Thursday
Aug192010
The Big Door
August 19, 2010 * * * * * Posted by: guest blogger 
“” ……..someone put the call out’’
I think I have lost count actually but I have had to shout those words out a few times myself. You generally don’t want to be the subject of that call. Not a popular one as it usually means you are at what I call The Big Door and the question is will anyone let you in. Or perhaps should anyone let you in.
On the side that I participate in and may have some control over, there are usually tons of people, it would seem, moving quickly and talking loudly. It sometimes appears chaotic but usually just an organized mess.
I have just sprinted into the room. ‘’…it’s J’’, one colleague says, ‘’...just dropped,...no warning’’. I do a quick scan around the room, assess the personnel available, and start barking instructions-‘…compressions, start bagging…we need to get a tube down!’’. ‘’…come on chaps….better access….flush, and lets run that gas!’’ I add.
120 seconds. I am in charge. We Stop. I check……sigh!…Flatline!
‘’…let’s keep going guys’’ .
On the other side. Now the other side really depends on what you believe in. This is how I see it. I like to think there is some sort of roundtable going on, attended by the Big Boss and his council. A slideshow of J’s life is played on a big screen and every detail is analysed. It’s a bit weird because these guys are calm and don’t seem to be in a hurry at all. They cast glances at each other and either nod approvingly or otherwise at what is been shown. Some are taking notes. Servants bring in tea while they contemplate how J has gotten here. They also have to put a call out -of some sort, you see. They have to decide. A dove will carry a scroll to the guards on their side of the door. This contains a message, a yay or a nay!
120 seconds. I am in charge. We Stop. I check……sigh!..Flatline!
‘’Come on people, crack on…!’’
Has someone left the windows open! I don’t like that feeling of a cold draught. It usually means we may not be alone! The journeyman may be here but I am determined to win this one. What am I saying? I am bloody determined to win everyone! My mind is working overdrive, getting those instructions out so all the boxes can be ticked…quickly. You see we have a better chance if we can tick every box. ‘’come on J’’ I am muttering under my breath.
120 seconds. I am in charge. We Stop. I check……sigh!..Flatline!
“We sh-ould still keep going….’’ I barely stammer those words.
I am running out of ideas, Its getting colder. None of the team is able to hold my gaze anymore. I know what they are feeling. I have to keep their spirits up but I know when it’s the end…
A servant rushes to the Big Door and stops the message from being read by the guard of the door who has received the scroll from the Dove. Some new evidence had been brought to the council of elders and this has caused a change of decision!
120 seconds. Cough, splutter, BEEP-BEEP-BEEP……!
A silent cheer is audible in the room. It’s gotten warmer. A new lease of life, for J, most importantly……..and for my team as well. Result!
I’ve been in this business a bit but I still can’t work out what really makes the difference. What causes that change in fortune when it all seems like it’s going downhill? It’s certainly not all the knowledge we have available to us, I promise. What I do know is that positive people somehow pull through.
Every second of every day, you should therefore enjoy life. It is way too short and I for one know that there are so many things that we have no control over….no matter how clever we may think we are. A positive mental attitude is sometimes all that is needed and this may transcend beyond the mundane I think, if you believe, to higher powers. That may be the difference between your Yay or Nay.
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Special guest post today by Henry Oluwasefunmi Savage who blogs at 'Savo'. Thank you for joining us here today, Savo, and for your wonderful story and image. What a wonderful and inspiring doctor you are!!!
Reader Comments (11)
What a powerful and riveting story - both from the imagined perspective of the patient entering the ER and from that of the trained medical team who are treating him. Love how you've written from both points-of-view. So very creative!! And the image is absolutely perfect!!
Thank-you Savo for joining us today!!!
As a theatre nurse of over 20 years, your description is so vivid it brought back all the elation and disappointments of the many resuscitation's l have attended over the years. I can tell at a glance that it your calmness and confidence that would lift the spirits of any team and give your patient an extra edge that they may not have had before.
Live each day as if it was your last.
Tony
excellent post, thanks for sharing
Excellent post, Savo! You had me holding my breath from the beginning, waiting for a positive outcome for J. I can only imagine the emotions that everyone must be feeling when working on a patient in the ER - you certainly brought it to life in your retelling. Well done!
I have goosebumps. Thank you!
That was amazing, and I so agree. Live life. The one your are in. Right this second. Your photo is incredible. A great story with a great reminder.
I'm not sure it's possible for anyone to be a bigger fan of your image and post than I am, SAVO, unless it would be your wife/mother/grandma. :) You know how I love what you do and the spirit of your life and work. Zed is right...your calmness and confidence would lift the spirits of any team and give your patient an edge. I love this about you. Thank you so much for taking the time and energy to write for us here at V&V. I hope you will do it again...and again!
wow, it was almost as if i were in that same room. very observant of you to connect the picture with the story. i stand in awe.
Experienced in that line of work as I am I was so caught up in your story. It felt as I was there in the room. Love your image and the symbolism there.
Excellent! I held my breath to the very end, being hopeful for J. You wrote like someone who has seen both sides, the doctor and J. Very vivid.
That was such a vivid narative,it was like i was there with you in the ER and with J on both sides. In my line of work like yours iv had to deal with situations like this, hopeful amidst all the effort, uncertainty and suspense. But never have i felt like i did while reading your "Big Door." Well done Dr.