Great Start to a Great Day....Dial 911 if you don't like the start

[AzRusty]

Just friggin great.

I come in this AM about about 8:45. First patient at 9'00. Have quite a few scheduled to come trickling in 9:15, 9:30, 9"45.

First patient is a retired chiropractor who has seemed somewhat depressed lately. I'm also a chiropractor.

The minute I start talking to this guy he seemed "off". BIG TIME
Alarm Bells going off in my head.

Couldn't really tell what it was...not a heart attack or stroke but SOMETHING.

So I start trying to evaluate and run down my bag of tricks (diagnostics).. Acute bleeding ulcer, mini-stroke (no, don't think so), diabetic attack....probable, acute imbalance of electrolytes...maybe.. but I dunno

Set the guy up on therapy for low back and leg pain which I have been treating him for and walk out of room shaking my head, cogitating. Walk back in and said well.. I think you need to make your next step the doctor's, office or ER to get evaluated. And he comes back with numerous totally irrational responses...no time, have to work on making dinner (It's 9 AM), need to go home and drink more carrot and beet juice....

Puzzled, I called the Fire Dept not 911.. told them my conerns and that guy is probably bi-polor, experiencing an acute medical emergency but seems confused and not willing or able to make the decision. I was TRYING to avoid the 911, lights, sirens, etc, etc., etc.

Fire dept said they have someone on the way immediately. Two minutes after hanging phone up heard the sirens and they were here! DAMN, DAMN, DAMN right outside the office

Took em thirty minutes to talk the guy into coming with them...while I'm trying to see other patients ! GEEZ

Then had to explain to my neighbors in the buzy shopping center that NO.. he didn't stroke out after an adjustment or no.. he didn't have a heart attack and NO.. I didn't break his neck.

I know I made the right call here. Second time in my 20 year career that I've had to call for an ambulance to the office.

And HOW is your day!

AzRusty

Randy

 

[djv]

You just have not had much fun latley. You have mail waiting.

 

[ddubs]

I've got one for you, Randy.

About a month ago, I was moonlighting at a suburban ER, working a 12 hr shift. About an hr before my shift ended (and it was a rough nite, I couldn't wait to get the hell out), the Paramedics rolled in a homeless person without any ID, drunk out of his mind, whole body stunk of alcohol, confused, agitated, slurring, combative, the whole bit, with multiple superficial lacerations all over his body. He was shouting profanities to all the staff, and making inapproriate sexual comments to the female nurses. We had no choice but to put soft restraint on him before we ran some blood tests. His exam was otherwise unremarkable, so I figured he went on those typical drinking binges, got into a fight or something. I went around the other rooms to check on the other patients before I sign them out to the next shift, and everything seemed OK. Worked my way to the last room (where the drunk was), about 20 feet away I heard someone scream "fire! fire! I'm on fire!" Sounded like it came from the drunk's room, so I ran in there, and sure enough, this guy's entire top 1/2 had caught on fire. I grabbed a blanket and tackled the guy to the ground to put out the fire, while he's screaming some mumbo jumbo I couldn't even understand besides "fire". Apparently he found a way to struggle his hands free, untied himself, got off the bed, pulled out a lighter from his pocket, and lit himself on fire. Why? I have no f**king idea. He suffered pretty good 1st and 2nd degree burns and we ended up transfering him to a burn unit in downtown Chicago for precautionary measures. I didn't leave the hospital until almost 3 hrs after my shift, writing up incident report and talking to the people at the burn unit. And I was scheduled to be back in 6 hrs.

One of the most memorable moments I can remember in my career so far.