It's been a while since my clothes were soaked with other patients' blood, especially that I haven't performed a lot of medical procedures recently.
But there's once incident that I will never forget.
It was a hectic day in the ICU, and just before going home a patient developed a cardiac arrest. Being the senior resident, I started running the "code blue", in which you run the show and start putting IVs in necks and groins and blood starts flying everywhere in the room.
As I went home (patient survived that night but died later), I have not noticed that my white shirt and dark blue pants were soaked with blood on the side.
I was about to enter my apartment, my neighbor was outside on his patio with his girlfriend watching the sunset , or just chillin after smoking Arizona's annual reserve of marijuana. He saw me going into into the apartment.
I heard him shout at me, "dude, are you OK?"
"Yes, what's wrong?"
"What issss dis on your shirts, is dat blood? did you hurt yourself?"
"No I'm OK, uhm, I'm OK"
then I looked at the shirts and pants,
I continued, "I'm OK, I don't think this is my blood, not mine, no, doesn't look like it ..."
I noticed a glimpse of semi-shock on his face, and shear terror on his girlfriend's. Then I realized that none of them knew I was a doctor.
I was about to tell them right away, but as the tension grew, as the frightened looks on their faces got more real, I forced myself to shut up. I even think I laughed a super creepy and low-pitched laugh that, if heard by them, would have been best described as spine-chilling.
I hate to say it, but that fear and horror I saw was very fulfilling! I totally get dictators and serial killers now.
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(message from hareega to the American Board of Internal Medicine: this incident, though real, does not disqualify me from doing my best to serve my patients and will in no way hinder me from performing my duty as a physician and I will never ever violate the Hippocratic oath. Please don't withdraw my licence. I also hate dictators and I'm not the biggest fans of Charlie Manson or other serial killers, at least not the other serial killers)
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7 comments:
That was mean man. I don't think they slept quietly that night :) But anyway, how would we laugh if the joke is not been on other people.
Muhaha...but yea, I doubt they slept too! Make sure you tell 'em. Dr. H, or your profession.
mihmihmihmihmih
You should run your own TV show!
Do you really know it would have been better if they knew you're a doctor? ;)
Serial killer might be better! ;)
jaraad, it's fun to be very mean
kinzi, that happened a long time ago, I hopr they just think of me as a criminal
KJ.... good idea, lobby for me at Jordan TV
Ehab... will think of it for next time
LOL that;s hilarious, u should bring your neighbors a strawberry pie or something and make them eat it in front of you :dDDDDDDDDDDDD
hahaha i can tell how the face of ICU resident looks like when a blue code called on public or through hospital inner mobile phones LOOOOL especially for junior doctors :P there faces looks shocked or even scared :-) they even sometimes takes some assurance from the senior doctor or even Nursing staff around that every thing is okay ,just bring the crash cart + D/C shock and start compression untill CPR team arrived :-) be calm if the case is hopeless anyway don't panic :)
but why your clothes get dirty that day ?!:P its supposed to be a sterile gown with CVL kit worn quickly ? or just u didn't use it :P
ICU is a great place to work in ...it strengthen you alot to work under pressure circumstances and brings you a lot of different skills ...
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