WTF?!

I wasn't really sure what to title this blog but since this moment is time is bothering me so much, I felt like I needed to write about it.  Last night, Gen Briggs came through the hospital to visit as he always does.  I think it's really nice because he doesn't see the Air Force as "flying" only, but sees the role that we play.  He wanted us to cover up the 8 year old in bed one and seemed pretty insistent on it.  I was off shift and ready to leave so I sarcastically went over and pulled the covers from between the boy and said "Okay little one, Gen Briggs wants you covered so I'm going to cover you.  Please stay that way tonight."  And then I left.

What bothers me about this interaction is that this child looked so peaceful when he came through, usually all the patients do.  But the night before and yesterday he was like Rosemary's baby!  He would wake up and start climbing all over the bed, trying to jump out.  I know he's frightened and he has a head injury, spent many days on drugs and had a nurse that probably aggravated him... I understand this.  I just wish sometimes these "visitors" would see the physical work we do trying to maintain patient safety and not be concerned with why the boy isn't covered.

Which leads me today.  I had the same kid, plus a gun shot wound and was getting a third patient; an American.  The kid literally beat me up all day.  He was such a wild thing; I was hit, scratched, bitten (Capt Baker yelled out during rounds "He just bit her!"), kicked and wrestled him to keep him safe.  He was not covered at all.  As a matter of fact, he peed himself twice in the bed and laid in it.  Yes, I did clean him up but that's just what kind of kid I was dealing with.  Did I mention we had a planetarium of generals come through the ICU, and when they did, this kid was angelic.  The Chief made a comment "Oh, is he playing a game?"  My reply "Oh HEEELLLLL NO!   This is the calm before the storm!

The American came to be around 1400 and I found out I had 20 minutes to get him manifested on the flight leaving at 1739 this evening!  If he didn't get out then, he'd have to wait until Sunday to leave.  I rushed around and worked really hard to get him on that flight, and he made it.  My third patient decided to drop his sats and increase his heart rate.  Oh by the way, Beeland has never learned the art of not freaking out.  He came running up to me in a panic "Sanders!  Your patient's sats are 92 and he's tachin' up to the 150's!"  My reply, "Ok." 

This guy was a gun shot wound too but he's bleeding into his lungs, not a surgical issue apparently but nonetheless, bleeding.  When I finally left, I had done everything for these patients that I could do and felt so accomplished.  As crazy as it was, it was a good day.