Can we get a doctor back here?

This morning we flew back to Hershey after enjoying the company of our families for two weeks. We had a great time out there playing in the mountains and enjoying time with our parents, however we were eager to get back home to prepare for my residency to start in a few weeks.

On the flight to Detroit, we were minding our business trying to do everything possible to keep Charlie quiet. He flew well today, but when he starts to get a little upset we have to do all that we can to contain him in the narrow space between our laps and the seats around us and keep him quiet. As we were doing this an announcement was made over the PA system. "Can we have another flight attendant to help us" announced in an urgent manner. At that time, the entire plane wheeled around to the aft of the plane to find two flight attendants kneeling in the aisle and another man standing behind them. I looked to Kelley and suggested that it was probably a passenger who had suffered a seizure. I watched periodically over the next few minutes to see what was happening. Between the people I could see a smaller figure lying in the aisle on their side.

Another announcement came, "If there is a physician on the plane we request your assistance." I glanced at Kelley and then across the sea of passengers and saw nobody rise. I was immediately scared to death. That mantle of caring for others regardless of anything came flooding in a full force.

As a side note, this level of responsibility has become quite anxiety provoking over the last several months. I am obligated to help others--but I have no clue what to do! I haven't advanced that far in my training yet to know how to call the shots and make the difficult decisions. For me the rigorous schedule that is required of medical residents pales in comparison to the overwhelming responsibility to make decisions that can severely alter the path of someone's life. It is also scary because people see you as a physician, therefore you must know exactly what to do. I DON'T. I have had a few years of book work and one full year and a few months following around people that do know what to do, for the most part.

Anyway, after a brief second of hesitation, I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter. I asked the steward who was in charge what happened. He said that the young man had fainted in the aisle. He also said that he felt dizzy. He was a middle schooler that was on his way to a national wrestling competition and was trying hard to make weight. I got down on my knees and asked the boy what had happened and he repeated the same things to me. The flight attendants were scurrying around for the medical supplies and for something to drink for the boy. He didn't want to drink. About that time two other figures arrived. One asked me what kind of physician I was and then I jumped to the feet of the patient because clearly this guy has had much more experience than I had. Luckily he did. I recognized him as the guy that was sitting next to Kelley on the airplane. We checked his pulse, 110-90 bpm and his blood pressure was 80/50. He was pale, had cracked lips and dry mucous membranes. The doctor then told the patient that he was dehydrated and that he needed to drink fluids. He did a little educating to the patient to teach him why it happened and told him to drink about a gallon. I stayed with the patient and was able to get him to drink some Gatorade and he still refused to eat anything. At one point I looked up to see Kelley beaming and Charlie beaming as well. His pulse then went to about 90 and his systolic BP was 90. I told him that he could get up if he was ready. A minute later he was ready and we walked him into the galley at the rear of the plane and sat him down. We continued fluids. The doctor came back and said that he would check on him and that I could go back to my seat if I wanted.

I returned to my seat. Kelley told me all that had happened since I was back on the floor of the plane. I guess that the guy turned to Kelley after I jumped up and asked her what kind of doctor I was. She answered, "Well he just graduated medical school last month, so I am sure that he would like a little help."

The kid made it back to his seat and seemed fine for the rest of the flight. The flight attendant scrounged up some fruit that he agreed to eat and that seemed to perk him up a bit. Moral of the story, only get sick when there is a real doctor around. Second moral, getting all close to another sweaty guy in spandex while starving yourself so you can maintain that ultra-lightweight girlish figure isn't all that cool. In fact, it is just disgusting. Third one, always be ready to act.

Anyway, that was the excitement on that flight. We also happened to run into Bill Klinger, our former second counselor in our bishopric in Hershey. He was also on our flight to Harrisburg so we were able to visit with him a bit.

On our flight to Harrisburg, we were cleared to land and when it seemed as if we were getting close to the runway, the pilot shot the plane back into the sky. We wondered why and as we were getting off the attendant noted that the ground crew had to clear a turtle from the runway.

Interesting day, eh?