Clinical Stories

I started this blog to share some of my clinical experiences, and I have yet to do that. I have decided that respiratory therapy is the perfect job for me. I really love every aspect of it - so far anyway. I have had a chance to meet so many nice people and to really get to serve them. Every day there is some new story to tell.

Last week I was able to watch four c-sections, and I thought I was going to burst with excitement when I was called to the first one. It was amazing to watch, and to actually witness a baby take their first breath gave me goose bumps. I remember thinking how I was able to watch as someone took their first breath, and then also watch as others were preparing to take their last breath. Both experiences were actually spiritual, and I thought how close to Heaven each experience was.

Most of my patients are older men - 70 -90 - they all want to go out with me. I had one guy say he'd arrange for the mafia to help me out financially. Hmmm at this point I was almost willing to let him arrange it. One man dieing of lung cancer said if I were not married he'd take me to dinner. He was a cocaine addict. I finally got my Alzheimer's patient to remember my name for longer than half a day. He's the guy who is fed through a G-tube (tube in his belly) and he desparately wants a cup of coffee. He asks me every day for a cup of coffee. I tell him sorry, he's not allowed to have coffee and he says, "for Gods sake just give me a half a cup of coffee." Poor guy. He's grumpy but I love him. I just wish I could give him a half a cup of coffee. I'm sure I'd be in his Will. But when he went to write my name he'd probably forget what it was.

Every day I learn something new, if it's not about medicine it's about human kindness and compassion. I know I made the right decision to pursue this career - it may be late in life, but better late than never.