more bleeding

Yesterday a beautiful, educated 22 year old woman was brought into our emergency room on the edge of passing out.  Her blood pressure was quite low.  We put in two IV's with wide open fluids, did a pregnancy test which was positive, got an ultrasound which showed her abdomen was full of fluid -- blood.  The ambulance came right away and set out with her for the referral hospital -- if she was to live, she needed emergency surgery for hemorrhage -- likely due to ruptured ectopic pregnancy. 

 

Before and after the ambulance left with her, I spent at least an hour on the phone, making at least 10 phone calls to seemingly every part of the referral hospital, trying to find a gynecologist accepting emergencies.  I spent many minutes on hold for various providers who never got to the phone, called again after many busy signals, never found a doctor to tell about this patient headed for their hospital.   I was finally able to give the patient's name and story to gyn secretary at the other hospital, and she said they'd attend to the young woman. 

Sometimes people die tragically.  It is painful to be there when it happens.  She probably died, but I don't know that for sure.  

I have been reflecting on spiritual teachings as I prepare for another work day today, and asking to be filled with lovingkindness, for myself and for others. 

I am laughing now after reading a quote from Woody Allen,

“To love is to suffer. To avoid suffering, one must not love. But then, one suffers from not loving. Therefore, to love is to suffer; not to love is to suffer; to suffer is to suffer. To be happy is to love. To be happy, then, is to suffer, but suffering makes one unhappy. Therefore, to be happy, one must love or love to suffer or suffer from too much happiness.”