Awesomeness part dreiSeptember 29th, 2006 @ 7:01 am
Hey, it’s Friday. And that means today The King is in charge of the post. This week he wasn’t sure what to write about. I hinted that he might have a few bridges to mend after last week’s post. (Especially towards Liberal Banana, who left him a comment totally calling him on his “nap issue”.)
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You can’t really sell AIDS medication in Africa… hello? Just kidding. I’ve done some volunteer work. I worked in the ER at the local children’s hospital. I went there to just be a normal volunteer, working with kids in the hospital, playing around with them if they had to stay overnight alone. You know, run of the mill stuff. You go through some background checks and a little informational meeting, then they put you on a list of volunteers and you wait to see when they have a place for you. They called me and I ended up in the ER.
The first few weeks it was mostly just taking bottles of pee up to the lab, or cleaning up rooms after people left. Once in a while they asked me to take a kid to a room, or the OR, or just hang out with all the pukers in the waiting room, swabbing the books and toys off after they put them down. It was kinda interesting to maintain the schedule board which details who is in what room and what their issue is. There were codes for everything from foreign object in body cavity (at a children’s hospital, this is mostly just curiosity based accidents) to psycho.
Then it kinda amped up some in the summer. Broken arms, gushing head wounds. The job changed from menial tasks to holding a bleeding, screaming kid down while they put 40 stitches into him. It really made me stretch on occasion. I don’t really like needles or blood or even hospitals to be honest with you. I always cringed when they announced that the chopper or the ambulance was bringing in a child. Mostly it was just parents bringing in their kid. But when they came in with lights and sirens, most of the time they didn’t make it. I’m not fond of seeing dead people either, especially not little kids.
One night I took a little Hispanic kid to the big CAT scan room. (I’m sure it has a technical name, but we’re not all doctors and nurses here, so I’ll try to keep it simple… plus, I don’t know it.) His folks didn’t know what was wrong with him, and he wouldn’t quit crying. They taped him to the table, and I watched in the other room as the tech brought up his scan. Half of his head cavity was a tumor, causing extreme pressure on his brain. The family waited as the hospital struggled to find someone that could speak Spanish and explain that their boy was in dire need of emergency care.
I think that was my last night. I’m not sure why I didn’t go back. It was rewarding and I really felt good about what I was doing. I guess I had Levi’s to sell.
The King
Rob
said,
September 29, 2006 at 4:17 pm
Good story, but maybe something a little less “depressy” next week. I have a whole list of hysterical King stories from college. Email me if you need any reminders.
Hilary
said,
September 29, 2006 at 5:35 pm
Do you think you could ever do that now, after having a child of your own?
Christar
said,
September 29, 2006 at 9:54 pm
I would never be able to see a hurt, sick, or dying child. It would just ruin me forever. But it sounds like it was very rewarding!
Lizzy
said,
September 30, 2006 at 12:59 am
Gah.
I’m with Silly–could you do it now, now that you have Babboo?
Two years ago, my SIL and I got a little drunk at her father’s country club (oh, it sounds so…so, well yeah. how it sounds). SIL got extra hammered and in the end, my thumb was broken. While in the ER awaiting being seen, a chopper came in and the patient on the guerney was so tiny. It was just a toddler.
And they made the Mom wait in the same waiting room as my husband– I don’t know what ultimately happened with the little girl, but I overheard the doctors talking outside of my little room that the situation was not good.
I know I could never do what you did, King. Hell, I had a hard time being in the hospital to deliver my own child. But good for you for doing it…
Jen
said,
September 30, 2006 at 2:47 am
My dad spent many years trying to convince me to be a doctor… or at least a vet. But I could never do it. I can’t stand blood and needles, I could never cut someone, and I just can’t stand to see people (or animals) suffering. I would break down the first time someone died. I have so much respect for the people who can do those jobs and keep their shit together.
i want to hear the levi’s story next. You’ve mentioned it twice… now I’m really curious!
Jezer
said,
October 1, 2006 at 1:36 am
What a way to spend some free time. Frankly, I’m impressed.
Looking forward to next week.
DeAnn
said,
October 1, 2006 at 11:33 pm
Do you work for Levi or something? I’m confused.
I don’t know how you handled that ER work. It’s amazing.
Lisa B
said,
October 2, 2006 at 1:28 am
Wow that story gave me goosebumps. I don’t think I could have worked in an ER. You have more guts than I’;ve got. Great story.
Frema
said,
October 4, 2006 at 5:53 am
I volunteered in a hospital when I was in high school, and I worked on the pediatrics floor. It was so hard to see them in pain, especially the little ones.
hola, isabel » Levis and in-laws
said,
October 6, 2006 at 3:44 pm
[…] Welcome to the 4th edition of King Friday. It’s all King, all the time on Friday’s over here at holaisabel.com. If you missed last week’s edition, I suggest you read it first. Don’t forget to leave him a comment. Or a suggestion on what next’s week post should be about. […]