Sundowners

     Alas, I have completed my 100th hour in the E.R. The last 24 have been full of fun and excitement. Let me share it with you. 

 

      On Friday, I took care of a patient with Sundown syndrome. These people get increasingly more confused as the day progresses, culminating in the most absurd and preposterous statements shortly after the sun goes down (hence the name). In a nutshell, this is what happened: 

  Before the sun went down - I interviewed patient. Patient discussed diagnosis, her family, and commented that I would make a good nurse someday. The conversation was functional, logical, and pleasant. 

  After the sun went down - Pt informs me that General Electric makes every single telephone pole in the United States. Pt longs for the days when during lunch hour, she would let herself loose on the concrete dance floor. Pt loves September, and is so happy that it is finally fall outside. Pt concludes conversation with me saying, "You are going to make a great surgeon one day."

    Moving on. Here are two notable patients I've had in the last two days. 

  Hacksaw Hank - Fell in his garage and landed on a hacksaw. Lot of blood and work to do, but discharge teaching was easy: Don't keep hacksaws on your floor. Goodbye. 

 The Kidney Guy - Guy comes in with kidney pain. CT scan, urine-analysis to rule out kidney stones. Nurse comforts him by declaring that passing a stone is like giving birth. Lucky for him it never happened. He was discharged A.O.K.

    In addition to those guys, I've seen liver failure, asthma attacks, chest pains, eye injuries, hypothermia and seizures. The list goes on and on. 

    As far as my skills go, I've learned a hell of a lot lately. I now start IVs, get lab work drawn, interview patients and chart without any supervision what so ever. I've even catheterized a male and female patient by myself, and got to insert an OG tube when a patient was on the cart about to code. I've come a long way. Last semester I didn't know how to change a diaper. 

   As always, thanks very much for following my blog. I appreciate your loyal readership. You all deserve a gold star.