Report of 16 Jan 2021

 Good afternoon -

We have partaken of the local cuisine and today's was Italian food.  It is sitting very heavily in my stomach and I am not at all used to that - eating light, usually.  We have no regrets about supporting the local economy, though; we love living where we serve.  

It is unfailingly a privilege to be in this profession.  The other day, I admitted a young man with low blood sugar and seizures; while in the process, he closed his eyes and winced.  Immediately, the nurses around him tittered and carried on - "Oh, is he having a seizure?," "Oh, are you okay?" and so on.  The admission took a lot longer than my other admissions, due to the fact largely that the young man's youth and good looks were distracting the nurses.  Ah, well.  I rued that, finished, and went home.  Yesterday, I saw that the young man had had a seizure, and the nurses had seen some blood on him + a blood-filled syringe on the bed.  A syringe not issued by the hospital.  Then they took his bag, and found some pre-filled syringes full of insulin with the caps off.  It appears that this patient was going to inject himself surreptitiously and cause some confusion all around.  I am usually accepting of all that the patient brings to the bed, but find myself incensed by this incident.  When all of health care works its tail off to take good care of the patient, to confuse the s**t out of us by injecting oneself surreptitiously is not a mental illness but grotesque vanity and cruelty.

I am grateful for the Healeys' geriatric teachings.  One of the nurses had wanted a sedative for a patient with dementia who was agitated.  I suggested instead that one of the techs give the patient some ice cream and wheel her around in a wheelchair.  It calmed the patient down; this has to be a balancing act between caring for the patient and trying to help nurses whose patients rip their IV's out routinely.  Ultimately, though, the patient with dementia who has her wrists tied to the bed wins out.  

The events of 6 January were jarring.  So much vengeance.  So unnecessarily.  

I will talk to my father tomorrow and look forward to it.  I talked to him last week and he keenly listened to all my patient experiences until he had to run to the restroom.  We hope to talk to the children this week, also.  

Happy and healthy 2021 to all of you!

R