February is over!
I transitioned into the new month in the most interesting way ever.
No, I didn't get a new car. Nooo! I didn't receive a million dollar cheque, sighs
I slid into the month of March from the emergency room and for what it's worth, I'll give a detailed account of exactly how it went.
I arrived the ER with my friends: Ona, Lotenna and Diddy, put on my cape(okay, my lab coat), and I was ready for the world.
First I had to set an IV line for an unconscious 42-year-old man who was involved in a motorcycle accident. Let's call him Mr Kay. After that, I gave him some IM medications. Even though Mr Kay was unconscious, he was a tad restless and had to be bound to prevent him from pulling out his in-situ cannula.
I just finished with Mr Kay, we have another patient, Mr Vee. I'm a bit occupied so Lotenna goes to set his IV line, Ona joins her to assist.
Mr Vee is rude and excessively apprehensive, he won't stay put. He makes a swift jerking movement and the needle punctures both Ona and Lotenna.
There is a moment of panic. Nobody knows Vee's HIV status. He is sent for instant screening and is found HIV positive. Our worst fears are confirmed. My friends are advised to take post-exposure-prophylaxis.
Post-exposure prophylaxis, or PEP, is a way to prevent HIV infection after a recent possible exposure to the virus. Usually given to rape victims and health workers injured in the line of duty.
My friends: Ona and Lotenna have finally gotten the antiretroviral drugs.💊 I try to be supportive by going to buy them water to take their pills. The only place where water is available is the children emergency room but everyone on call is currently busy so I have to wait.
While waiting, a woman walks up to me, call her Mrs Gee. Mrs Gee tells me about her mother who is in a coma. She says the neurosurgeons and neurologists have reviewed and reported that her 70-year-old mother had a bilateral stroke that progressed to a coma.
"Doctor, there has to be something I can do.
Please tell me what to do!
My mother has suffered a lot for her children without getting anything in return. We want a little more time with her!
The doctors say there is nothing more they can do for her, is that true?
I feel like this could be beyond the physical, maybe someone is tormenting my family."
I try to tell her not to lose hope. I finally get the water and I walk out of the children emergency with Mrs Gee.
My friends have taken their drugs, Gee is singing and praying outside the emergency room and that's when a man walked up to her, call him Cee, Mr Cee.
Mr Cee says "take me to your mother" but Gee politely refuses, considering that Cee is a total stranger.
My friend Ona is just around the corner taking millions of phone calls from concerned friends and relatives. Mr Cee walks up to her.
"Stop there" he yells.
A confused and terrified Ona gets off the phone to fully understand what's happening. She tries to get past him but he obstructs her.
"Is there a problem?" Ona asks.
"You're the one with problems" Cee replies.
Ona is pissed and comes to rant to myself and Lotenna. Just then, Cee walks by giving Ona the evil eye. Cee goes into the emergency room, switches off the television and all the nurses take cover.
It is only then that we realize that Cee is a violent psychiatric patient who just escaped the psych ward.
Cee mad at Ona, very mad. He says she was disrespectful and vows to hurt her if he sees her again. Ona has to leave the ER.
We're asked to act normal as being apprehensive won't help.
He comes to the consulting room where I and Lotenna have taken cover.
"Why are you both wearing glasses?" He asks
"We need them to see clearly" Lotenna replies.
"Liars!" He yells. "I bet it's just for fashion"
Cee's wife and nephew come to the ER to help calm him down, he gets violent and beats up his nephew. Security men come to hold Cee down to stop the beating. The nurse quickly sedates him and gives him Haloperidol; an antipsychotic.
Cee gets calm and starts to profess his undying love for my friend Lotenna in the presence of his wife till he falls asleep.
Before you could rap an Eminem verse, we hear a scream. It's from Mrs Gee. Her beloved mother just gave up the ghost.
What a night!
Remember Mr Kay?
I had to set an IV line for an unconscious 42-year-old man who was involved in a motorcycle accident. Let's call him Mr Kay.
Yeah, he's gained consciousness. His wife calls me to see him. Mr Kay asks me to untie him and take away his infusion set. I try to explain and tell him he's been in accident and needs to stay calm.
He says:
If you don't untie me, I will untie myself and I will kill you with these ropes you've bound me with.
See, I'm a 5th-year med student. My future is relatively bright. I didn't burn the midnight candle and come this far to die of strangulation.
I inform our nonchanlant casualty officer about the man and he tells me to unbind the patient and watch what he does.
Loooooool 😂
As if!!!
I walk to the consulting room, grab my backpack, smile to myself and in Arya Stark's voice, I say:
No death, not today
I went to the call room, locked the door and got a beautiful 30minute nap before it was time to hand over.
Have a drama free March guys.
