Disclaimer: The names of the patient, diagnosis and facts have been modified for the story.
Smiles!!! Hugs!!! Laughter!!! Happiness all around!
Yes, once in a while we do get happy endings. Miracles do happen. And when they happen for good, there is a vibrant energy all around which can make the toughest people shed a tear, give a warm hug and bid adieu with a big smile.
This is what was happening when Mr Richard was leaving the Critical Care Unit. All the healthcare staff including myself gave him and his wife, who had been by his side all this while, our best wishes and warm farewell at the time of his discharge from the hospital.
Just a couple of weeks ago :
CODE BLUE Emergency Room Bed X! CODE BLUE Emergency Room Bed X!
I ran to the ER. That was the first time I saw Mr Richard. A young man of big built, health conscious individual lying dead on the bed with ongoing CPR . 'I feel the pulse', shouted the nurse. Mr Richard was still unresponsive. He was intubated and transferred to my Unit. Code Chill activated. All lines placed. Mr Richard chilling out with the central line, arterial line, esophageal probe, NG tube and tons of stuff.
Mr Richard was lying unresponsive on the bed, sedated, paralyzed, on a zillion drips. Was he feeling anything or was he just chilling out while his family was all tears. Next day we started weaning him off Code Chill. He started showing some movements. We got hopeful. Over a couple of days, Mr Richard woke up, very agitated, still needing support for breathing. He recovered slowly and steadily, got rid of all the lines and tubes, got a life saving device, and finally got ready for discharge.
It was a miracle happening in front of our eyes. The entire team was very patient with his agitations while he transformed into a smiling and pleasant gentleman again. He was like the baby of the whole Unit. Everybody was looking forward to a great outcome on him. His survival filled everyone with a unique positive energy.
As a small child, I used to wonder that when we keep food in the fridge it lasts longer. If we keep human beings in fridge, would they live longer. Well, in the fridge they wouldn't survive the cold.
However, our brain has better chance of survival and decreased risk of anoxic brain injury under the effect of hypothermia protocol after cardiac arrest.
When Mr Richard started talking, he barely remembered anything. All he remembered was that he was driving back from work and was on his way to pick someone. The next thing he remembered was when he regained consciousness on the hospital bed. He had a low speed motor vehicle accident which left him unscratched. His heart probably stopped and he probably tried to control his vehicle by slowing it down and moving it to the curbside.
It's scary to imagine that anything can happen to anyone. Life is so unpredictable. Who knows who has what underlying pathology that may surprise one and all in weirdest and scariest ways.
There are admissions to ICU almost everyday. Makes one wonder that its someone's turn everyday. When uncertainty and unpredictability prevails, we should certainly make goodness and kindness predictable and prevalent too. Who knows, the person your are talking to, might be having his/her last interaction with you OR... vice versa!
There are admissions to ICU almost everyday. Makes one wonder that its someone's turn everyday. When uncertainty and unpredictability prevails, we should certainly make goodness and kindness predictable and prevalent too. Who knows, the person your are talking to, might be having his/her last interaction with you OR... vice versa!
Very few people are able to survive what he survived. Very few people are able to retain their brain functionality, the way Mr Richard did. Very few people get a second chance like him.
Yes, he got a second chance! Not everyone does. Don't wait for your second chance.
Jaya Sonkar, MD, MPH
©All rights reserved. Jaya Sonkar 2017
