Friday, July 10, 2009
Being away from the office for 5 + months meant I was also away from my patients. I like to call them "my" patients even though there are now five Medical Assistants in our office who care for them, too, because each ~ especially the frequent fliers ~ has earned a special place in my heart.
My first week back also brought the opportunity for me to see patients I have blogged about before. For example, the patient whose oxygen saturation and blood pressure were so far in the basement and her difficulty breathing was so clearly audible that she left our office in an ambulance. Her husband was so upset about the state of his wife that day that he cried and I wrapped my arms around him to console him.
Although it was nice to see them, as they are a pleasant couple, it saddened me to see her health had not improved in the least. I could tell by the look on the husband's face that he had resigned himself to losing his wife. Even though he was not happy that it would be on her terms.
I had hoped that the next time I saw this particular patient she would have gained some weight and that her health had improved. Even slightly. Instead, her weight was down from 100 pounds to 90 pounds and her daughter called our office the same day wanting to know why we couldn't see something was terribly wrong with her mother because she continues to lose weight. Before our front-desk person could respond the daughter had hung up on her.
This gave me an opportunity to explain to our confused front-desk person that the patient has refused every treatment offered to her. From psychiatric to pulmonary to home health care, and everything in between. She has simply made up her mind to die and she fully intends to have her own way on this.
Sadly, it won't be much longer.
My first week back also brought the opportunity for me to see patients I have blogged about before. For example, the patient whose oxygen saturation and blood pressure were so far in the basement and her difficulty breathing was so clearly audible that she left our office in an ambulance. Her husband was so upset about the state of his wife that day that he cried and I wrapped my arms around him to console him.
Although it was nice to see them, as they are a pleasant couple, it saddened me to see her health had not improved in the least. I could tell by the look on the husband's face that he had resigned himself to losing his wife. Even though he was not happy that it would be on her terms.
I had hoped that the next time I saw this particular patient she would have gained some weight and that her health had improved. Even slightly. Instead, her weight was down from 100 pounds to 90 pounds and her daughter called our office the same day wanting to know why we couldn't see something was terribly wrong with her mother because she continues to lose weight. Before our front-desk person could respond the daughter had hung up on her.
This gave me an opportunity to explain to our confused front-desk person that the patient has refused every treatment offered to her. From psychiatric to pulmonary to home health care, and everything in between. She has simply made up her mind to die and she fully intends to have her own way on this.
Sadly, it won't be much longer.
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