Work Work Work, but let's be real, I love it

Saturday was strange to say the least.  Woke up to a text from Claire's mom, only to find out the whole story from Leah which honestly is not so surprising but more continually disappointing behavior from my "adult" coworkers.  Pedro being inappropriate with Claire who leads him on and then Claire leaving the bar telling no one and not responding to anyone, including pounding on her door, for 4 hours.  Police were called, her parents notified (hence me getting a text), and her brother in law Chase drove an hour and was eventually the one to get in her apartment to find her there totally fine "sleeping".  I hate being so skeptical of a fellow female, but to be honest there's just been too much consistent disappointing behavior on her part for me to assume anything more than, she wanted attention so left to see what would happen and took it too far.  Now she looks like an idiot so to take the spotlight off her blames Pedro, sticking his tongue down her throat, as the reason she left.  Only question is why then would she not have told anyone at all not even her "best" girlfriend/a person for her to manipulate Leah?  Oh I don't know, because I think it's simply an excuse and the only way she can paint the night that was a living hell for everyone worried about her as not her selfish immature fault.

All that aside, I got to work with Jessie today which I love and I am finally feeing better after literally almost 48 hours in bed.  Thank goodness!  Our first patient was sad, but again an example of my skepticism as she's a frequent flyer, cocaine addict and back again for missing her HD appointment.  She leaves AMA every time and it's just so hard to watch someone be so upset about being homeless but then make the choice to walk back out on the street because of a drug. 
Second patient - schizoaffective + mild dementia.....= something else
Walk into the room to him with sunglasses and blanket over his head, shades pulled shut.  He has an accent and is complaining about his bed not working, that he cannot do therapy he hasn't slept but also worryingly looking at his hands asking me to fix his bed.  I ask what is wrong, he can't answer but is slowly getting out of bed completely on his own - this is of course what we came in to see anyway.  Back story, he was found down at a bus stop claiming he couldn't walk because he was getting hit by multiple cars.  There was no evidence of cars hitting him and all his imaging was negative, hence the "something else" that is created by his two diagnoses.  So as he gets out of bed with no trouble he's barking at me to fix his bed.  Mind you his bed is functioning just fine.  So to follow the order and continue to make time for him to demonstrate his independence, I am literally just pushing every button on the bed and laughing silently with Jessie as the pt side steps around the edge of the room with his back to the wall saying "yep, give it a good work up." 

Third patient - 60 y/o in hospital with CAP.  Unfortunate but also he's out of critical care so he's getting better.  He's a sweating anxious mess when we walk in.  Acting like he can't see or talk normally.  Why?  It's hard to say, but I've learned that with anxiety all you have to do is distract.  Best distractor?  Music.  So I ask "Do you like music Jersey?"  His nick name is Jersey cause he moved from New Jersey and a Mexican called him that one time, "and it stuck with me ever since." His answer was priceless, eye lit up, "I was born playing music."  And you know what, I believe him because when I turned on his favorite band Deep Purple, Jersey sat up on the side of the bed no problem and he air guitared the rest of the evaluation.  I mean full throttle air guitar, both hands going, head thrown back and eyes closed.  It was absolutely amazing.  And once again Jessie and I found ourselves making eye contact, but this time laughing out loud because even Jersey knew this was a sight of comedy.  He air guitared in the room, down the hallway, we had to stop because he wouldn't keep both hands on the walker during his favorite part.  He told us about his Gibson and Marshall and how he had to get rid of them.  As we walked down the hallway there was another patient standing at his doorway.  He said I know him, that's my neighbor.  And then literally the next room the patient called out "Jersey, is that you?!"  And would you believe it?!  Another neighbor saying hey to Jersey.  I said, "do you really know him?"  and the other patient said "Yea, he feeds the birds!"  Low income housing at the low income hospital.  Sad, but also so proud to serve there.  But the best part...at the end of the evaluation he had decided he would get a Gibson again and you wanna know why?  Because "I remember playing Highway Star on stage and when I finished a girl called out (envision hand up to his mouth and a whispered shout) moooorrreee"  "That's the best feeling in the world" Jersey said, "mooorrrreee." 

Also at lunch somehow we remembered Dr. Toland's article in a magazine...man still one of the funniest times ever....

What do you look for in a romantic partner?

"She goes about her day as usual.  She notices a friend or stranger down and out.  She stops a moment to connect eyes.  If invited, she'll give a cup of coffee to warm the hands, a couple of encouraging words to warm the heart; if invited she'll give her time.  But she always gives herself.  She goes about her day as usual; nobody else notices.  And she's beautiful and loves Jesus."

Can't wait to start my Mocumentary of Brack Dell Seton Medical Center at the University of Texas One Ascension (with Erik's accent)