Time Machine
At the end of a long day we got called for a stroke. We arrived and the patient was already outside with a guy leading her toward the ambulance. She looked well enough. She sat on the cot as my partner went to get the story from the bystanders.
Me: "Hi, I'm Ellie, a paramedic here to help you out."
Pt. "Hi, I'm Mary Howe*, how are you?" She shook my hand. "I don't know why that guy called 911, I'm fine."
Me: "Well, he's worried about you, so we'll check you out."
We attached her to the usual equipment as I asked the usual questions.
Me: "So what's going on that led him to call 911 for you?"
Pt. "I don't really know, I don't even know that guy, and I don't know how I got here."
Me: "Here as in...?"
Pt. "This state, this house, with these people. I don't live here, I live in Georgia."
Me: "Oh, what's your address?"
Pt. (gives satisfactory answer without hesitation)
Me: "Do you know what day it is today?"
Pt. "Yeah, February 2, 2001"
Me: "Well, you're a little off there, it's actually April, 2008, a bit warm for February, don't you think?"
Pt. "Oh...yeah"
Me: "Are you married?"
Pt. "No"
Me: "Well, you're wearing a wedding ring."
Pt. "That man outside must have put it on me to make you believe that we were married."
Me thinking "Ooookaay."
My partner stepped in and explained to me that she was acting weird, so her husband called us. He had some prescriptions under the name of Jennifer Riley.** Nothing too out of the ordinary, was a diabetic, had migraines.
Vitals and EKG looked fine, she had no trouble speaking, no facial droop, equal grip strength, and her blood sugar was within normal limits. From here, we thought that if she were faking, maybe we could get her to slip up by asking plenty of questions.
She was wearing a uniform from a local burger shop.
Me: "Do you work there?" gesturing toward her shirt.
Pt. "Oh, no I am a millionaire. I own a car part store."
Me: "What kind of cars?"
Pt. "BMW."
Me: "What's the shop called?"
Pt. "Mary Howe Parts."
Me: "So what's the last thing you remember before you were here?"
Pt. "I was hanging out with friends after work."
My partner asked her what day it was and got the same answer I did.
Me: "Do you remember what day I told you it was?"
Pt. "Yeah, you said it was 2008. Do you think I traveled through time?"
Me: "That would be pretty cool. We're you working on a time machine in Georgia?" (It was a relatively serious question.)
Pt. "Um, No." She sounded a little disappointed that she hadn't time traveled.
Luckily, she was willing to go to the hospital. Off we went. I don't know what was wrong with her, or if she was faking or not. She was very good at answering questions but slipped up a little with her birthday. She said she was 43 and born in 1964, which if she was in 2008 would have made her 43, but she believed it to be 2001. In her mind she should have only been 37. Hmm... Her birthday from past medical records said that she was only 33.
I like to believe that she has fugue. That would be cool.
*not her real name
**also not her real name
Me: "Hi, I'm Ellie, a paramedic here to help you out."
Pt. "Hi, I'm Mary Howe*, how are you?" She shook my hand. "I don't know why that guy called 911, I'm fine."
Me: "Well, he's worried about you, so we'll check you out."
We attached her to the usual equipment as I asked the usual questions.
Me: "So what's going on that led him to call 911 for you?"
Pt. "I don't really know, I don't even know that guy, and I don't know how I got here."
Me: "Here as in...?"
Pt. "This state, this house, with these people. I don't live here, I live in Georgia."
Me: "Oh, what's your address?"
Pt. (gives satisfactory answer without hesitation)
Me: "Do you know what day it is today?"
Pt. "Yeah, February 2, 2001"
Me: "Well, you're a little off there, it's actually April, 2008, a bit warm for February, don't you think?"
Pt. "Oh...yeah"
Me: "Are you married?"
Pt. "No"
Me: "Well, you're wearing a wedding ring."
Pt. "That man outside must have put it on me to make you believe that we were married."
Me thinking "Ooookaay."
My partner stepped in and explained to me that she was acting weird, so her husband called us. He had some prescriptions under the name of Jennifer Riley.** Nothing too out of the ordinary, was a diabetic, had migraines.
Vitals and EKG looked fine, she had no trouble speaking, no facial droop, equal grip strength, and her blood sugar was within normal limits. From here, we thought that if she were faking, maybe we could get her to slip up by asking plenty of questions.
She was wearing a uniform from a local burger shop.
Me: "Do you work there?" gesturing toward her shirt.
Pt. "Oh, no I am a millionaire. I own a car part store."
Me: "What kind of cars?"
Pt. "BMW."
Me: "What's the shop called?"
Pt. "Mary Howe Parts."
Me: "So what's the last thing you remember before you were here?"
Pt. "I was hanging out with friends after work."
My partner asked her what day it was and got the same answer I did.
Me: "Do you remember what day I told you it was?"
Pt. "Yeah, you said it was 2008. Do you think I traveled through time?"
Me: "That would be pretty cool. We're you working on a time machine in Georgia?" (It was a relatively serious question.)
Pt. "Um, No." She sounded a little disappointed that she hadn't time traveled.
Luckily, she was willing to go to the hospital. Off we went. I don't know what was wrong with her, or if she was faking or not. She was very good at answering questions but slipped up a little with her birthday. She said she was 43 and born in 1964, which if she was in 2008 would have made her 43, but she believed it to be 2001. In her mind she should have only been 37. Hmm... Her birthday from past medical records said that she was only 33.
I like to believe that she has fugue. That would be cool.
*not her real name
**also not her real name
Comments
I was searching for Boo Boo Bunnies so that I could buy one for my expectant daughters Christmas stocking, and yes, you do have a boo boo bandaid on your blog. A rather good one I will add. : )
Anyway thanks for filling your boredom with your blogs. I enjoyed it. Marti