This photo is of Debbie, an HPS'er from Orlando, and her two daughters. They're waiting for the Saturday sessions to get started. As many of you know, we had some medical emergencies at this year's conference. Debbie was one of those. During the dance on Saturday night her blood pressure shot sky high. We thought she might be having a heart attack. I didn't realize anything was afoot until I stepped out to go to the bathroom and ran into Dr. Young. She was looking for who ever needed the ambulance, which was news to me. We turned the corner by the bathrooms and there was Debbie on the floor with Dr. Gahl and Kevin. I feel really badly because honestly, I didn't realize it was Debbie immediately. Talk about a blind moment!
Donna was there, as was Hilda and Gretchen, the pediatric nurse practitioner from NIH. It was one of those terrible moments when you don't know what to do. I didn't realize it was Debbie because I wasn't close enough to see her face. I didn't want to get in the way of the medical people trying to help. While I've talked to Debbie's daughters several times on the phone, I'd only met them very briefly twice - so it took me a bit to figure out who they were! Then I just felt terrible!
I stood there not knowing what I should do. I didn't want to gauk, but I also wanted to stay in case Donna, or the docs needed anything, or in case the crowd got too large and needed to be sent moving along etc.
It was one of those things where I didn't want to be in the way, but I didn't want to just walk off and abandon the situation either.
The EMTs came and loaded Debbie into the ambulance. She was upset that they wouldn't let Kevin ride with her. His was the only voice she was really responding to, probably because he's taken care of her so many times at NIH.
Donna and the doctors followed the ambulance to the hospital and I stayed behind. The dinner was winding down. I wanted to make sure the crew left behind didn't need any help. I doubted that with Donna and a crew of NIH'ers at the emergency room, that I would really be any help there. We closed down the dinnner etc. We found Ashley and made sure she was taken care of. Then, we realized that Donna had left without her purse, phone etc.
Two of the volunteers and I went over to the hospital to take Donna her things. I wanted to know what the game plan looked like it would be. I didn't want Debbie's daughters to be with a bunch of poeple they didn't know so I wanted to make sure that either Donna or I was there to sit with them. But, we had the first session at 7:30 am so I also needed to know the game plan for the morning to get the rest of the conference moving. If Donna stayed very late, I knew she might not be up to getting things going in the morning.
Everything worked out okay. They admitted Debbie to the hospital for the night and there was no reason for anyone to stay. She was going to be medicated etc. and so we all went back to the hotel.
I got to thinking about the poor ER doc that landed this case. It's the kind of thing that should end up on "Untold Stories of the ER" on the medical channel. Here comes this woman with this ultra rare syndrome he's never heard of, and following the ambulance is this army of doctors and nurses from the NIH, among them the Clinical Director of the Genetics Branch. Now that doesn't happen every day! I'm sure Debbie got the most complete work up possible!
That being said, it was a learning moment too. We so love our doctors. We are comfortable with them. How many times have we joked that if you're ever going to get sick, the HPS Conference in a room full of doctors that actually know about HPS is probably the place to do it. Actually, this joke isn't true. Outside of a hospital, there's not much a doc can do for you except emergency first aid. And inside someone else's hospital where they don't have the necessary credientials etc. they're just like the rest of us sitting in the waiting room. All they could do is be a walking talking HPS brochure.
While all of our doctors did great and really handled the situation well, I think it's important for the HPS'ers to realize that. If you're thinking about going to conference, but you're really not feeling all that well, better actually to stay home where the hospital knows you and you've got your own team that knows your case etc. It really isn't as ideal as you might think to get sick at the conference. Grin!
Debbie was at conference the next day and seemed to be doing well. However, this weekend she was back in the ER with high blood pressure and is having chest pains etc. She's really not feeling well and Debbie is the sort who will try to hold out as long as possible before going to the ER. So, lets pray that they're able to get to the bottom of what ever is happening to her, and that she has the wisdom to know her own body and seek attention when she needs it.
(BTW - I didn't write this without Debbie's okay. For the newbies, I don't share medical info unless told it's okay.)
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