I Met a Saint
It seemed like a typical overdose. Another teenage girl who took too many pills, more in a cry for help than any real desire to harm herself. So I ordered the mega laboratory panel and gave her some charcoal. Nothing too exciting or dramatic, she drank it without putting up a fight. She had a friend who had driven her to the ER and remained at the bedside the whole time. Three hours, maybe more, I can't remember. Her friend seemed very compassionate and was obviously concerned about her. It seemed like they were close friends, maybe even sisters.
Eventually, I learned that her friend wasn't even an acquaintance. She was a stranger who had noticed the patient crying in a parking lot and asked her what was wrong. The patient then admitted that she took a bunch of pills, so this remarkable young woman drove her to the ER and stayed with her until she was safe.
The patient really didn't have any friends, and her family lived hours away. After she declined admission and promised not to harm herself, the saint even drove her home.
Eventually, I learned that her friend wasn't even an acquaintance. She was a stranger who had noticed the patient crying in a parking lot and asked her what was wrong. The patient then admitted that she took a bunch of pills, so this remarkable young woman drove her to the ER and stayed with her until she was safe.
The patient really didn't have any friends, and her family lived hours away. After she declined admission and promised not to harm herself, the saint even drove her home.
Labels: patients
posted by scalpel at 10:21 AM
19 Comments:
If nothing else, it reminds you that there are still good people out there.
Sad that she is considered a saint and not just the norm. In my family, that is the norm.
Sainthood would be a good norm.
Yes, it would be a good norm.
Wow. What a great thing she did.
I can recommend a trivial version of this for you and your patients. Three times in twenty years, I've driven patients to their home at the end of my shift. Each was African American and lived in the unemployed part of town.One young woman asked me not to enter the ghetto further. One young man seemed to worry that I had romantic ideas (I'm a woman) with him. He repeatedly referred to his "wife". My point is that an occasional, quietly benevolent act towards a stranger can be refreshing, certainly memorable, and refuels the soul.
It's nice to hear stories like this.
wow ! what a genuine human being!!
Nice.
And Wow. Reading previous posts, you (or at least your locality) is very conservative about admitting certain low risk conditions. However, this is one I would send to the psych ward and let the psychatrist take the liability of discharging her.
the angels walk amongst us. we either choose to see them or we don't. good post and thanks.
scalpel, i tried to contact you thru your email but my work computer won't let me get to it. you know i do not flog my blog with my colleagues, but i thought this post was too important to not pass your way. cheers amigo.
http://docsontheweb.blogspot.com/2008/02/are-you-listening-re-national-health.html
Thanks for sharing that story, Scalpel. The world would be a better place if more people were like your saint.
MJ
Several years ago I was in a bad spot. I was working retail making next to nothing, and they cut my hours. As a result, I lost my health insurance. I had a staff infection that would not heal. I found myself at a low income clinic. I will never forget the doctor who treated me there. If she wasn't already retired she was likely near retirement and a volunteer at this clinic. I couldn't look her in the eye because I was so embarrassed that I actually qualified for charity care. She asked a little bit about my background and wanted to know how I ended up in the fix I was in. I told her the truth.
As I was walking out she said, "Wait. Do you have food? What are you going to eat tonight?" I could feel my face get really red and I stammered that I would figure something out. I wanted to crawl under a rock at that moment. She then proceeded to open her purse and pull out two twenties. She took my hand and pressed the money into my hand. I started crying, shook my head no and said, "I can't accept that." She said, "I want you to. I only ask of you two things. One, that you use it to buy food. Two, that you let me know later on how you're doing." She then handed me her business card. I will never, ever forget her kindness. I was deeply depressed at the time, and I really believe that her kindess gave me the strength to fight my way out of the spot I was in. She is a Saint.
Oops, I meant "staph" infecton.
This is totally my kind of post. I love when people notice the good in other people too!
Wow ...what a beautiful spirit she has. And she was such a wonderful example for love, compassion and hope for the girl who was depressed enough to do that to herself.
Scalpel I know you recently mentioned being agnostic so I hope I don't offend you with this. I have this on my blog and it is a bible scripture that says something like...be kind to stranger because you could be entertaining angels without knowing it. I have it in my kitchen too.
So...ya never know...maybe she was an angel. I'm just sayin.. :) And if ripples of goodness go out from those kind acts I wonder what other good things will come out of it?
Thanks for sharing that Scalpel, :)
Also...maybe it is my computer but your sidebar blogrolls don't open up.
One of my sisters is alive because of just such a saint. It was a privilege to meet her.
The woman had surgery scheduled for the next morning, but put aside her concerns to care for my sister until I could get to the ER -- and stayed with us even then until she was certain things would be OK.
such anecdotes keep one going despite all the cynicism
I'll think of this the next time I watch a wretch pull the rings off her dying mother's fingers.
I wish everybody had that much decency to help their fellow man in crisis!
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