It is a good thing, being done with clinicals. I like them--it's what I'll be doing the rest of my life--but I don't like doing paperwork and things like that.
When I got to the hospital, my 23 y.o. patient had been taken to the operating room. His younger brother and sister had decided to donate his liver and kidneys. I guess their reasoning might have been that heart and lungs keeps him whole, still a person. I don't know.
My other patient, the 25 y.o., was extubated yesterday after I left. So today when I walked in, I said, "Hi I'm Lauren. Remember flipping me off yesterday?" He grinned and said, "Yeah." Boy, he has a dirty mouth and was demanding, but sometimes he'd try to make up for it by saying "thanks," or mentioning that he thought we must be pretty tough to be nurses. His parents and girlfriend were there all day. His mom mentioned to me in the hall that she hopes this is a wake-up call for him, because he shouldn't be alive...but she knows that there's a reason for him living.
I forgot to give you his background yesterday--he was driving drunk with his girlfriend and got T-boned by another car. He had multiple injuries from it, the biggest being that his heart was torn away from his aorta...not something you want to mess with. That was Sunday. He's made a pretty remarkable recovery since then.
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This is some crazy stuff, Lauren. I'm glad you're finished, too, but thanks for sharing the stories. Kendrick and I just signed up online to donate everything should we find ourselves in such a state. Apparently there's some more paperwork coming, but I'll be glad to make that official.
I'm excited that you're almost home! Can't wait to see you.
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