Being on the other side

So a personal story of what's transpired over the past 24 hours.

As I sat on the bed in room 12 things felt odd. I've been in room 12 hundreds of times but never as the person lying on the gurney. I was still in my scrubs in a modest amount of pain from my head injury I sustained in the hours prior. Most of my colleagues asked why I was still at work and then when I showed them the photos from my car accident they recommended I check in for evaluation.

My head hurt, my neck ached but I didn't lose consciousness after being rear-ended while being at a complete stop behind a disabled vehicle on the freeway. I was able to get out of my now totaled car and speak with officers and other victims.

I'm an ER doc... this is what I do day in and day out. I've seen patients like me and now here I am on the other side. The off service intern saw me, a kindness honestly, so that my co-residents would not feel awkward evaluating a close peer. This intern was a little intimidated as we've interacted with one another many times.

The intern examined me. He was nervous because I've been his senior before. He knows I joke a lot and I made it easy for him. I did all the tests without him really having to ask. he said the hematoma to the side of my head was pretty big and he thought I needed a CT scan. I pimped him on Head CT decision tools. Medicine interns.... I didn't expect him to know =P

I know the evaluation. I've literally done it over a thousand times. I don't think "I" need the head CT but I met criteria and honestly after going airborne from the accident I'm lucky I walked away. The other driver didn't even try to stop. Full highway speed into the back of my fully stopped car. The bystanders said they were surprised I could even get out of my car after taking a hit like that.

I had a new nurse who had never met me and I didn't torture her with my terrible jokes. I just asked her, facetiously, for Dilaudid instead. She smiled saying she'd be back with my pain meds. Top notch acetaminophen... my favorite!

The attending comes in and examines me. Even she is surprised at the size of the hematoma. We chatted about how even as the patient I still liked teaching the intern about the trauma evaluation.

I walked to the CT scanner hopped up on the bed and laid still. I've never had a CT before. Kinda cool honestly. I heard the whirling of the emitter and sensor spin around me. Buzz... buzz. I'm done. Walked next door where my friend Mike, the tech, shoots a two-view Xray and asks me to look at my own films. 9, no 10 ribs are seen in front of the lungs. Clearly a man with a history of an obstructive lung process I proclaim. No broken bones. No head bleed on CT. Neuro exam intact and I could pee.

I was honestly lucky. I saw the car coming in my rear view mirror and I knew in that split second I was going to get hit. My seatbelt was on, my airbags deployed and my car crumpled around me with the impact. I'm lucky I didn't sustain greater injuries and that I was able to walk away. I've seen hundreds of patients like this and now I've been in their shoes. I try to always treat people well and make them smile when they come to see me in their hour of need, but this was a good reminder of all the other things that run through one's mind after a trauma even if the physical injuries are thankfully easily manageable.

Thanks for reading and have a great night