D's last night in the Burn Unit OR "The Woman With 13 lives"

Sometimes I get slightly frustrated with certain patients who monopolize my husband's time, so when D told me that this lady was the reason he didn't come home on Saturday, I was kindof bugged--but still glad that D can do the right thing for people.

At noon on Saturday, the unit gets the call that a new burn was on it's way in (don't you love how they dehumanize people calling them burns instead?). A 60-70 year old woman who was a resident in a nursing home was in really bad shape. While she was smoking, she caught fire and had inhalation injuries and some external burns as well. As D put it, a normal (healthy) person could have survived this trauma, but this woman was far from it. Believe it or not, this lady had had 7 heart attacks and 5 strokes!! She had literally cheated death 12 times!! Her health was very poor--she had to take laxatives 3 times every day to force herself to defecate in order to remove toxins from her body because her kidneys or liver were not working properly (it's been a long time since physiology for me folks). D told me some other issues, but I can't remember everything else that was wrong with her (on top of her previous heart attacks and strokes).

When she arrived at the hospital, she was sedated and required a ventilator. After checking this woman's injuries, her labs, and her vitals, D and his attending agreed that there was no way this woman was ever leaving the hospital alive. Her body was incapable of healing itself. The family arrived soon thereafter and it was made known that she had signed DNR orders (do not rescucitate). D spoke with the family about her chances of survival and shared his opinion that their Grandmother would not make it. He said they could probably keep her alive for a week or two-- but eventually her organs would fail. She would reqiure heavy sedation and a breathing device (ventilator) in the mean time to keep her alive.

The family then made the decision at about 11:00 P.M. to withdraw supportive care. I am happy to say that my husband was able to assist them with a priesthood blessing in which she was released from this life. At this point, the ventilator was turned off and D administered a high dose of narcotics so she would not be in any pain. After about an hour, D was shocked to see that the woman's vitals were still going strong. He made a comment to the family that she was a fighter. I have to admit when D told me this I was shocked he would say that. I thought maybe he would make the family feel like they had made the wrong decision--he assured me there was "no way" she would ever survive her injuries.

Then the family laughed and was like, "Yeah, Grandma has always been the cat who had nine lives!" D corrected them, "Twelve, you mean?" (referring to her heart attacks and strokes). They laughed.

Anyway, as it turned out the woman ended up living until 2:00 A.M. (much to D's shock--he told me she was on high dose narcotics which any normal person wouldn't tolerate for that long). D said it felt very strange to withdraw care because he's never done it before. Usually he watches people for weeks and weeks and fights to keep them alive. Overall, he thoguht it was a good experience. Very sobering, but very compassionate as well.

So, farewell, burn unit--I am happy to see you go-- your job is noble, but your patients' are too sick for a normal human (my husband--mostly normal) to have a normal life while caring for you. R. I. P.