In another weekend engagement, let me tell you one of the stories that really had an impact on me while taking care of someone, and let me tell you, it wasn't just anyone—it was my... Keep reading ...
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They arrived at the hospital, greeted my colleagues, and I headed to the intern's area to drop off my stuff and grab a coffee to start a tough shift. But not before putting my phone on silent mode. I picked up this habit here at the hospital. Between "Estilo Viajero," my family, and friends, my phone used to ring non-stop, and it was uncomfortable for the patients and for me.
I only have the sound on for certain contacts. That's how another shift begins, or so I thought. Little did I know that it would be a moment to test myself as a doctor and as a person.
By chance, I had read the weather report, and it predicted worsening weather conditions. As the evening fell, I saw some patients coming in all wet, and when I asked them, they said the weather was bad. Nothing too concerning, just another challenging shift.
The observation ward in my hospital is like a casino, man. No windows (fortunately, it has a ventilation system that has frozen me more than once), so I always lose track of time. All I could think about was my phone vibrating in my pocket, and me unable to answer it.
My phone kept vibrating, wondering who it could be. If it wasn't ringing, it meant it wasn't someone on my favorites list, so I didn't worry too much.
Suddenly, the vibration turned into a ringtone. Coincidence? I immediately stopped what I was doing and went to answer the call.
It was my mom...
"Hey, Mom..." On the other end of the line, I forgot the words you least want to hear... "Mimi fell, and they're taking her to the hospital."
Mimi is my great-grandma.
I couldn't ask anything, the words wouldn't come out. I looked for my mentor and the head of the shift and explained the situation. We quickly prepared everything we could with the limited resources available for Mimi's arrival.
Half an hour later, a car sped in, requesting a stretcher. I knew right away it was Mimi.
When I saw her, I froze. I didn't know what to do (that had never happened to me before). It took me a few minutes to react. She had a hematoma around her eye, but it was so big it looked like she had a beetroot stuck to her face. An image I'll always remember.
My uncle was with her in the car, so as soon as I snapped out of my frozen state, I started asking him what had happened, where she had fallen, all the questions we ask to reach a diagnosis.
He told me she had fallen on her own feet at the building's entrance. Maybe she slipped on the wet ground due to the bad weather. I asked him to give us some space to work, assuring him that she was in good hands.
Of course, it wasn't for me. My mentor is one of the best doctors in the hospital, and it was lucky to have him on duty that day.
I can't quite describe how I felt in that moment; I think I was operating on instinct. My great-grandma, I didn't know where they had taken her. Sometimes, she didn't even recognize me, speaking incoherently, and it worried me a lot.
To our relief and everyone there, all the tests came back negative. But it didn't mean she was out of danger; there were important tests we couldn't perform.
After a lot of work, we managed to stabilize her, but her eye was still swollen. We had to refer her to a specialized center for treatment, and we were running out of time. Every minute that passed was a risk to her eye.
I thought I would have to say goodbye to Mimi because I couldn't leave my shift. Luckily, my mentor gave me permission to accompany my great-grandma to where she needed to go. Without thinking twice, I left my shift and found myself sitting in the back of a car that wasn't equipped for patient transport or safety measures. I was extremely worried about her eye.
It was already midnight when we arrived at the specialized center, and of course, it was a challenging hour. The on-call doctors quickly prepared the operating room to relieve the pressure on her eye. I couldn't enter the room; I only knew the basics of ophthalmology, and I would have been a hindrance in there.
I sat outside the room, grabbed my phone and it was blowing up with calls from the whole family. Slowly but surely, I started talking to everyone, trying to release some of the pressure I was feeling, even though the worry just wouldn't let up. Two hours went by, and let me tell you, it felt like an eternity. Finally, the doctor came out to fill me in on what was going on.
They managed to release and drain all the pressure around the eye, but they couldn't save it. The optic nerve got messed up due to the inflammation.
My mentor did all the arrangements to transfer Mimi to a special ward in our hospital, and that's exactly what went down. Two days later, we had her back in our hospital, ready to roll.
I spent a whole week living in that hospital. In the mornings, I'd go down to give classes and attend to some patients. And in the afternoons, I'd stick with Mimi so my mom could head home and get some well-deserved rest.
Let me tell you, it was a real challenge. I could barely catch some shut-eye. Studying was nearly impossible, and by the fifth day, I was struggling to concentrate. But hey, in my family, we've got a bunch of strong women, so I figured I'd be the one to step up and take one for the team.
Those were tough moments, man, and I really hope they don't happen again. It's moments like these that many people are going through due to the lack of resources and a country that's falling apart. Personally, I hope that every person, regardless of their race or status, can receive proper medical treatment. I don't even want to think about what would've happened to my great-grandma if it hadn't been for the efforts made by my hospital and mentor. I think about the thousands of people out there who have no one to rely on and are at the mercy of a broken "system."
It was one of the toughest experiences I've ever had to face. That's why I've made a promise to myself to keep pushing and ensure that every patient who comes through my door is treated just like my great-grandma was.
Well, that wraps up this weekend engagement. I hope you learned something from my words. Feel free to drop any comments or questions, always happy to respond.
The photos are my property and were approved by the people mentioned in this post to be used in this occasion.
