There's a reason I don't like working any of the holidays.
Unfortunately, sometimes you have to and then, for me,
the expected happens.
There will always be that sad case that will be devastating for some family:
- grandparent doesn't look so good and comes into hospital and dies
- a family traveling to/from their loved ones gets involved in a car crash
- random act of violence strikes
or, like yesterday,
- a young, healthy parent will come into the ED in cardiac arrest and not make it
During my career in medicine, I've seen all of these and more.
Don't get me wrong, sometimes something funny happens,
and you know that family will be laughing around a table
a few years from now saying,
"remember that time you had to go to the ED for that..?"
But, unluckily for me, and for most families,
it's the tragedy that will be remembered.
It's the screams of a young wife asking her husband
whom you know is beyond help to not leave her...
to think of their kids...
to think of all the years they've been together...
"Come back to me..."
They look to me with pleading eyes, but while I can help prolong life,
while I can sometimes pull life back from the brink,
I can't bring back someone who's already gone beyond my reach...
Did I mention I hate working the holidays...?
1 comment:
I can imagine it would be tough to be in the ER on a holiday. No one is coming in unless they are really sick (or dying). So sad about the young man; seems to be happening more these days that the young are dying with what used to be considered an illness, etc., that older people died from. And the sad thing is from year to year the people are always reminded about what happened on a holiday to their loved one.
betty
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