The patient had lost a lot of blood from a nasty cut on the head. Her neck had also been snapped to a weird angle. She looked oddly familiar, although at that point I couldn’t tell where I thought I knew her from. She was brought in dead, literally. It was a miracle that she was alive. Hare Krishna. There was something about her that pulled me closer to her. I took care of her like she was my own. I visited her each and every day. It was more than a doctor-patient relationship. The way she had been found and brought in said a lot about her; she had been found in the lavatories at the mall. She desperately needed someone to be her guardian angel, a duty I took upon myself.
Weeks went on by before we finally made the decision to bring her out of comatose. A day went by before she opened her eyes. She looked at me, trying to comprehend whom I was. Her eyes implored for an explanation.
“Hello there! I’m Dr. Khan, you’re in a hospital, a Good Samaritan brought you in. You had a nasty cut on your head. How are you feeling?” I said.
She tried to speak but I could tell she was too feeble for it. “It’s okay,” I said, “we’ll let you rest, okay?”
She nodded weakly then drifted off to sleep. I went on with my duties for the day but doubled back to bid her goodnight. She looked so peaceful as she slept. Who knows the storm she’s been through. I was back there the next morning. She was already awake when I got there. “Hi! Remember me?” I said cheerfully. She didn’t talk, but I could tell she recognized me. Good sign. For two weeks the routine was the same. She never said a word. It was on the beginning of the third week that she finally said something. A nurse rushed to get me.
“Doctor! Doctor! She talked!” The nurse said enthusiastically.
I rushed over. There she was. I could hardly contain myself. “Hi! …” She cut in before I could finish.
“You’re Dr. Khan,” she said.
“Yes,” I answered cheerfully. “How do you feel?”
“Groggy.”
“That’s in the normal spectrum,” I said happily. “Can you tell us your name?”
She paused. “My name?”
“Yes.”
“I...I…I…” I could see her start to panic.
“No, no…shhhhh…it’s okay, everything’s going to be okay,” I comforted her. I looked at the nurse. She (the nurse) wrote something down and left.
“What did she write?”
“It’s nothing that should worry you, you’re just having a little trouble remembering your name.”
“Is that normal?”
“All injuries to the head are different, but I can say that amnesia is not uncommon. Don’t worry, we’re going to figure this out.”
She nodded.
Weeks went on by before we finally made the decision to bring her out of comatose. A day went by before she opened her eyes. She looked at me, trying to comprehend whom I was. Her eyes implored for an explanation.
“Hello there! I’m Dr. Khan, you’re in a hospital, a Good Samaritan brought you in. You had a nasty cut on your head. How are you feeling?” I said.
She tried to speak but I could tell she was too feeble for it. “It’s okay,” I said, “we’ll let you rest, okay?”
She nodded weakly then drifted off to sleep. I went on with my duties for the day but doubled back to bid her goodnight. She looked so peaceful as she slept. Who knows the storm she’s been through. I was back there the next morning. She was already awake when I got there. “Hi! Remember me?” I said cheerfully. She didn’t talk, but I could tell she recognized me. Good sign. For two weeks the routine was the same. She never said a word. It was on the beginning of the third week that she finally said something. A nurse rushed to get me.
“Doctor! Doctor! She talked!” The nurse said enthusiastically.
I rushed over. There she was. I could hardly contain myself. “Hi! …” She cut in before I could finish.
“You’re Dr. Khan,” she said.
“Yes,” I answered cheerfully. “How do you feel?”
“Groggy.”
“That’s in the normal spectrum,” I said happily. “Can you tell us your name?”
She paused. “My name?”
“Yes.”
“I...I…I…” I could see her start to panic.
“No, no…shhhhh…it’s okay, everything’s going to be okay,” I comforted her. I looked at the nurse. She (the nurse) wrote something down and left.
“What did she write?”
“It’s nothing that should worry you, you’re just having a little trouble remembering your name.”
“Is that normal?”
“All injuries to the head are different, but I can say that amnesia is not uncommon. Don’t worry, we’re going to figure this out.”
She nodded.