Sunday, May 28, 2006
Listening
I was never told that I am a good listener. I don’t mind. Not that anytime today I was told differently. In fact I was convinced I am not a good listener.
Of all the 3 anaesthetists in this hospital tonight, I pulled the short straw and had to go over to a neuro centre. To a 50 minute ambulance blue light drive away hospital. Blue light means we can go through red lights and in between cars and against traffic flow but we don’t make weeee wooooo sound. We took this lady who was earlier in the evening was at a party, very merrily drinking away, who then unfortunately fell down a flight of stairs and bled into the brain. We call it extradural haematoma. She also broke her neck bones.
But wasn't it just a nightmare. She had her head sandwiched with blocks on both sides and her neck in a stiff collar. She complained it was uncomfortable, I listened I reassured. She complained and fidget and I listened and I explained. She then started screaming, and the line she had somehow came off with the fidgeting. Was I crossed? I bloody well was. Very.
Apart from her vomiting a concoction of red wine and some partially digested roast dinner on my scrubs, I would say that inter hospital transfer was quite uneventful and deafening. It is better to not listen, if it’s going to be the same thing that you have to explain over and over again. I am not good at that. Once, I could do. Twice, yes if you have hearing impairment. More? Sorry. Sometimes you have to be mean to be kind.
Of all the 3 anaesthetists in this hospital tonight, I pulled the short straw and had to go over to a neuro centre. To a 50 minute ambulance blue light drive away hospital. Blue light means we can go through red lights and in between cars and against traffic flow but we don’t make weeee wooooo sound. We took this lady who was earlier in the evening was at a party, very merrily drinking away, who then unfortunately fell down a flight of stairs and bled into the brain. We call it extradural haematoma. She also broke her neck bones.
But wasn't it just a nightmare. She had her head sandwiched with blocks on both sides and her neck in a stiff collar. She complained it was uncomfortable, I listened I reassured. She complained and fidget and I listened and I explained. She then started screaming, and the line she had somehow came off with the fidgeting. Was I crossed? I bloody well was. Very.
Apart from her vomiting a concoction of red wine and some partially digested roast dinner on my scrubs, I would say that inter hospital transfer was quite uneventful and deafening. It is better to not listen, if it’s going to be the same thing that you have to explain over and over again. I am not good at that. Once, I could do. Twice, yes if you have hearing impairment. More? Sorry. Sometimes you have to be mean to be kind.
