Been pretty slow at work recently. Some days things go wrong, some days things work out, and some days people just don't hurt themselves. Just like in real life.
I can't remember all the jobs, one of them did stick with me though: We were called to a teenager, not picking up the phone at home, ?OD. Call from mum.
So off we race, expecting anything from a huffy teenager refusing to answer the phone because she's angry at mum, to an unconscious patient not breathing. We pull up at the address, and mum pulls up at the same time, so nobody really knows what they're in for.
Luckily our patient was in more of an emotional than a physical emergency. She grabbed some pills by random and took them, also displaying some superficial cuts to her wrists. This was not a suicide attempt, it was more of a 'my boyfriend broke up with me and everything else in my life isn't going to plan either' get out of this situation attempt. Pathetic? Timewaster? Some may say, but haven't we all felt pretty down at some time in our lives, especially as a teen? I have, I just never had the will (or the guts?) to do something about it.
I had a good chat to her at hospital, asking her what she wants to do after school, about travelling and so forth, and that cleared up her teary eyes and even got a smile on her face. Job done, patient happy (for a short bit anyway), and I can keep on going with a fuzzy feeling and another smile added to my memory.
