The Christmas story.
Readers with a strong anti-American allergy may prefer to refrain from reading history.
The Christmas season is in its height, music on the radio is typical for this time of year, the people of the Christmas tree pulls home, parties, mornings.
That’s all that reminded me that ten years ago I was destined to be there.
The real Santa Claus.
The story begins, like all my stories, in the hospital, or rather in the wake-up room, where we hand over our patients to nurses after anesthesia.
I’ve done it all by routine.
With my back, but I feel – the tension grows from behind, I hear trouble.
I turn — a boy of 10 years, a thin blonde, after a petty surgery with anesthesia — runs into a real epileptic seizure.
I get into the situation - I am the only doctor there at the time, we quickly set up all anti-epileptic measures for him, the people ran for help, the boy finished shaking, came to consciousness.
I continue to drop his medication, I drop my schedule on colleagues, I only deal with them.
Epilepsy history - no, the first case with witnesses.
We call Mommy - a tortured young woman with three children, all younger than her brother, he is older.
I reassure my mom - I begin to ask her, it turns out - he had moments of silence and absence, as if... showed a neurologist? No, did not get, like the pediatrician sent, there was no time, alone at home, husband in Iraq.
On the phone with the child's pediatrician - the dristun was found, refused to approach from the office - uncomfortable to him in the hospital with a critical patient, you see, not trained.
is lying. I sent him polite...
Give me the tube of the pediatrician of intensive care of a large hospital - that clearly got into the situation - a critical patient in a small hospital without a pediatric intensive care - transfer to me, I send a pediatric resuscitation brigade for transportation, lasting an hour and a half-two before their arrival. Fu, it was allowed - treatment agreed with him by phone.
I go to the family - the mother in panic, what to do with other children - to go with them or leave here, the question - with whom?
Unknown to me, someone has already notified the officer to help the families of military personnel.
Approaches me a man - in the state, a major - very pleasant, how can I help?
I tell the situation - the mother breaks in pieces, the child is translated.
Yes is. Go back, doctor, to the child, I will work on a plan for help.
I reassure my mom - the help came, and the child is better, completely hesitated - while hesitated.He has to go through a lot of different examinations, in intensive therapy to lie down - until Christmas, and possibly longer.
I thought it was like Christmas, brother.
The officer worked quickly and efficiently - the children are taken by the neighbor on the base, the mommy can go with the patient. It seems all...
not all.
He calls me aside, I need to talk.
The command of the base contacted the head of the child’s father in Iraq.
He wants to talk to you.
It brings a phone - I have not seen such - a strange look, satellite, something.
I take the phone – I hear it well, by the way – general.
Tell me about the situation, please.
He has two questions for me. First, how serious and unstable is the situation? Very serious and incomprehensible - until pediatric neurologists set up treatment, we translate it into pediatric intensive therapy. So the second question is, how necessary is the presence of the father?
How much will it affect the treatment?
I thought for a moment about the worst behind me.
On the other hand, the tortured mother will break between the children and the hospital – 50 miles from us, not close.
And Christmas will be more fun for my patient.
The benefit will be enormous, I think its presence is extremely desirable.
I will ask you, doctor, to go and announce to the family and the boy that the father will be with them in 20 hours.
He said goodbye and asked to send the phone to the mayor.
I flew to the man - he was very happy, the eyes glittered, the mother translated the spirit.
I personally led a brigade with the patient to the exit, my mom hugged me and I said goodbye to my patient.
So I seemed to have visited Santa Claus for this child.
Happy holidays!! to