, did you notice? No quotation marks, I love her. I'm not lying.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
There's Fog on the Windows
I'm not quite sure where to start with today. However, I'm going to tell it to you like a story, and I'm going to try to emphasize on details. Some small details before I start my story - I worked 6-9 in the emergency room as a tech, and then moved on to the other hospital to do my intern work.
The emergency room is quiet; there are no children crying, no people yelling, and no chatting of the patients and staff. I walk up to the psychiatric unit (although I just started today with trauma) because the emergency room is empty. Within five minutes, my pager starts to vibrate violently on my scrubs. I picked up the pager with the message 1ER 123A sprawled across the screen. It means that there is an emergency on Floor 1, in the Emergency Room, in Room 123A. They only page in moments of dire emergencies. So with all my energy, I rush to room 123A, and that is when my heart sunk. I could feel everything slow down and my heart beat from within my throat. There, on the stretcher laid Caleigh. It was about 12:45 and I figured she had blown me off for lunch... but no... Caleigh was in car accident. She laid there, unconscious, while being aided by a bunch of nurses and doctors; she was covered in blood. In addition, that’s about all I could physically see. I tried to help her, but I was escorted from the room. You are not allowed to help family or friends when they are admitted to the hospital. About five hours later, she was stabilized and was completely fine. Caleigh + trees = not friends. She should be okay... no broken bones, just a few hard bruises and some cuts and scrapes. It took forever to have her stabilize because of her inability to contain consciousness. I'll have some more details later, I'm going back to the hospital for the night.
The emergency room is quiet; there are no children crying, no people yelling, and no chatting of the patients and staff. I walk up to the psychiatric unit (although I just started today with trauma) because the emergency room is empty. Within five minutes, my pager starts to vibrate violently on my scrubs. I picked up the pager with the message 1ER 123A sprawled across the screen. It means that there is an emergency on Floor 1, in the Emergency Room, in Room 123A. They only page in moments of dire emergencies. So with all my energy, I rush to room 123A, and that is when my heart sunk. I could feel everything slow down and my heart beat from within my throat. There, on the stretcher laid Caleigh. It was about 12:45 and I figured she had blown me off for lunch... but no... Caleigh was in car accident. She laid there, unconscious, while being aided by a bunch of nurses and doctors; she was covered in blood. In addition, that’s about all I could physically see. I tried to help her, but I was escorted from the room. You are not allowed to help family or friends when they are admitted to the hospital. About five hours later, she was stabilized and was completely fine. Caleigh + trees = not friends. She should be okay... no broken bones, just a few hard bruises and some cuts and scrapes. It took forever to have her stabilize because of her inability to contain consciousness. I'll have some more details later, I'm going back to the hospital for the night.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
The Atmospheric Pressure's Calling for Rain
Today was another interesting day with Paul. It was interesting, but depressing. He is starting to break down from his illness... he speaks as if every sentence was his last. His brightness was faded and his constant happiness has run dull. Despite his sadness, I continue to act the same. My relationship with Paul is like a father-son one, and I'm actually scared for him. One of the things they emphasized the most in training was not to create a personal bond, but there is a point where you just don't care. All Paul talked about today was how the world will be better off without him, and trust me... it was hard to convince him otherwise. I'm not the saying the world will be better off without him, but how do you reassure someone that they are important? It's hard.
So, I would to introduce you to "Mike", "Josh", "Timothy", and "Megan". So do you know what Mike, Josh, Timothy, and Megan all have in common? They are all one person; Mike has three known identities, but oncall residents and interns claim more. I think it is amazing how in-depth these characters get; they each have a little microcosm of which they live in!
Josh - Josh is a paraplegic, who lost all motor functions due to a car accident. When Josh takes the personality of Mike, he literally cannot move his limbs. His mind is wandering and his voice can barely catch up. His voice is deeper and raspier than his normal voice.
Timothy - Timothy was born and raised in Austin, Texas. His father is a businessman and his mother is a housewife. Timothy just finished graduate school and now has a masters in secondary education. His voice is much more feminine and more emphasis when he speaks.
Megan - Megan is a college student from North Dakota, who is majoring in business. S/he is currently working for an accounting firm that is respectable on Wall Street - or so she says. His/her voice is very high pitched and with a hollow laugh.
Finally, we have Mike, the real character. Mike is a high school dropout, who currently lives with his mother. Mike speaks with a natural lisp and suffers from bipolar disorder. He was court ordered a six-month stay, and he still hasn't improved.
That is basically my day as an intern... I spent it all with Mike, Josh, Timothy, and Megan. It's truly remarkable.
On the contrary to work, I feel as if a storm is coming between Caleigh and I; I'm not sure why, but she seems to be acting somewhat short with me. I hope it isn't the lifestyle thing, but she said she was going to talk to me tonight since basically the only time I get to really see her is late at night and on the weekends. I'm counting down to Saturday - I have almost no work! I think it actually might just be Caleigh's time of month... the 'fun' hasn't really been around lately.
So, I would to introduce you to "Mike", "Josh", "Timothy", and "Megan". So do you know what Mike, Josh, Timothy, and Megan all have in common? They are all one person; Mike has three known identities, but oncall residents and interns claim more. I think it is amazing how in-depth these characters get; they each have a little microcosm of which they live in!
Josh - Josh is a paraplegic, who lost all motor functions due to a car accident. When Josh takes the personality of Mike, he literally cannot move his limbs. His mind is wandering and his voice can barely catch up. His voice is deeper and raspier than his normal voice.
Timothy - Timothy was born and raised in Austin, Texas. His father is a businessman and his mother is a housewife. Timothy just finished graduate school and now has a masters in secondary education. His voice is much more feminine and more emphasis when he speaks.
Megan - Megan is a college student from North Dakota, who is majoring in business. S/he is currently working for an accounting firm that is respectable on Wall Street - or so she says. His/her voice is very high pitched and with a hollow laugh.
Finally, we have Mike, the real character. Mike is a high school dropout, who currently lives with his mother. Mike speaks with a natural lisp and suffers from bipolar disorder. He was court ordered a six-month stay, and he still hasn't improved.
That is basically my day as an intern... I spent it all with Mike, Josh, Timothy, and Megan. It's truly remarkable.
On the contrary to work, I feel as if a storm is coming between Caleigh and I; I'm not sure why, but she seems to be acting somewhat short with me. I hope it isn't the lifestyle thing, but she said she was going to talk to me tonight since basically the only time I get to really see her is late at night and on the weekends. I'm counting down to Saturday - I have almost no work! I think it actually might just be Caleigh's time of month... the 'fun' hasn't really been around lately.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Paging Doctor Baxter
Today was possibly the best and most exciting day of my life. I worked early this morning from 6- 8 in the emergency room. It was a slow two hours mostly because I was dying to start my internship. I spent my two hours with Paul in the emergency room; he was doing well today. I beat him in monopoly, go me! (I think he let me win). After my two hours were up, I went to a hospital that was about a forty-five minute drive from where I was. I had orientation from 10 - 3. That was really boring; we had to go over procedures, rules, and information regarding the hospital... nothing really new to me. After that, I met my resident and attending doctors, and from there I started my clinical. As an emergency doctor, you must be able to cover each branch of medicine. Guess where I started today? No, not OB-GYN...I'm not that lucky. I started in psych. I met the attending psychiatrist Dr. Gao. So today, with the aid of Dr.Gao, I saw all the psych consults. Holy Shit. I don't think I've seen as many people before for psych. The hospital, having the largest psychiatric unit in the area, consults over 75 people a day. Dr.Gao and I had a nice chat about psychiatry and he is going to bring me to unit tomorrow. I'm going to meet, interview, and assess a Multiple Personality Disorder (also known as Dissociative Identity Disorder) patient tomorrow, I'm excited.
Right now, it's 12:05... And I'm heading over to Caleigh's apartment for the night. I love her bed, it’s so comfortable... but she is the one who makes it very comfortable, if you know what I mean.
Right now, it's 12:05... And I'm heading over to Caleigh's apartment for the night. I love her bed, it’s so comfortable... but she is the one who makes it very comfortable, if you know what I mean.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
In Every Circle of Friends, There's A Whore...
(You know... the one who flirts, and does a little more?) Well, that would be Mandy. Who is Mandy? Amanda, my "Ex" is now sleeping around with just about every guy my age at my work. In my opinion, as well as CIWWAF, jealousy's the cousin, the cousin of greed. She wants to make me jealous... I'm not, sorry babe. I gave Amanda the nickname Mandy because it's more fitting for her; doesn't it remind you of a stripper? Ha, it's so true because that’s exactly how she’s acting. I love how she left me, and now she craves me more than ever.
On the contrary, let me tell you about dropping jaws. The ball was fantastic; we had a really good time. The food was amazing; I had Filet Mignon, while Caleigh had a delicious chicken dish. The night was really nice; we were amongst the youngest couple there. We danced, we ate, we socialized... I felt part of the Hollywood scene!
Now, to catch up on my long, long day: I did not work the emergency room today; I was ordered one-on-one assistance with Paul, who coded again. After reading his chart, I found out he coded again last night for heart problems. Paul is starting to really bad... and it seriously is taking a toll on me. I see Paul every single day to make sure he is doing good and see how he is being treated. He's told me so many stories I want to write a book. His stories are so interesting they deserve to be bound. Any who, Paul's full diagnosis has come back from the lab. His diagnosis has been confirmed from further tests and radiology reports. Paul has lung cancer as a complication of Agent Orange poisoning. The blood deficiency has been the sole reason for his heart problems, another complication of Agent Orange. He is been given a two week life expectancy. :( Today with Paul was not boring, but just long. I played a couple games of scrabble with him, the winning and losing was mixed. I feel so bad for Paul; he is going to die alone. He has no one there for him and he is going to die with love from no one. He has no family alive... the poor guy is so alone. I have taken his advice so true to heart. I can still hear his raspy voice in the emergency room: Don't waste your time with work, pursue woman instead. Still, when I think about it, all I can hear is the song lyrical lies.
I'm headed to bed now; I have a huge and long day tomorrow. I might have to post later tomorrow... I start my new job. Intern, ahem... Doctor Baxter might I add. I hope I can still be there for Paul though; he needs some type of family in his state.
On the contrary, let me tell you about dropping jaws. The ball was fantastic; we had a really good time. The food was amazing; I had Filet Mignon, while Caleigh had a delicious chicken dish. The night was really nice; we were amongst the youngest couple there. We danced, we ate, we socialized... I felt part of the Hollywood scene!
Now, to catch up on my long, long day: I did not work the emergency room today; I was ordered one-on-one assistance with Paul, who coded again. After reading his chart, I found out he coded again last night for heart problems. Paul is starting to really bad... and it seriously is taking a toll on me. I see Paul every single day to make sure he is doing good and see how he is being treated. He's told me so many stories I want to write a book. His stories are so interesting they deserve to be bound. Any who, Paul's full diagnosis has come back from the lab. His diagnosis has been confirmed from further tests and radiology reports. Paul has lung cancer as a complication of Agent Orange poisoning. The blood deficiency has been the sole reason for his heart problems, another complication of Agent Orange. He is been given a two week life expectancy. :( Today with Paul was not boring, but just long. I played a couple games of scrabble with him, the winning and losing was mixed. I feel so bad for Paul; he is going to die alone. He has no one there for him and he is going to die with love from no one. He has no family alive... the poor guy is so alone. I have taken his advice so true to heart. I can still hear his raspy voice in the emergency room: Don't waste your time with work, pursue woman instead. Still, when I think about it, all I can hear is the song lyrical lies.
I'm headed to bed now; I have a huge and long day tomorrow. I might have to post later tomorrow... I start my new job. Intern, ahem... Doctor Baxter might I add. I hope I can still be there for Paul though; he needs some type of family in his state.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Up in Flames
I'm writing this post early because I've forgot to tell you guys for the past week that tonight I'm attending a benefit ball. The private dinner (at a whopping $250 a plate) is going to be nice. We are going to be dressed in formal attire. I'm sporting a black pinstripe tuxedo compliment of Armani, while Caleigh is sporting a long and sleek silk dress from Luis Vuitton. The dinner is in benefit for AIDS research.
Now, my day in the E.R.: A fairly large fire broke out in an apartment building. It was horrible, we had 10 admits for critical burns. There are at least three people with burns covering 80% of their body. The worst thing, four of them is children. Two children and and one man went into hypovolemic shock. Hypovolemic shock is when there is large decrease in blood volume and blood plasma. This thirst, or need for blood is caused when the patient is burned. When you are burned your capillaries began to become porous and leak, thus leaking blood. Each patient needed both intravenous fluids and assisted breathing. Those with the severe burns (the two children and man) had blood transfusions. Dr. Maynard, the on call physician told me something pretty cool today: Did you know that you can use coconut juice as blood plasma? The juice can mimic blood plasma because it’s easily absorbed and does not dtestroy red blood cells. Cool, eh?
Now, my day in the E.R.: A fairly large fire broke out in an apartment building. It was horrible, we had 10 admits for critical burns. There are at least three people with burns covering 80% of their body. The worst thing, four of them is children. Two children and and one man went into hypovolemic shock. Hypovolemic shock is when there is large decrease in blood volume and blood plasma. This thirst, or need for blood is caused when the patient is burned. When you are burned your capillaries began to become porous and leak, thus leaking blood. Each patient needed both intravenous fluids and assisted breathing. Those with the severe burns (the two children and man) had blood transfusions. Dr. Maynard, the on call physician told me something pretty cool today: Did you know that you can use coconut juice as blood plasma? The juice can mimic blood plasma because it’s easily absorbed and does not dtestroy red blood cells. Cool, eh?
Friday, February 22, 2008
Watch Those Jaws D R O P
I love work, but I love Saturdays. The day seems to go by fast, and I want to enjoy a break. Everything in my life is fast paced and my afternoon/night off makes lets reality hit me. I'm not going to lie; I'm a pretty attractive guy. I'm not something you write home about, but I have confidence in myself. Do you find that attractive? I hope so. I have received a few emails from some blog readers asking me to describe myself because I have barely described what I look like. Feel free to comment here, I have open comments so you don't have to register, just please don't comment anonymously, I like some personality! Anyways, I'm about 6 ft tall; I have a swimmer's body tone, and nicely tanned skin. I have natural brown/blonde hair, short and well kept. I have very lustrously lime eyes; they scream warmth while my blunt personality screams cold. I have one tattoo on the back of my shoulder of a caduceus:
Then I have one tattoo around my upper right arm of a tribal band. Well, that’s basically everything about me.
Now, about those dropping jaws... I'm a pretty stylish guy; I want to look the best because I want to be the best. Nothing like a little self-centered attitude, right? Because I didn't grow up with all the things I wish I had, I work hard to get them for myself. I'll pay the extra few bucks, and girls don't lie. You like it when a guy walks into a club rocking Emporio. I love the high-class but I love the prep class too. I crashed at Caleigh's apartment last night; let me tell you... wicked nice. Very contemporary and modern styled, sleek and attractive. Her wardrobe consists of punky clothing as well as preppy. I think she looks the sexiest in the morning. Her hair all messy, wearing my boxers and shirt... with her mascara smudged around her eyes. I need to breathe! She is going to spend the night at my apartment tonight and we are going to have a good time. I got out at four, and she'll be over here soon. And again, about those dropping jaws... She came into work at lunchtime to eat lunch with me, talk about turning heads, ha! They are j e a l o u s.
PAUL coded today. He had a minor heart attack; he was brought back to the emergency room where he chilled for a bit until he was declared stable to return upstairs. He is such a nice guy; I hate to see him in so much pain. I bought him some good food because he complained about how much hospital food sucked. I got him wedding soup; he said it was his favourite. Paul hasn't had any visitors at all. I'm afraid to live a life like Paul's. I want to have a family and be happy... I want to enjoy the wonders of children and marriage. Paul told me when he had the love of his life... but left it all behind for the army.
There was only one significant case in the emergency room today, and it was a stab victim... who just barely made it. "Jim" a 16-year-old was stabbed directly in the stomach area, where his stomach releases its gastric acid (hydrochloric acid) into his body. A person with this condition only has about 30 minutes before the acid literally eats away all the internal organs. Thankfully, he was stabbed in a public place where he was discovered and brought to us. He is undergoing surgery tonight, but he is looking in good shape. You are seriously not safe in the city at 16, better yet even 18. Poor kid mugged for the little change he has, now probably a stolen identity... so vulnerable.
Cali is walking in through the door, so I'm going to have to run... my heart has already started to pound; her lips are like morphine.
Then I have one tattoo around my upper right arm of a tribal band. Well, that’s basically everything about me.
Now, about those dropping jaws... I'm a pretty stylish guy; I want to look the best because I want to be the best. Nothing like a little self-centered attitude, right? Because I didn't grow up with all the things I wish I had, I work hard to get them for myself. I'll pay the extra few bucks, and girls don't lie. You like it when a guy walks into a club rocking Emporio. I love the high-class but I love the prep class too. I crashed at Caleigh's apartment last night; let me tell you... wicked nice. Very contemporary and modern styled, sleek and attractive. Her wardrobe consists of punky clothing as well as preppy. I think she looks the sexiest in the morning. Her hair all messy, wearing my boxers and shirt... with her mascara smudged around her eyes. I need to breathe! She is going to spend the night at my apartment tonight and we are going to have a good time. I got out at four, and she'll be over here soon. And again, about those dropping jaws... She came into work at lunchtime to eat lunch with me, talk about turning heads, ha! They are j e a l o u s.
PAUL coded today. He had a minor heart attack; he was brought back to the emergency room where he chilled for a bit until he was declared stable to return upstairs. He is such a nice guy; I hate to see him in so much pain. I bought him some good food because he complained about how much hospital food sucked. I got him wedding soup; he said it was his favourite. Paul hasn't had any visitors at all. I'm afraid to live a life like Paul's. I want to have a family and be happy... I want to enjoy the wonders of children and marriage. Paul told me when he had the love of his life... but left it all behind for the army.
There was only one significant case in the emergency room today, and it was a stab victim... who just barely made it. "Jim" a 16-year-old was stabbed directly in the stomach area, where his stomach releases its gastric acid (hydrochloric acid) into his body. A person with this condition only has about 30 minutes before the acid literally eats away all the internal organs. Thankfully, he was stabbed in a public place where he was discovered and brought to us. He is undergoing surgery tonight, but he is looking in good shape. You are seriously not safe in the city at 16, better yet even 18. Poor kid mugged for the little change he has, now probably a stolen identity... so vulnerable.
Cali is walking in through the door, so I'm going to have to run... my heart has already started to pound; her lips are like morphine.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
I'm in the Business of Misery
So, let us take it from the top. Amanda came back to me today looking for some fun. Although appealing, I don't think so. I tried to talk to her about her decision, she must face the consquences. She called me cold... told me everyone makes bad choices, I told her to learn from it. I agree with her, I'm cold, I have no feelings... I'm a medical student... we have no feelings, deal with it. Just because you wanted to sleep around and just got denied, don't bitch. Caleigh, on the other hand... damn. I'll finish my lyrics with shes got a body like an hourglass. That one stand stand grew into something so much more. It has turned into a little obssession... she makes me feel different, it's hard to explain. Her sexy punky style is new to me, but damn...shes sexy. Her long platnium hair extends past her shoulders, with jet black streaks that captivates you. When I look into her bright blue eyes, they scream FUCK ME. It's a bit graphic, I know... but its a new feeling for the both of us. She'll wear a sexy tight tee-shirt with a band name slashed across the front of it, and a nice short skirt (short enough not to be declared a whore). She has one piercing that drives me crazy for her, it's on the right side of have bottom lip. Oh god does it make life fun. I'm attracted, let's see if I can fall in love with her personality.
While we are speaking of the business of misery, today has been a day of losses. We had another case of an anyuerism (this time of the brain) , but when she arrived to the hospital she was already pronounced dead. We had three drug-related deaths because of tainted heroin. The heroin is laced with a drug called Fentanyl. Fentanyl is a narcotic pain killer, its extremely powerful and extremely addictive. Mixing both the most dangerous drug and one of the most dangerous prescription drugs is not a good idea. Abusers of Fentanyl suffer from respitory problems which inevitably lead to their death.
Apart from the druggies, we had "Lois" a 42-year-old woman admitted for breaking seven bones. She broke both of her radiuses, both femurs, a vertabre, and her pelvis. Do you know how Lois broke all these bones? She fell off of her roof... onto her concrete patio. What was Lois doing on her roof? She claims she was adjusting her satellite. I think one of the most fun things to do in the emergency is help set bones. Its so painful for the patient but the feeling of shifting a bone back into place is awesome. Poor Lois has a long road to recovery.
The last significant patient was "Jasmine" who is an 18-year-old girl who was brought in because she poked herself in the eye with her eyeliner. Let me tell you, this was night a pretty sight. GIRLS, DO NOT DO YOUR MAKEUP IN THE CAR, PLEASE. The eyeliner pencil was lodged literally in her eye, we had to remove it and address the wound. She then had to be sent away for visual eye surgery where she will hopefully be able to see again. The damage to her eye wasn't extreme, she'll probably end up with some scarring.
It was a pretty busy day, I mean it's not that much work, especially when I'm in the Business of Misery.
While we are speaking of the business of misery, today has been a day of losses. We had another case of an anyuerism (this time of the brain) , but when she arrived to the hospital she was already pronounced dead. We had three drug-related deaths because of tainted heroin. The heroin is laced with a drug called Fentanyl. Fentanyl is a narcotic pain killer, its extremely powerful and extremely addictive. Mixing both the most dangerous drug and one of the most dangerous prescription drugs is not a good idea. Abusers of Fentanyl suffer from respitory problems which inevitably lead to their death.
Apart from the druggies, we had "Lois" a 42-year-old woman admitted for breaking seven bones. She broke both of her radiuses, both femurs, a vertabre, and her pelvis. Do you know how Lois broke all these bones? She fell off of her roof... onto her concrete patio. What was Lois doing on her roof? She claims she was adjusting her satellite. I think one of the most fun things to do in the emergency is help set bones. Its so painful for the patient but the feeling of shifting a bone back into place is awesome. Poor Lois has a long road to recovery.
The last significant patient was "Jasmine" who is an 18-year-old girl who was brought in because she poked herself in the eye with her eyeliner. Let me tell you, this was night a pretty sight. GIRLS, DO NOT DO YOUR MAKEUP IN THE CAR, PLEASE. The eyeliner pencil was lodged literally in her eye, we had to remove it and address the wound. She then had to be sent away for visual eye surgery where she will hopefully be able to see again. The damage to her eye wasn't extreme, she'll probably end up with some scarring.
It was a pretty busy day, I mean it's not that much work, especially when I'm in the Business of Misery.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Dark Blue, Dark Blue
Have you ever been alone in a crowded room? Working in the hospital is like suffering from bipolar disorder. You have continual sessions of ups and downs. Monday we lost Emily, yesterday we saved Phil, and today, well, was a boring old day at the Emergency Room. Probably during my eight hours of work today, the only extreme thing was a broken pelvis. Today is Wednesday, weird. We have a saying: Slow Wednesday, expect a weekend rush. If you remember last week, I told you that we usually always have a busy Wednesday. I also expect a fast day tomorrow. I start my rounds as an intern next Monday, so I'll be leaving this hospital at night, I'll only be working in the morning. I'm actually quite depressed about it, but I'll have more free time! My classes will be my interning period now that the information sessions are over.
Leaving work at an early time of 6 PM, I was able to take Caleigh out for dinner. My one night stand has evolved into a small little relationship. I like little relationships that don't get big, I don't want commitments, I don't have time for them. Commitments are for simpletons... people who don't have a workload to manage. I can't promise dinner every night, a warm bed to share, or even a phone call every day. There are nights I don't eat dinner, or hop into a freezing cold bed, or not talk to anyone for a week. I hope she can understand, if not... I'm sure I can find someone. Any who, dinner was good, I love Cordon Bleu!
Early to bed for me tonight!
Leaving work at an early time of 6 PM, I was able to take Caleigh out for dinner. My one night stand has evolved into a small little relationship. I like little relationships that don't get big, I don't want commitments, I don't have time for them. Commitments are for simpletons... people who don't have a workload to manage. I can't promise dinner every night, a warm bed to share, or even a phone call every day. There are nights I don't eat dinner, or hop into a freezing cold bed, or not talk to anyone for a week. I hope she can understand, if not... I'm sure I can find someone. Any who, dinner was good, I love Cordon Bleu!
Early to bed for me tonight!
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Beating Heart Baby.
I worked a long, exhausting night. I worked from 4Pm - 11 PM; it was a shift from heaven. Usually, when I tell you things were slow and boring... it doesn’t mean that we were sitting around waiting for a case to come in, but we were stuck with the usual bump and scrape check out. I feel bad saying that we had a shift from heaven because we had a bunch of admits, but I love working and helping those in need.
It was no more than thirty minutes after I walked into the door when we had a code blue on arrival. When there is a code blue on arrival, the hospital is in chaos. Each department sends a doctor, nurse, or technician to the emergency room. Then, we have an established plan of action for the incoming patient. In the case of cardiac arrest, cardiac involvement, the representative from that department would take control of the situation. If it relates to a different department, that person is in control of the situation. The representative from the psychiatric unit is responsible for the psychiatric well-being of the family members. Together, the hospital creates a respectable and strong team. This code has been a structure for hundreds of hospitals across the country.
Tonight's case was a 32-year-old man whom we called "Phil". Phil is 5'10", weighing in at 150lbs., Phil is skinny, but... he had atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is the hardening of arteries; it is caused by buildup of fats and cholesterol. Once the fat and cholesterol build up the arteries began, expand out the side, thus causing a thoracic aortic aneurysm. The aorta is the largest artery in your body and the most important; an aneurysm on this artery is not good. His artery first began to leak within him. He was brought in by ambulance for excessive chest and back pain. Once he arrived, we gave him immediate chest x-rays which vaguely indicated that there was a leaking aneurysm (massive 7 centimeter one, we find out later). Before our eyes, Phil went unconscious as he flat-lined. With the hospital's cardiologist on hand we had to physically go into his chest to first stop the bleeding aneurysm. Talk about an adrenaline rush. Here we are, twenty hospital workers frantically trying to save one man from death. At this moment, the world seemed to slow. His artery was carefully stitched with the aid of the oncall surgeon until we could safely transport him to an operating room. Once in the operating room he was in a long procedure were a synthetic fabric was inserted to replace the artery wall. A M A Z I N G. Phil is safe and sound now in the recovery unit :)
The other cases are not as interesting as this one... I couldn't believe the people in the emergency room. We all did fantastic and Phil lived. My hours at the hospital are going to be cut soon. I'm going to be working in another hospital soon for school, where I will be attending as an intern. I'm excited; you can call me Doctor Baxter!
I'm going to crash now, night!
It was no more than thirty minutes after I walked into the door when we had a code blue on arrival. When there is a code blue on arrival, the hospital is in chaos. Each department sends a doctor, nurse, or technician to the emergency room. Then, we have an established plan of action for the incoming patient. In the case of cardiac arrest, cardiac involvement, the representative from that department would take control of the situation. If it relates to a different department, that person is in control of the situation. The representative from the psychiatric unit is responsible for the psychiatric well-being of the family members. Together, the hospital creates a respectable and strong team. This code has been a structure for hundreds of hospitals across the country.
Tonight's case was a 32-year-old man whom we called "Phil". Phil is 5'10", weighing in at 150lbs., Phil is skinny, but... he had atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is the hardening of arteries; it is caused by buildup of fats and cholesterol. Once the fat and cholesterol build up the arteries began, expand out the side, thus causing a thoracic aortic aneurysm. The aorta is the largest artery in your body and the most important; an aneurysm on this artery is not good. His artery first began to leak within him. He was brought in by ambulance for excessive chest and back pain. Once he arrived, we gave him immediate chest x-rays which vaguely indicated that there was a leaking aneurysm (massive 7 centimeter one, we find out later). Before our eyes, Phil went unconscious as he flat-lined. With the hospital's cardiologist on hand we had to physically go into his chest to first stop the bleeding aneurysm. Talk about an adrenaline rush. Here we are, twenty hospital workers frantically trying to save one man from death. At this moment, the world seemed to slow. His artery was carefully stitched with the aid of the oncall surgeon until we could safely transport him to an operating room. Once in the operating room he was in a long procedure were a synthetic fabric was inserted to replace the artery wall. A M A Z I N G. Phil is safe and sound now in the recovery unit :)
The other cases are not as interesting as this one... I couldn't believe the people in the emergency room. We all did fantastic and Phil lived. My hours at the hospital are going to be cut soon. I'm going to be working in another hospital soon for school, where I will be attending as an intern. I'm excited; you can call me Doctor Baxter!
I'm going to crash now, night!
Monday, February 18, 2008
3:32 PM
Today has been a horrible day. Between classes and work today was horrible. There are a number of things that go on in this world that I hate, and it seemed that they all appeared today.
1.) I hate drug addicts. I feel remorse for them to the fact that they can't control their urges to put down a needle or a pipe. But when we admit them to the point that they are clean, free of withdrawal... only to come back higher than Everest... it bugs me. Here we are, rushing to the very second to bring your sorry ass back to life, only for you to go back and shoot it up. We had a man come into day, "Brian", for his fourth detox in three weeks. I felt bad for Brian when he first over dosed and came in for help. He cried and cried saying he needed help... and that’s what we do... help. But come on Brian, this is the third time you've come in crying. Inevitably, we had to send him away for some more in-depth psychological help.
2.) I hate stuck up people... people who think they are so much better than everyone else. I hate it when you are trying to assess someone during an emergency they find it necessary to complain that haven't seen anyone because they have a cough that won't go away. You are not the only one with a problem! If we based the emergency room on a first come first served basis, there would be so many deaths. Suck it up and wait!
3.) I hate death. There is nothing I hate more than we lose a patient. We lost three people today, and it is the hardest thing to overcome. You know what’s worse than a regular 'ol death? When it’s a child... that makes it even harder. If you have ever seen someone die, or have seen a dead body, it is a weird experience. First, you don't feel as if the person who is lying before you a person anymore, as if you can sense their soul moving on. "Emily", the six-year-old girl who died on our table at 3:32 PM today, was the hardest death I had ever witnessed. Emily was beaten by her father, the poor girl had a whole life to experience, but it was cut short by an asshole. Emily came in accompanied by her pathetic, crying, and drunk father. The front of her yellow daisy sundress was covered in blood; for the past hour, she was vomiting blood. By the time we could come to her aide her symptoms were extreme. She could barely keep her eyes open and her pulse was extremely low. Her heart slowly began to fail... but not even the best drugs on the market or the power of the defibrillator could keep her heart from failing. God Bless you Emily. I don't think I could have been happier today when he was arrested.
4.) I also hate more death. We lost an elderly man today to a stroke, and we lost a middle-aged woman to a car accident. I really hate death, and I really feel bad for the families who have to feel the pain of losing someone they love.
On the contrary...
I met with Cali yesterday and we had a good time, it turns out we have a lot in common. It’s weird, our favourite book: The Winter of Our Discontent by Steinbeck, our favourite colour: green (she does have beautiful green eyes), and drink: delicious coffee. I drink seven cups of coffee a day, it wouldn't surprise me if 1/3 of my budget goes towards coffee, it’s so expensive at the hospital.
I went up to Paul's room today and we had a nice chat for about an hour. Paul told me about his life, what a poor guy. He started his own company that dealt with stocks. He had quite a respectable business until he was forced to close down because he couldn't handle his fast aging and the demands of the business. He also told me about war; he talked about his best friend, who is listed on the Vietnam Memorial in Washington. Do you think it’s worse to have a friend die before you, and say goodbye... or die without you and not be able to say goodbye? Paul was there when his friend died, but he says he wishes he wasn't. He wants to be able to remember the good times, not his lifeless body. When I told him, I would want to say goodbye he laughed. They know you are going to miss them, Beau. They know it’s not going to be easy, and they know they are going to be missed. What is the point of putting yourself through that mess? I suppose he's right... who wants to go through that emotional strain?
1.) I hate drug addicts. I feel remorse for them to the fact that they can't control their urges to put down a needle or a pipe. But when we admit them to the point that they are clean, free of withdrawal... only to come back higher than Everest... it bugs me. Here we are, rushing to the very second to bring your sorry ass back to life, only for you to go back and shoot it up. We had a man come into day, "Brian", for his fourth detox in three weeks. I felt bad for Brian when he first over dosed and came in for help. He cried and cried saying he needed help... and that’s what we do... help. But come on Brian, this is the third time you've come in crying. Inevitably, we had to send him away for some more in-depth psychological help.
2.) I hate stuck up people... people who think they are so much better than everyone else. I hate it when you are trying to assess someone during an emergency they find it necessary to complain that haven't seen anyone because they have a cough that won't go away. You are not the only one with a problem! If we based the emergency room on a first come first served basis, there would be so many deaths. Suck it up and wait!
3.) I hate death. There is nothing I hate more than we lose a patient. We lost three people today, and it is the hardest thing to overcome. You know what’s worse than a regular 'ol death? When it’s a child... that makes it even harder. If you have ever seen someone die, or have seen a dead body, it is a weird experience. First, you don't feel as if the person who is lying before you a person anymore, as if you can sense their soul moving on. "Emily", the six-year-old girl who died on our table at 3:32 PM today, was the hardest death I had ever witnessed. Emily was beaten by her father, the poor girl had a whole life to experience, but it was cut short by an asshole. Emily came in accompanied by her pathetic, crying, and drunk father. The front of her yellow daisy sundress was covered in blood; for the past hour, she was vomiting blood. By the time we could come to her aide her symptoms were extreme. She could barely keep her eyes open and her pulse was extremely low. Her heart slowly began to fail... but not even the best drugs on the market or the power of the defibrillator could keep her heart from failing. God Bless you Emily. I don't think I could have been happier today when he was arrested.
4.) I also hate more death. We lost an elderly man today to a stroke, and we lost a middle-aged woman to a car accident. I really hate death, and I really feel bad for the families who have to feel the pain of losing someone they love.
On the contrary...
I met with Cali yesterday and we had a good time, it turns out we have a lot in common. It’s weird, our favourite book: The Winter of Our Discontent by Steinbeck, our favourite colour: green (she does have beautiful green eyes), and drink: delicious coffee. I drink seven cups of coffee a day, it wouldn't surprise me if 1/3 of my budget goes towards coffee, it’s so expensive at the hospital.
I went up to Paul's room today and we had a nice chat for about an hour. Paul told me about his life, what a poor guy. He started his own company that dealt with stocks. He had quite a respectable business until he was forced to close down because he couldn't handle his fast aging and the demands of the business. He also told me about war; he talked about his best friend, who is listed on the Vietnam Memorial in Washington. Do you think it’s worse to have a friend die before you, and say goodbye... or die without you and not be able to say goodbye? Paul was there when his friend died, but he says he wishes he wasn't. He wants to be able to remember the good times, not his lifeless body. When I told him, I would want to say goodbye he laughed. They know you are going to miss them, Beau. They know it’s not going to be easy, and they know they are going to be missed. What is the point of putting yourself through that mess? I suppose he's right... who wants to go through that emotional strain?
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Nothing Like a One Night Stand
There is nothing like a one night stand. The best thing about a one night stand, I think, is the fact that it costs you nothing, while a hooker is some big bucks there. Not to mention the perfume is a little better. A hooker is dirty, and well, the one night stand has a better chance of being clean haha. I suppose it’s a good thing I have standards. I met a girl last night, about the age of 24, at a local bar. Her name is Caleigh, but I'll spell it as Cali from now on because that’s how she signs it. I find it ironic that we live in California and that is how she signs her name. She is actually damn beautiful… she left me her number. I can't really remember that much from the night except how provocative she looked in my tank top and the fact my wallet was short 50 bucks from all the drinks I bought us (Well... I hope that’s where the money went!).
Today wasn't bad; I worked early 5:30 until 11. The morning is always the most boring because there is barely anyone who comes in. However, today we had only one good case that was interesting. A woman, "Josephine" came in with an abdominal laceration. She had quite a lot of blood loss and we were worried whether she'd go into shock. Her daughter told us that she impaled herself with a kitchen knife when she slipped on a wet floor. Ladies and gentlemen: don’t put away dishes after you mopped the floor. Thankfully, no internal organs were damaged; there was minor surgery for the muscle tissue and some nice stitches to fix up the cut. She'll have a nice scar to share with her grandchildren.
I took another trip to Paul again today; I only had 15 minutes to speak with him after work because he was due for a colonoscopy. He told me that he’s been in more pain lately, I feel bad for him. I talked to his nurses and ordered them to give him extra care. I've only known Paul for two days but he feels like a best friend to me. Our short, but meaningful conversations are like small blasts from the past, and a good confession source. It's so easy to be captivated into a story of how life seemed so much simpler, easy, and fun than today.
I'm leaving in about 20 minutes to catch up with Cali again. We are going to go out to dinner to meet each other this time. It should be interesting, but I'll fill you in tomorrow.
Today wasn't bad; I worked early 5:30 until 11. The morning is always the most boring because there is barely anyone who comes in. However, today we had only one good case that was interesting. A woman, "Josephine" came in with an abdominal laceration. She had quite a lot of blood loss and we were worried whether she'd go into shock. Her daughter told us that she impaled herself with a kitchen knife when she slipped on a wet floor. Ladies and gentlemen: don’t put away dishes after you mopped the floor. Thankfully, no internal organs were damaged; there was minor surgery for the muscle tissue and some nice stitches to fix up the cut. She'll have a nice scar to share with her grandchildren.
I took another trip to Paul again today; I only had 15 minutes to speak with him after work because he was due for a colonoscopy. He told me that he’s been in more pain lately, I feel bad for him. I talked to his nurses and ordered them to give him extra care. I've only known Paul for two days but he feels like a best friend to me. Our short, but meaningful conversations are like small blasts from the past, and a good confession source. It's so easy to be captivated into a story of how life seemed so much simpler, easy, and fun than today.
I'm leaving in about 20 minutes to catch up with Cali again. We are going to go out to dinner to meet each other this time. It should be interesting, but I'll fill you in tomorrow.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Crashing and Burning
Today was a little busy, but not too much. The weekends are my favourite because I work from 7 AM to 4 PM and I have the whole night to do whatever I want. Usually I'll go to the bar with some people from work, or maybe I'll catch up on studying, or even work on that long forgotten paper. There were no awesome exciting trauma patients today, which is both good and bad. It's good because no one was critically hurt and bad because it means the E.R. was boring and there was no rush. When you work in the Emergency Room, you always feel an Adrenaline rush. Someone is in trouble and you need to save him or her, so in this stage of excitement your brain tells your adrenal gland to release Epinephrine, or what we call Adrenaline. It makes your heart beat so hard, and gives you that floating feeling. You can refer to me as an Adrenaline junkie. I don't care. I'm happy that my Adrenaline rush comes from helping people and not shoplifting or gambling (Who does that help?).
Today on my lunch break I went up and visited Paul, he was quite pleased to get some company. Unfortunately, Paul has no family left and has no visitors. I sat and talked to Paul about life. He told me all about his childhood and his family. Unfortunately, my 30-minute lunch wasn't enough to hear about it completely, I returned to the Emergency room for three and a half hours of continual boring medical treatments.
So, I got home at about 4:15ish, to find a message on my answering machine from Amanda. She told me that she couldn't see me anymore because I was too much into school, work obsessed, and I didn't give her enough time. She told me she was done and she was moving on to someone who could give her the attention she deserved. I didn't care. Well, I did, sort of. I wanted to keep my pledge that Paul had brainwashed into me... from his words of wisdom. However, I didn't have the chance to carry out my pledge, I feel bad about it. I called her back and tried to negotiate, but it was too late. Therefore, I'm hitting the bar tonight.
Today on my lunch break I went up and visited Paul, he was quite pleased to get some company. Unfortunately, Paul has no family left and has no visitors. I sat and talked to Paul about life. He told me all about his childhood and his family. Unfortunately, my 30-minute lunch wasn't enough to hear about it completely, I returned to the Emergency room for three and a half hours of continual boring medical treatments.
So, I got home at about 4:15ish, to find a message on my answering machine from Amanda. She told me that she couldn't see me anymore because I was too much into school, work obsessed, and I didn't give her enough time. She told me she was done and she was moving on to someone who could give her the attention she deserved. I didn't care. Well, I did, sort of. I wanted to keep my pledge that Paul had brainwashed into me... from his words of wisdom. However, I didn't have the chance to carry out my pledge, I feel bad about it. I called her back and tried to negotiate, but it was too late. Therefore, I'm hitting the bar tonight.
Friday, February 15, 2008
F*cking Fridays
You say Thank God it's Friday, I say F*ck, It's Friday. Fridays are by far the busiest day in the week. It seems as if everyone is rushing into the hospital for his or her all-inclusive stay. The hospital food sucks -- for patients, for us employees it freekin' rocks. They put time and effort into our food, not the mass-produced patient crap.
So today walked in "Allan", a 46-year-old homeless man complaining of abdominal pains. You are about to become best friends with Allan because he comes in weekly. Allan has probably cost the hospital over a hundred thousand dollars in free medical treatment. Allan is a nice man, but he ruins the free medical care for everyone who really needs it. He comes in on the weekends or cold nights because there’s a warm bed, hot food, and free cable. Not to mention since Allan’s real abdominal pain - where he was stabbed by another homeless man for food and change - he became addicted to pain killers.
At around 7:30 PM, a 55-year-old man named "Paul" came in by ambulance. The man was hollering as the paramedics brought his stretcher into the hospital wing. I rushed over to the man in the stretcher and his hollering ceased. He stared at me in my white jacket, my tan and thin complexion and my blonde hair. He told me I looked just like him when he was my age. I placed two fingers on his wrist and took his pulse; his heart was racing but starting to slow. We brought him into the west wing, where I studied his chart curiously. The paramedic had scrawled onto the chat that he was suffering from complications of Agent Orange. Paul was a Vietnam Veteran. Paul was in no mortal danger but in pain, I sat with him and talked with him. I need vaguely what Agent Orange was, but he sat down and filled me in with more information. Agent Orange was an herbicide that the United States used to spray over the forests and vegetation in Vietnam. To be concise, it's an extremely toxic chemical and our soldiers slept and lived next to these large barrels of these chemicals. Paul grabbed my white coat and pulled me close. Don't waste time with work he told me. Pursue woman instead, it was my biggest mistake. I was speechless, I didn't have a clue what to say, and Paul knew this. Life is short. He added. Again, I was speechless, I felt as though he was listening to my iPod with me before I came into work.
An old man gave me a tip he said
"Don't waste your time with politics" he said
"Just chase skirts instead"
"Life is too short, and you're almost dead" he said
"I met a woman once, I gave her my best shot"
"But never did I talk and talk and talk"
"If I had her back, I'd be as real as my age"
"I so don't blame them, I wouldn't do the same"
"But I can blame them, I'd sing her this"
- Lyrical Lies by Cute is What We Aim For
So, from now on I pledge to give woman more respect than I give them now. Paul's words are so bone chilling that I can't stop thinking about what he said. On the medical side of Paul, he was admitted for Chloracne, one of the symptoms of Agent Orange exposure. We admitted him so he can undergo more tests to see if Agent Orange has any other effects on him. I worked until 11:30 tonight, and once the Friday night rush went slow, I spent my time with Paul. There is so much to learn from older people.
So today walked in "Allan", a 46-year-old homeless man complaining of abdominal pains. You are about to become best friends with Allan because he comes in weekly. Allan has probably cost the hospital over a hundred thousand dollars in free medical treatment. Allan is a nice man, but he ruins the free medical care for everyone who really needs it. He comes in on the weekends or cold nights because there’s a warm bed, hot food, and free cable. Not to mention since Allan’s real abdominal pain - where he was stabbed by another homeless man for food and change - he became addicted to pain killers.
At around 7:30 PM, a 55-year-old man named "Paul" came in by ambulance. The man was hollering as the paramedics brought his stretcher into the hospital wing. I rushed over to the man in the stretcher and his hollering ceased. He stared at me in my white jacket, my tan and thin complexion and my blonde hair. He told me I looked just like him when he was my age. I placed two fingers on his wrist and took his pulse; his heart was racing but starting to slow. We brought him into the west wing, where I studied his chart curiously. The paramedic had scrawled onto the chat that he was suffering from complications of Agent Orange. Paul was a Vietnam Veteran. Paul was in no mortal danger but in pain, I sat with him and talked with him. I need vaguely what Agent Orange was, but he sat down and filled me in with more information. Agent Orange was an herbicide that the United States used to spray over the forests and vegetation in Vietnam. To be concise, it's an extremely toxic chemical and our soldiers slept and lived next to these large barrels of these chemicals. Paul grabbed my white coat and pulled me close. Don't waste time with work he told me. Pursue woman instead, it was my biggest mistake. I was speechless, I didn't have a clue what to say, and Paul knew this. Life is short. He added. Again, I was speechless, I felt as though he was listening to my iPod with me before I came into work.
An old man gave me a tip he said
"Don't waste your time with politics" he said
"Just chase skirts instead"
"Life is too short, and you're almost dead" he said
"I met a woman once, I gave her my best shot"
"But never did I talk and talk and talk"
"If I had her back, I'd be as real as my age"
"I so don't blame them, I wouldn't do the same"
"But I can blame them, I'd sing her this"
- Lyrical Lies by Cute is What We Aim For
So, from now on I pledge to give woman more respect than I give them now. Paul's words are so bone chilling that I can't stop thinking about what he said. On the medical side of Paul, he was admitted for Chloracne, one of the symptoms of Agent Orange exposure. We admitted him so he can undergo more tests to see if Agent Orange has any other effects on him. I worked until 11:30 tonight, and once the Friday night rush went slow, I spent my time with Paul. There is so much to learn from older people.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
I'm Cold and That's the Reason
Happy Valentine’s Day. Today I only had class; I took the day off work. So I did go out to dinner with Amanda, I told her "I loved her", and we had a nice dinner. If you haven't noticed, when I put something in quotations, I'm usually lying. Sometimes, I feel obligated to lie... most of the time they are white lies... but unfortunately, there are a few bad lies in there. My excuse: I'm cold. I'm like the Grinch, with a little heart; however, I can sympathize. I feel pain, I "feel" (there I go lying again...) love and I've certainly felt hate. Nevertheless, the night was actually enjoyable. I did kiss Amanda and meant it (hence no quotations), and actually, the food was pretty damn good.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Wicked Wednesdays
For some reason, it always seems that Wednesday is always busy. As though Monday and Tuesday are just relaxation days, Wednesday a big rush, Thursday another relaxation period... and then Friday with the finale. It's not like there was a mascal, but merely just so many people coming in for different reasons. There is nothing that I hate more than when someone comes in with the common cold; it’s a waste of my time. I can understand if there were complications with a cold, but seriously... if the cold drags on... take some damn medicine.
Probably the most interesting character that came in today was "Fred". A 27-year-old man suffering from severe cases of Schizophrenia. Apparently, he ceased consumption of his medicine. In the emergency room, we have a routine for the mentally ill. We perform an evaluation, if his insurance wants to perform their own they can, we may admit him to our hospital, or send him to another. What was the reason for Fred to come to our hospital? To be concise, He went out of control. He suffered from a sub-group of Schizophrenia called Paranoia Schizophrenia. Fred tried to kill his neighbor in the effect that he believed his neighbor was spying on him. The police were outside his room, but just looking at Fred I could tell he had some issues. He was sweating profusely; he rocked in his seat back and forth, and couldn't stop biting his fingernails. I could only feel sympathy for Fred; he can't control his thoughts or actions. Well, it turned out, that his neighbor glanced over to Fred and gave him a wave. We admitted Fred, and Fred is back on his medication, Fred is happy.
On the contrary, I have dinner reservations for tomorrow at an upscale restaurant in town. We'll see how well dinner goes with Amanda. I haven't seen in her a week, but I "hope" it doesn't thwart our dinner plans… they were expensive.
Probably the most interesting character that came in today was "Fred". A 27-year-old man suffering from severe cases of Schizophrenia. Apparently, he ceased consumption of his medicine. In the emergency room, we have a routine for the mentally ill. We perform an evaluation, if his insurance wants to perform their own they can, we may admit him to our hospital, or send him to another. What was the reason for Fred to come to our hospital? To be concise, He went out of control. He suffered from a sub-group of Schizophrenia called Paranoia Schizophrenia. Fred tried to kill his neighbor in the effect that he believed his neighbor was spying on him. The police were outside his room, but just looking at Fred I could tell he had some issues. He was sweating profusely; he rocked in his seat back and forth, and couldn't stop biting his fingernails. I could only feel sympathy for Fred; he can't control his thoughts or actions. Well, it turned out, that his neighbor glanced over to Fred and gave him a wave. We admitted Fred, and Fred is back on his medication, Fred is happy.
On the contrary, I have dinner reservations for tomorrow at an upscale restaurant in town. We'll see how well dinner goes with Amanda. I haven't seen in her a week, but I "hope" it doesn't thwart our dinner plans… they were expensive.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Coax Me
Coax:
koʊs [kohks]
koʊs [kohks]
–verb (used with object)
1. to attempt to influence by gentle persuasion, flattery, etc.
So you may have wondered why I have titled my blog "Drop your Jaw & Coax Me". This is a line from one of favourite songs... and I feel as though it is so fitting. The line sounds so dirty as if it was some type of sexual innuendo, but in reality, it merely means to sweet talk me. This is my life; do you know how many people coax me into a study group? How many times have girls coaxed me into some cheap Saturday-night-quickie? Woman of the world - I ask you a favor. Spend some money on some good perfume, not the cheap shit from the dollar store. However, the line "Drop your jaw and coax me" represents my life. Actually, the whole song "There's A Class for this" represents my life. The main chorus constantly sings, "Drama doesn't follow me, it rides on my back". Do you know how many medical school students love the drama? My god, shoot me now!
On the contrary, today was an average day. The emergency room wasn't any different... and the people still filed in. I arranged for a day off work Thursday (yes I took a personal day!) I'm going to take my "girlfriend" out for Valentine’s Day; we'll see how it works. I'm not the romantic type (football in high school completely removed it from me).
On the contrary, today was an average day. The emergency room wasn't any different... and the people still filed in. I arranged for a day off work Thursday (yes I took a personal day!) I'm going to take my "girlfriend" out for Valentine’s Day; we'll see how it works. I'm not the romantic type (football in high school completely removed it from me).
Monday, February 11, 2008
Your First Day (In My Shoes)
I was ripped from my dreams at about 4:30 AM this morning when I had to jump up to get ready for work. For the first fifteen minutes I slept while my alarm clock buzzed away; I knew I could sleep for another fifteen minutes without being late. I dragged myself out of bed and shut off the alarm, where I then collapsed in the shower. This is my daily morning routine. I'll lay at the bottom of my bathtub and let the hot water pour on me for about twenty minutes until I regained consciousness. After my shower I dried off to look in the foggy mirror, I notice everyday how my face has aged, god… I'm so vain. From the bathroom, I could hear my cell phone ring. I walked down the hall towards my bedroom until I could recognize the ringtone: it's the hospital. I move a bit more quick and as I reached for the phone, I could hear my pager buzz radically. I answered the phone and then went to my pager, which read "911". The voice on the phone was a recording: "Attention emergency room staff, we have a Code 5, assistance is required." This is when I regretted that I slept that extra fifteen minutes. I threw on my clothes and left.
I arrived at the hospital at approximately 5:15, ten minutes after the code was called. I jogged into the emergency room and went straight to work. This is when I couldn't believe my eyes. The emergency room is made up of four wings. We call it the north, south, east, and west wings. Since I'm located in the city... each wing contains about 25 beds. There is always three doctors on call and at least 10 emergency room technicians, along with about 15 or 20 nurses. The job market for medicine is failing; we only have 2 emergency doctors, 6 ER techs, and 16 nurses on staff. Every emergency, I'm called in for every emergency... I miss so much class because of people's lack of desire to be a doctor, tech, or nurse.
There were "mass causalities" (mascal for short). We had seven people admitted from an accident in suburbs... the morning commute is never pretty. Apparently, a woman lost control of her vehicle and slammed into two cars, which slammed into other cars. I immediately dropped my bag and began to help sort through the chaos. We had four people with apparent broken bones, one person in horrible shape that needed to be transferred to intensive care. The other two people were in moderate pain and needed to be checked out.
Since it’s against the law (HIPAA), and my own moral standards, I will not disclose names. However, I'll give you some names that I made up. “Sarah”, 24, had a compound fracture of her left elbow. Her blood loss was minimal but in severe pain. Having a medicine administering certification, I administered her painkillers until the orthopedic doctor could arrive. While we waited for Sarah to be seen, I moved so someone else. I took over for “Doctor Maynard”, whom was hooking up Will, 17, to an IV. Under orders, three nurses and I rushed Will to the third floor intensive care unit. After we left will we, rushed back to hear code blue east projected over the intercoms. The east wing was the entrance to the emergency room; a mother had just walked her daughter into the emergency room. Her face was swollen, her skin was red swollen, and she was barely breathing. I immediately noticed she was in anaphylactic shock. I grabbed the nearest nurse where bagged (put her under artificial breathing) and administered epinephrine. The epinephrine solution, given intravenously, gave her heart more power to beat, and more help to fight off the swelling. After she stabilized, I rushed off to assist Dr. Maynard with the other crash patients. I worked until 9:30, where I left to go to school until 5 PM. I then ate -fast food once again - and I returned to work. Thank god, it was a slow night.... I worked from 7 - 11. What a busy day. (I promise not to make all these posts this long.)
I arrived at the hospital at approximately 5:15, ten minutes after the code was called. I jogged into the emergency room and went straight to work. This is when I couldn't believe my eyes. The emergency room is made up of four wings. We call it the north, south, east, and west wings. Since I'm located in the city... each wing contains about 25 beds. There is always three doctors on call and at least 10 emergency room technicians, along with about 15 or 20 nurses. The job market for medicine is failing; we only have 2 emergency doctors, 6 ER techs, and 16 nurses on staff. Every emergency, I'm called in for every emergency... I miss so much class because of people's lack of desire to be a doctor, tech, or nurse.
There were "mass causalities" (mascal for short). We had seven people admitted from an accident in suburbs... the morning commute is never pretty. Apparently, a woman lost control of her vehicle and slammed into two cars, which slammed into other cars. I immediately dropped my bag and began to help sort through the chaos. We had four people with apparent broken bones, one person in horrible shape that needed to be transferred to intensive care. The other two people were in moderate pain and needed to be checked out.
Since it’s against the law (HIPAA), and my own moral standards, I will not disclose names. However, I'll give you some names that I made up. “Sarah”, 24, had a compound fracture of her left elbow. Her blood loss was minimal but in severe pain. Having a medicine administering certification, I administered her painkillers until the orthopedic doctor could arrive. While we waited for Sarah to be seen, I moved so someone else. I took over for “Doctor Maynard”, whom was hooking up Will, 17, to an IV. Under orders, three nurses and I rushed Will to the third floor intensive care unit. After we left will we, rushed back to hear code blue east projected over the intercoms. The east wing was the entrance to the emergency room; a mother had just walked her daughter into the emergency room. Her face was swollen, her skin was red swollen, and she was barely breathing. I immediately noticed she was in anaphylactic shock. I grabbed the nearest nurse where bagged (put her under artificial breathing) and administered epinephrine. The epinephrine solution, given intravenously, gave her heart more power to beat, and more help to fight off the swelling. After she stabilized, I rushed off to assist Dr. Maynard with the other crash patients. I worked until 9:30, where I left to go to school until 5 PM. I then ate -fast food once again - and I returned to work. Thank god, it was a slow night.... I worked from 7 - 11. What a busy day. (I promise not to make all these posts this long.)
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Let's Talk About Me
Apart from my "about me" page, I should probably fill you in a little about me. My "friends", or in more proper terms, colleagues, call me Beau, some BoBax. I'm a fourth year medical student on my way into the big world with an MD. I'm currently top of my class and most envied student. I work every day before and after my classes at a local hospital as an Emergency Room Technician. I make shit money for all the work and effort I put in, but the learning is worth the work; soon, I'll be the MD in the emergency room.
I'm a drop out business major. I quit business school when I was in undergrad; I learned
the value of medicine after my younger brother became ill. I dropped out of business in 2002, where I took up all the biology and science classes my college could offer. In order to graduate pre-medicine, I had to spend two summers full of courses to graduate with "my" pre-med class. I miss my childhood, where life was easy. I sit in a slummy apartment and wish I had the luxuries that I had as a child. I refuse to ask for help, I'm so self-centered in my sin of pride that I refuse to ask my family for money or help (that’s where my $200,000 + of debt from school comes in). I was born into a not-so-wealthy family; both of my parents are respected lawyers in our community.
Why do I have a blog? Well, that’s a good question. I have so many emergency room stories that I want to share... but I can't…there isn’t someone who I’d like share my stories with, so I chose you. Well... there are people, but I choose not share my stories with them. I'm what people would call a "player". But, I resent that. I have a problem with attachment; I never want to be too close. I can't stay with the same person for longer than week. Their consistent phone calls are too much for me to handle. Nevertheless, as time continues... you'll see what I mean.
I'm a drop out business major. I quit business school when I was in undergrad; I learned
the value of medicine after my younger brother became ill. I dropped out of business in 2002, where I took up all the biology and science classes my college could offer. In order to graduate pre-medicine, I had to spend two summers full of courses to graduate with "my" pre-med class. I miss my childhood, where life was easy. I sit in a slummy apartment and wish I had the luxuries that I had as a child. I refuse to ask for help, I'm so self-centered in my sin of pride that I refuse to ask my family for money or help (that’s where my $200,000 + of debt from school comes in). I was born into a not-so-wealthy family; both of my parents are respected lawyers in our community.
Why do I have a blog? Well, that’s a good question. I have so many emergency room stories that I want to share... but I can't…there isn’t someone who I’d like share my stories with, so I chose you. Well... there are people, but I choose not share my stories with them. I'm what people would call a "player". But, I resent that. I have a problem with attachment; I never want to be too close. I can't stay with the same person for longer than week. Their consistent phone calls are too much for me to handle. Nevertheless, as time continues... you'll see what I mean.
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