Yes, this is what I've been reduced to: after 9 exhausting days on the inpatient wards and the possibility that my flight out of Bethel tomorrow may be cancelled due to freezing rain, all I can do is turn my room inside out in a herculean effort to locate the tiny prized bag of berry-shaped jelly candies with vitamin C that I got from the hospital vending machine in a feat of fortuitous timing. The vending machine can remain in a sad state of neglect and near-emptiness for quite a while before it gets re-stocked with snacks, and I was lucky enough to venture by just after a new supply was deployed. Combine that with my fear of scurvy, and you can see why I am so preoccupied...
My patient with endometritis & postpartum hemorrhage was discharged home today, freshly showered, hair in pigtails, looking much happier. Her first night here was a frightening one that involved being transferred from the floor to the ED (which functions as a pseudo ICU for patients who are too sick for the wards and are awaiting transport to a higher level of care in Anchorage), massive blood transfusion (5 units of pRBCs) and fluid resuscitation (5 liters of NS!). After a few days on a triple cocktail of clindamycin, gentamicin and ampicillin, she looks fantastic and no longer needs antibiotics.
Mr Lice Infestation left AMA this morning, but was willing to carry home several large bottles of permethrin for his wife and adult son to slather themselves in.
My 63-yr-old patient who was admitted for seizures after a 3-day drinking binge in which she completely abandoned her daily dose of keppra has finally started eating and looking a little more lucid. She was getting wheeled down the hallway as I left, and she gave me a perfect Queen Elizabeth coronation wave of her right hand, nodded her head, and gravely shook my hand, telling me "Quyana" which is Yup'ik for thank you.
No comments:
Post a Comment