Been There. Done That.

Getting better at it. But still hate it...

Tonight I was starting to turn my thoughts toward bed when my phone rang. The caller ID showed that it was the new clinical officer (CO) at the clinic and I knew he wouldn't call me at night unless he needed backup.

"Michelle, we have a poisoning, can you come?"

I HATE poisonings. It is how people try (and often succeed) to commit suicide here. There are very strong pesticides and poisons available here that are not so easy to access in America. So when someone wants to kill himself or herself they will often drink poison.

Three years ago I didn't have a clue what to do when someone drank a glass of concentrated pesticides. Now the protocol is becoming second nature.

This case was a 19-year-old young man. The CO and myself were pretty aggressive in his treatment. And thankfully his family had found him and got him to treatment quickly. It didn't take long for him to turn the corner and start improving. This is the second crisis I've worked on with the new CO. And I must say we worked well together. William actually came in the treatment room to give an extra hand. I told him he has no idea what he just got himself into. Cause now I'm taking my hubby with me on future emergency calls!

As I was starting an IV I was pondering differences in practice here. There are the obvious ones, like lack of hospital gadgets, that make life easier. Or the fact that my dog comes with me and I often have to chase him out of the treatment room multiple times during a night encounter. But there are social issues too. Treating a suicide attempt in our little clinic is very different for me than treating one in the ER in southern California. It's somehow more personal, more dramatic. We are in a village setting where everyone is involved in everyone's lives. There is no anonymity. The people I am treating know me and look at me with hope in their eyes. I don't think I'm doing a great job of putting words to it, but it is definitely very different.

The young man I took care of tonight will be fine physically. But the spiritual and emotional injuries will still be there. Please pray for him as his family come around him and hopefully are supportive during this time.

As for me, well I'm gonna wrap a few things up and hit that pillow I was picturing before the phone call came!