MAE JULIAN
The Heart Implant Journal
Continuing Nov. 26
By morning Schroeder was responding to simple commands. Dr. Lansing came in around 5:30 or 6:00AM, got all the information from us, and went off in his suit to a news conference. There are reporters from everywhere, here and from other countries. It is like a massive wave of microphones and cameras. For some reason, I didn’t expect that we would have this amazing wave of news people. DeVries seems perfectly happy to let Lansing take all the glory. I admire him. He seems much happier out of the spotlight, spending time in the room with Schroeder and all of us.
We are busy all the time, and there is an edge of uncertainty as this is so new to us. At one time during the night, I had a disaster. I was plugging in another unit of blood and instead of working at chest level with the bag of blood, and the introducer, which has a sharp point which pierces the plastic on the nub attached to the bag, I just hung the unit of blood on the IV stand. The blood had a brown pressure bag around it to achieve rapid infusion. I stabbed in the introducer. Suddenly the introducer dropped out, as I had not secured it properly. Blood in the pressure bag almost exploded the blood downwards, and I was suddenly covered with blood from my head, all over myself, down to, and including my shoes. What a mess. All I could think of was keeping my composure, so I just acted like nothing had happened, and called out calmly for someone to bring in another unit of blood. Nobody said a word and I went on as if nothing had happened. I did wipe my glasses off on a small sterile towel. I refused to look at anybody to see if they were stifling back laughter. I refused to show embarrassment or to acknowledge that anything untoward had happened. Later, when I took a bathroom break, I walked from around the privacy screen though the CCU area and the nurses there jolted and stared at me. I didn’t say a word. I went into the lounge and looked at myself in the mirror, and said, “Good, God.” I cleaned myself up, then, and changed into another set of scrubs from the cabinet. My hair was gummy with coagulated and drying blood but I let that go, as I had no way to wash it. Nobody ever said a word. As I write this, I’m saying…what a crew. They gave me a pass on a stupid mistake. Other than that, I didn’t screw up.
At one point I monitored the Utah Drive whilst Larry went out for a sandwich (by “out” I mean, out of the room into the CCU desk area). The wave pattern of diastole for Schroeder’s heart is at least beginning to sink in, and make sense. So much to become familiar with.
I left the hospital when our crew was relieved by nurses coming on shift, and drove home. It seemed strange to come home after so much had happened. Nothing was different at home. I had gone through a time warp. Luckily Spike was at work so he didn’t see my coagulated bloody hair and shoes. I hopped in the shower and then went and got the newspaper. I was so tired. I fell into bed and awakened about 1:00 or 2:00PM and ate. I sat in silence and thought, “My God–we have just made medical history, and I am a part of it.”
7Nov84
As I think about that first night, and about Bill DeVries, who is the most ordinary man, laid-back, lanky, down-home sort, that I find myself wondering about him when I’m not at the hospital. I think he taught me something really valuable: that part of what makes a truly great doctor is one who doesn’t think he is.
I called the hospital and Schroeder has been taken off the vent as of this morning. Big step forward. Mel called me last night about midnight and told me they have another very likely candidate over in CVU who is disease-free except for end-stage cardiomyopathy. She said DeVries is considering doing him in the next few days. Lord, help us all. To Be Continued…
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