Lifeline

I have worked for that many years but had never thought I would be left in a position to take charge and treat my own professional colleague in a major setting. Yes, I have attended to my medical friends' sick kid during my stint at the Paediatrics Emergency department but definitely not someone who was a way lot older, wiser and more experienced than I was.

I received a page from a consultant/attending during one of those less harrowing shifts: "Emm***** is coming down to the emergency. He had chest pain and his troponin is 0.74......" My brain was in a blurry haze. Emm*****? Who is he?.....Oh. Yes. I've met him once. He was so nice, kind and helpful.....Oh dear, he had AMI (acute myocardial infarct)!

As random thoughts raced through my mind, I informed my partner in action (who was really another kindred spirit from Sri Lanka) and we waited in the department for him with anticipation. Soon after, he strolled in, wearing his wide comforting smile as always. After the initial greetings, he gave us a brief history of events that led to his arrival here.

"I feel perfect now. I don't want to be admitted."

We understood. Nobody liked admission. Especially doctors. We knew what it would be like. What we would have to go through. It has been natural and routine for us being at the service, but it would be a hell lot of difference being at the receiving end. Doctors are always in denial and are often the worst patients themselves.

"Let's do an ECG first." I broke the ice and directed him to one of the resuscitation beds. Everyone came rallying around him, hooking up the BP and cardiac monitor, placing the ECG leads on his chest and limbs.

His blood pressure was alarmingly high, given his past history of hypertension. There were traces of mild ST elevations in the anterior leads which he claimed to be similar to the repolarization changes that he has had in previous ECGs.

We felt awkward. We needed to examine him physically. Would he mind a younger female colleague, who probably could have passed off as his daughter's age, auscultating his chest? His wife, who was a non-medic, was visibly worried and despaired, and we could only try to console her as much as we could.

Thankfully we were "rescued" with the timely arrival of our contemporary cardiology advanced trainee who expedited the whole management process and eventually arranged for his admission to the CCU, with the provisional diagnosis of NSTEMI. I had to cannulate both his hands for the heparin and nitrate infusions, in preparation for his cardiac catheterisation the following day. It was perhaps one of my most apprehensive and stressful moments of cannulation ever. And with God's grace, they were successful and minimally uncomfortable.

I did not follow up on his progress, as I believe he would be under good hands from an experienced cardiologist. I prayed for his speedy recovery and strength of will for him and his family. And of course, as a "new kid on the block" in this institution, I hope to be able to benefit some day from his valuable teachings and wisdom, with a special meaning and satisfaction.

"Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love."
- Lao Tzu, Chinese Taoist philosopher, b 600 BC