The final week

I've been slacking. I actually had my final week at the clinic and with EMS over a week ago, but I'm only getting around to this now. /sigh Anyways, compared to my first week at the clinic, this was a very boring week. No exciting emergencies, more silly patients complaining about the wrong thing ("I've got these skin tags under my eye, should I be worried? Oh and since I'm here, I have pain in my left arm radiating to my chest, it feels like a ton of bricks are weighing down my chest, so I can't seem to catch my breath, and my left arm is like tingly/numb. But mainly I'm here for the skin tags." At which point I put the clipboard down and went to get the provider. That's like classic heart attack right there.), and more strep. Seriously, half the population of Home must have passed through the clinic with strep over the course of the summer.

I can't remember, but I don't think I mentioned this yet. When someone is having a stroke, time matters. I understand that praying makes you feel better and I understand that everyone wants a moment with the patient, but when you pray for fifteen minutes (I clocked them) and let even the two-year-olds have five minutes (each) with the (mostly) unconscious patient, then you really are helping to ensure that it will be the last five minutes they get to spend together.

Speaking of praying, I was part of a prayer circle! We were just finishing up with a patient whose smoking habit was literally shaving years off of her remaining life and complicating other issues that she had. She finally decided that she wanted to quit and in addition to prescribing Chantix, as we were all standing up to leave, the provider grabbed each of our hands and motioned me to take the patient's other hand. Then she started praying, asking the Lord to help this lady quit and stay off. I honestly can't say I was all that surprised. After all, the clinic is a faith based organization, and all the regular providers believe in creationism, but it still strikes me as odd when a doctor tells a patient to pray (in addition to taking whatever medication/lifestyle or diet change).

Anyways, I'm getting sidetracked. I said my farewells on Friday and returned all the equipment I had borrowed from EMS. They want me to come back next summer again, and honestly I think I'd like to. I had fun, I saw more than I expected and I learned so much.

Later that day, I packed up and left Home for FHB. I'm going to miss most of the time with the girls, but definitely NOT the screaming.