Middle of May

Brain isn’t feeling atrocious at the moment, and I feel somewhat more clear in my thinking faculties than I usually do. If this affords me a little time to express my thoughts, I think I need to seize the opportunity.

Just thinking about some stuff. Working at a Level 1 trauma center, the trauma alerts are broadcast overhead. I’m accustomed to working in large, academic medical centers. It’s where I cut my teeth as a brand new, babe-in-the-woods RN over sixteen years ago; not this same hospital, but another Level 1 hospital in an urban setting. In that hospital, the U.S. Army would have their nurses train there, due to the, and I quote, “unusually high percentage of penetrating body injuries” (aka gunshots) that would come to the hospital. But yeah.

I heard this broadcast overhead: “Trauma level 1, one minute. Trauma level 1, one minute.”

Followed shortly thereafter by this: “Cancel previous trauma, level 1.”

“Roll the credits,” said Dr. Robinavitch in The Pitt, succinctly appraising the human condition; we all exit the stage at some point, and our film is over.

Someone’s credits rolled this evening, no doubt as an ambulance was feverishly careening through busy city streets like a bat out of hell in what would be a vain attempt to bring them medical treatment.

Reflecting on death, it brings to my mind the wisdom of Solomon in the Bible. Ecclesiastes 7:2 states: “that is the end of every man, and the living should take it to heart.”

I take it to heart more often than I should, perhaps. I’m very aware that I will shed my mortal coil one day; perhaps today, tomorrow, or at an unforeseen time in the future. Until then, I will keep taking the human condition ‘to heart.’