today was supposed to be like any other. i take the shuttle from cpmc (california pacific medical center) to the bart station and then i take muni home. except...today...
at one of the stops, a homeless man in a wheelchair came onto the train. i was standing right in the front behind the driver watching the train drive through the tunnel, listening to my music. he was a very friendly guy, talking to the elderly sitting in the front and telling me i wasn't in his way because he wasn't getting off until later. so, i just keep listening to my music. until i notice that he's stretching for an awfully long time...and hitting his head against the glass...shaking... OH MY GOSH! HE'S HAVING A SEIZURE!
i quickly tell the driver to call for help, that this man is having a seizure. then i scream into the train, IS THERE A DOCTOR ON THE TRAIN? no response...quiet... i then turn towards the man and kneel down to see if he has regained consiousness. a very quite but strong elderly lady sitting nearby pulls me back and shakes her head at me angrily. while i tell her that it's okay, that i know what i'm doing, she still gives me angry shakes and keeps pulling me back. i shake free of her (we're at the stop now) and call 911 right away. meanwhile, muni has been called and the paramedics are on the way.
(not verbatim)
911: 911, what is your emergency?
me: i'm on the L train stopped at the west portal station and there's a man here who just had a seizure.
911: is he currently still having a seizure?
me: no, it looks like he has stopped seizing.
911: how old is he? can you tell how old he is?
me: i can't tell, but the muni people here say he's 60 years old.
911: is he consious?
me: his eyes are closed and he's breathing, the muni people are trying to talk to him (muni person: he's listening to what i'm saying, but he's not responding)
911: if you can, try to get him to lie to his side so that he doesn't choke on anything.
me asking muni: can we turn him to his side?
muni: it's best we leave him where he is. we know him, he's had multiple episodes on the trains.
when i leave the station, the paramedics are already on their way and the muni people have assured me that he'll be in good hands. but, i can't help but think how ill prepared i was for this emergency situation. i'm almost done with 4 years of schooling and i can't help a man who seized right in front of me. i kept wondering if i should have checked for a medical bracelet or if i should have looked for anti-seizure meds in his bags.
but, as one of my friends put it: "don't feel bad. on the other hand, once we get into residency and are code trained and have IV meds nearby, then you'd TOTALLY be all over it."
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