Dr. Seagraves An Elderly African American Woman - 982 Words

It was almost midnight when I got the call from Dr. Seagraves. She told me to meet her in the physicians lounge at 7 am: we had a case. The next morning began like any other in the operating room. We met with the patient, I received permission to observe and then got suited up for case. The patient was an elderly African American woman, she called me handsome and smiled comfortably. When we made it into the OR I was asked to help lift the patient from bed to table, with a subtle warning of â€Å"watch out, it’s gooey.† Dr. Seagraves parted the patient’s gown, exposing a mass of raw tissue that somewhat resembled a leg. The patient had suffered a week’s worth of necrotizing fasciitis, more commonly known as flesh eating bacteria. The wound had a certain odor, a putrid smell you do not forget. Our hearts sank in unison as we realized what we were up against. We had to act fast. Dr. Seagraves began scrubbing the wounded tissue as the Anaestesiologist monitor ed the patient’s progress. I had observed Dr. Seagraves on multiple occasions and never did she express concern for the outcome. For the first time in our relationship I heard her mutter, â€Å"This is not good. This is not good at all.† The bacteria spread fast, leaving the leg unsalvageable. The question on all of our minds was why the patient had waited so long to seek treatment. Surely she was in a lot of pain, and that odor... why wait? The answer was purely financial. Money deterred her from seeking treatment which caused aShow MoreRelatedThe Physician s Lounge At 7 Essay912 Words   |  4 PagesIt was almost midnight when I got the call from Dr. Seagraves. She told me to meet her in the physician’s lounge at 7 am; we had a case. The next morning began like any other in the operating room. We met with the patient, I received permission to observe and then got suited up for the case. The patient - who I will call Cheryl - was an elderly African American woman. She called me handsome and smiled comfortably. Dr. Seagraves pulled back the patient’s gown with a subtle warning of â€Å"watch out, it’s