Well, the good news is: the computers worked this year. The bad news is we got INUNDATED with stroke admissions. Typically Christmas goes hand in hand with heart attacks and congestive heart failure (hellooo sodium on sodium restricted patients..) so I was rather looking forward to some nice patients with chest pain, ST changes and elevated troponins. Instead I get a 47 year old guy who got hammered and was found unresponsive by his wife and who was unable to move his right side or speak intelligibly. This was all initially written off as alcohol related until his blood alcohol levels dropped and his speech did not improve. In listening to his speech it wasn't slurred exactly, it was definitely more of an expressive aphasia.. more specifically of the Broca's area of the brain. He was transferred to me from a smaller hospital and when he got to me I could tell he was really REALLY scared. But he wasn't able to speak very much. I took my time in talking with him and he said to me "Is.... th this... tem.. tem..por..ary?" Honestly, I didn't know, but I HATE giving bad news, and truly, as long as he didn't have another stroke he should be able to be rehabbed back to almost where he was before. I responded "I have seen patients with your same symptoms recover fully. The key is that we treat you so that you do not have another episode like that and have further damage. That's why you are here. We specialize in TIA/strokes (assuming that's what you had) you are in exactly the right place." I could see his expression soften.. he reminded me of my boss at the body shop years ago when I worked there as a CSR/admin. Very tough guy look, big, tattoos all over, but with a very distinct kindness and vulnerability about him. "Can.. I.. wa..wa...watch some..foo..foot..ball?" I put on the game and walked out.
Minutes later, his wife arrived and I was running around like CRAZY. I was so far behind, I snapped at a float aide (she REALLY pissed me off), and I kept trying to get back in to talk to the wife but I spent so much time with the husband, I had to get caught up with other things first. Then I noticed a little girl, about 5 sitting by his bed crying.
I went in and introduced myself to the wife and taked to her a bit about the fact that he needs an MRI, we don't know if it's a stroke yet, but if it is.. etc. Then I looked at the little girl and said, "Is this your Daddy?" She sniffled "yes... Can he please come home with me and spend the rest of Christmas with me?" "I'm sorry sweetie he cannot. He needs to be feeling a little bit better first. The doctors want the nurses to watch over him for another few days so that he can get better first. He's safe here, honey. We will take good care of your Daddy."
I am praying SO HARD that he didn't have another stroke while I was at home. Guess I will find out in a few hours when I go back from 3p to 3a.
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