The Tales of a Clinician

If You Can’t Look, Imagine Doing It Daily

The other day, I had a patient, details held purposefully for HIPAA reasons.

This person has been bedbound for over ten years. As a result, they had developed three unstageable wounds to the sacrum and bilateral gluteal areas. These wounds require dressing changes twice a day or BID.

When the second change was due, there wasn’t enough support around to hold the patient still. The patient’s primary support person was present at the bedaide. When asked, this individual willingly agreed to help hold the patient during this process. That alone was appreciated.

As the old dressings were being removed, this individual commented on the smell. Then I asked if they wanted to take a look at the wounds to see its progression.

They vehemently declined.

They said the last time they saw the wound, they vomited.

This person, by the way, is the patient’s only loved one who is always there all day to be with this patient. 

Make of this exchange what you will.

This is why some family members deeply appreciate and respect clinicians, because not everyone can do this. Not everyone can see it, smell it, touch it, and still show up again later to do it all over.

But some do.

Every single day.

And yet, there are still people and family members who show little to no appreciation for the work.

That part is hard to comprehend if you ask me.

Because if you can’t even look…

Imagine doing it daily. 

Care to share some experiences from your line of work? 

God bless you for reading this. 

Pal Ronnie