So, during the pandemic I had a young angry man who chose not to be vaccinated. He was convinced that his youth and vigour along with some questionable supplements would keep him healthy. He took no precautions and actually attended a COVID party.
Darren Markland
74.6K posts
Darren Markland
@drdagly
Intensive care doc, nephrologist, bamboo bike frame builder, active transportation advocate, barista bike rider and general humanist. I own my tweets.
Edmonton
Joined July 2007
- Replying to @drdaglyAs I watch the horrors of that time fade, and governments rewrite history in favour of those who were cruel and selfish while dismantling the systems that kept innocents safe, I’m seeing less and less benefit of the doubt.
- Last night before I intubated a lovely man with COVID, he insisted on calling his boss to explain why he wouldn’t be into work on Mon. He was so short of breath I had to finish the call for him. In the aftermath I realized how this job was a lifeline for him. It left me unnerved.
- I spent an hour in the ICU explaining a minor procedure to a patient. The tears made it clear they need to have an element of control in their care. I sprayed some lidocaine in my own throat to prove it was safe, an promptly gagged & wretched. They “snot laughed” and consented.
- Replying to @drdaglyWhen he showed up with blue lips and an oxygen saturation barely compatible with life he still had enough vitriol to call us butchers and take swings at the nurses. But we knew he was sick and we gave him the benefit of the doubt.
- I have worked for 37 straight hours, covered ICU and nephrology call overnight, looked after three dialysis units, 10 dialysis shifts and the hospital kidney service. In return, I ask you to wear a mask, zoom Christmas dinner and pretend New Year’s eve is June 31st. Please?
- Replying to @drdaglyWhen we were finally able to get him off the ventilator so that he could talk, I had to disclose to him that his father had died from COVID. He called as butchers and swore and threatened my staff to the point of needing security to come in. I have seen grief this violent before.
- Replying to @drdaglyWhen he finally crashed, our team resuscitated him. Ventilated him. Dialyzed him. Rehabbed him.
- Replying to @drdaglyI remember his dad being admitted to unit far sicker than him. He had caught it from him. But I understood how hard it was to be separated from family so I gave him the benefit of the doubt.
- Danielle Smith expressed concerns about how the unvaccinated were treated. I can personally assure her that we treated all of them in the ICU during the delta wave with kindness, dignity and respect, even while some of their families called us murderers and threatened our lives.
- So, we’ve reached 34 deaths per day from COVID. It’s a shocking number that really gets swamped over by all the other numbers. I’m going to describe the usual dying process in the ICU from this disease. I’m wearing my clinical hat, be warned.
- Replying to @drdaglyHe was in our unit for a month. He was hard to control. Every response from him was to strike out. To be able to ventilate him we had to sedate him. I knew how critical illness can make people delirious so I gave him the benefit of the doubt.
- Today my HVAC guy taught me how to be a better physician. As you know, it’s stinking hot in Edmonton right now, and though the heat doesn’t bother me much, we are a family of Vikings and it’s my job to help my ginger spawn survive. Cue the ominous silence from our AC unit.