So, many of you may be asking, “IISgirl, where have you been for the past 2 months?”
Well, my answer to you is simple: I’ve been studying therapeutics and saving the lives of little old ladies!
Saving old ladies?! Let me elaborate.
Well, there I was at the coffee shop, feeding my caffeine addiction and studying therapeutics. A fairly boring Sunday afternoon. I glanced up from a particularly enthralling chapter of DiPiro just in time to see a frail old woman fall out of her wheelchair and hit her head on the pavement on the other side of the parking lot.
If I remember correctly, "Oh shit," was my sentiment at the time.
I went running outside. It took me long enough to get across the parking lot to see 4 or 5 other people walking right by this woman who laying on the ground, not even giving her a second glance. I was enraged that these assholes were too engrossed in their cell phones and cups of coffee to give a damn about another human being who was hurt.
The woman was about 80 years old. She had an equally old and frail friend with her who was trying to help her. There was a bleeding gash on her forehead, but she was fairly alert and cognitive. As I was talking to her and checking her out, another person who wasn’t an asshole came over to see if we needed help. I sent him back into the coffee shop for ice and napkins and wrapped her in my jacket.
Now, it turns out the lady was on warfarin, so she was quite the bleeder. Finally the bleeding was under control and I put ice on it. I checked her pupil size—did the whole PERRLA/EOMI exam that I thought I’d never use—to check for signs of a concussion. Things looked ok.
The guy who came over helped me lift the lady into the car and pack up her wheelchair, her very worked up friend said she would drive her to the ER, and my work there was done.
The lady was such a sweetheart. I hope she’s ok. I’m sure she is, she was quite the trooper.
It felt weird, operating solo, making the decisions and having a real patient. Between me and the guy who came to help, I was the one with the healthcare background, so he and the two old ladies were looking at me for direction. It was a relatively minor and simple situation, but I felt so accomplished being able to help that woman. I feel like I really made a difference!
All in a day’s work for a student pharmacist. :)
-IISgirl… to the rescue!
