QotD: Thanksgiving

What are you thankful for?

My life.

I think each and every day I take my life for granted... every mile over the speed limit I push my car, every unhealthy food item I consume -- they all contribute to risking a life that's been so good to me so far.

I had the pleasure of taking care of a very nice old man last night. He was 82 and came in originally having lots of hypoglycemic episodes along with some problems breathing (related to him retaining fluid, and being given inordinate amounts of fluid in the ER). The nurse in the ER had seemingly downsized these problems and invariably overlooked a lot of the warning signs that he was going to be a handful overnight. I spent the entire night trying to help this man out every which way I could. When he came to me; he was very ill; not intubated/ventilated and his blood sugars were very, very, very low. By the time I ended my shift, the man was on pressors, mechanically ventilated, and in acute pulmonary edema. I knew something would go wrong today.

At about 9:30AM he coded for the first time. 15 minutes later, he coded again -- and ten after that he coded a third time. His pacemaker eventually lost capture and failed to create a sinus beat for his heart; his heart was essentially dead meat from all the damage that had been done to it over the years and from the overwork it was suffering from the fluid retention in his lungs. By 10AM this morning, when I finally began to leave, he was dead.

Another woman in a nearby room died an hour prior to him.

If anything, the experience has been a stark reminder of how precious one's life is. Every meal eaten, every breath taken, and every heart beat is one more reason for you to take care of and watch yourself (and others) during this holiday season.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.