FINALLY made it to Seattle (next up is Atsugi in about 24 more hours), after an arduous journey that I never wish to repeat again.
The plane leaving from Pensacola was delayed 1.5 hours due to mechanical issues (cue me thinking this inevitably meant my death in a flaming pile of airplane parts), which meant I missed my connecting flight. Luckily, that was rescheduled.
This was not my most stressful part of the trip, though. On the second flight, a stewardess actually asked, "Is there a doctor on board?" over the intercom. Yes, she really did. Would I lie to you? Maybe for a cheap thrill... but not this time! This is the story behind my (un)heroic act.
We had just landed and were taxiing to the gate, when a faint cry for a stewardess is heard amongst the masses. As the passenger yells again adding she needs a doctor, I can feel the increased tension of the other passengers as well as of my anal sphincter. About four rows ahead of me, a woman grabs an older man and lays him down on the seat. The stewardess arrives, and upon seeing him on his deathbed, yells out for a doctor.
In a "What Would You Do Moment?", I'll ask my dear readers to choose between two options:
A) Stand up, run to the dying man, resuscitate him back from the brink of death to the adulation and admiration of those around you
B) Sit quietly, praying that someone else stands up, while the passenger sitting next to you (who knows you're a doctor) turns to stare at you in silent judgment.
If you paid attention to the earlier sentence "this is the story behind my (un)heroic act" then you already know what I did. All I could think was if this guy was having a heart attack, I would probably actually facilitate his death since I have literally practiced no medicine for the past seven months (nine if you count my psychiatry rotation at the end of internship.... ZING). Just as I was about to get up, two other braver souls stood up to help. "Too many cooks in the kitchen" I think to rationalize my silence. Luckily the guy survived (I think)... I guess he had low blood sugar and felt better with some orange juice.
Just to be clear, I would have helped him if no one had stepped up. :)
(And I'm not alone... sorta! Click here)
This is hilarious. Worthy of a pre-Japan post.
ReplyDeleteHaha thanks!
DeleteKelli, that was really a good link you posted in the blog. I think it illustrates that no doctor on a flight is ever confident in his abilities, especially when what he has to work with is basiscally a couple of bandaids in a first aid kit. I think that sometimes if the patient just knows a real doctor is there that makes them feel better right away. And who among us has not hung back at some point when we knew we should step up? Just take it as a learning experience and don't beat yourself up (I know you already are).
ReplyDeleteYou just made my Valentines!!! Hilarious...miss you already!
ReplyDeleteOmg, I would have done the same thing [hangs head in shame].
ReplyDelete