emed pa

COVID cases are going back up. I’m admitting people with COVID again and they don’t look great. Mostly unvaccinated.

When the specialist screams at you for admitting a pt but then copies your chart into theirs

When the pt says “you’re so mean” when I refuse to treat her chronic pain with narcotics in the ER

Getting to put in a chest tube for the first time

Global Pandemic. Getting slammed allllllll shift long. Pts are super sick. We’re short staffed.

Global pandemic. Wait 10+ hours to be seen for abdominal pain that has been ongoing for “awhile” with no changes. Get CT scan. CT shows obstructing stone causing ureteral swelling > 1.5 cm. Get admitted for urologic surgical intervention. Doubt CT results. Get angry. Accuse PA of making up results. Sign out AMA.

“I don’t want no corona!” -Pt’s response to “would you like to be tested for coronavirus?”

Officially finished off paying off my student loans

New Attending

Pt with bilateral large PE with saddle embolus + right heart strain but was only minimally tachycardic on arrival to triage and O2 sats are totally normal on room air

That moment when your pt starts talking shit about their PCP and you realize their PCP is your dad

“Hell” my altered pt’s answer to “where are you?”

When you come home to your neighbor throwing a party with 15+ cars on your street after you’ve been at the ER wearing n95 masks for 10+ hours straight barely able to breathe and the cases in your state have been steadily rising since Memorial Day

Exhausted after day 2 and then you realize you switch to nights the next day and still have 4 more shifts to go

After a particularly tiring day