Yesterday marked the very first day of Spring. I can't say I was too impressed, as a dusting of snow moved in and I spent most of the day stuck in bed with a migraine. Today, the temperature is hovering around 40 degrees and the cats have the right of it, sleeping by the hearth in a pile.
Despite these obvious signs that winter still has its fingernails dug into the surface of the earth, it WAS light enough when Hubbybunch got home from work last night to go for a quick run. And the daffodils are starting to lift their sleepy eyelids and show some sunny yellow, too! The warmth and light IS coming... it's just coming in fits and starts, that's all.
I worked an extra little four-hour shift this morning, and spent all of it in the front of triage. I haven't written much about it, but every fiber of my being LOATHES being in triage. It wouldn't be so bad if we weren't so busy, but when there are more than 150 people in your department, and 80 of them are in triage waiting for beds, and at least 30 of them are sick enough to really, really need one, with no end in sight and more people pouring the door, and no cardiac monitors and no staff and the hallway is so jam-packed with people on litters and in wheelchairs and asking when they're getting to a room and... and...! Every minute I am out there I feel like I am just WAITING to be sued. There is absolutely no way to keep an eye on all of those people at once, especially not when you have the constant influx of more and more and more of them needing triage.
It is absolutely chaotic.
However, I did have a truly pleasureable experience out there today.
I call a patient to my booth to get her basic triage information. I recognize her immediately as one of our frequent flyer "migraine" patients who just happens to be allergic to tylenol, ibuprofen, aspirin, naproxen, toradol, morphine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, and metoclopramide (aka, everything on the planet except The Big D: Dilaudid).
Now, it's not my place to say whether or not she has pain. I reserve judgement as best I can, even when if comes to the every-other-day-regulars who have such a predictable pattern of behavior.
However, anyone who suffers from migraines would agree that it seems HIGHLY unlikely that someone who is stuffing McDonald's down their throat, talking loudly and playing games on their cell phone is truly suffering from "10/10 migraine pain". It's not impossible, mind you, but unlikely.
So I ask about her symptoms, her medical history, medications, ALLERGIES, etc. I ask how she got to the ER today. She says someone dropped her off.
I also ask if the little girl at her side is her child. She says yes.
I say to her, with an absolutely straight face and matter-of-fact tone of voice, "just so you know, they will not give you any kind of sedating or narcotic medications for your pain until someone else arrives who can take responsibility for your child".
She gives me a blank stare for a second or two, then says, "....uh, what?"
I repeat my statement, explaining that there has to be an unimpaired, responsible adult present to care for the child and provide safe transportation home before any of our providers will administer those kinds of medications to the child's parent.
She becomes visibly angry, and stands up, stomping her foot, and says, "Well then I'm leaving!"
"Ok. Hope you feel better," is my only response, as I turn back to my computer screen, click the "left without treatment" button and dismiss her name from the patient tracking board.
SATISFACTION.
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