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3 years ago, I was being put to sleep before surgery & while I knew everyone in the OR, I was frightened. I was fighting back tears on the table.
Today, a patient gushed to my attending that a fellow held her hand before falling asleep
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https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🧵" title="Thread" aria-label="Emoji: Thread">1/
Today, a patient gushed to my attending that a fellow held her hand before falling asleep
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The patient said that she normally doesn& #39;t get scared. She works in healthcare. She& #39;s seen it all. But something about being alone, naked, while people mill about you without seeing YOU was scary.
I know, I felt it too. I felt childish asking someone to hold my hand.
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I know, I felt it too. I felt childish asking someone to hold my hand.
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I asked her where she& #39;d be going during her "anesthesia holiday", to which she replied a beachhttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🏖️" title="Strand mit Sonnenschirm" aria-label="Emoji: Strand mit Sonnenschirm">. No friends. No family. A few bookshttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="📚" title="Bücher" aria-label="Emoji: Bücher">. Teeny, tiny bikinihttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="👙" title="Bikini" aria-label="Emoji: Bikini">. Mai tai& #39;s.
My attending smiled & said, "you realize the fellow who held your hand is Dr Muldoon"
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My attending smiled & said, "you realize the fellow who held your hand is Dr Muldoon"
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When she realized it was me, her whole face lit up. "It WAS you. It was YOU!" she said.
She laughed & said, "I even remember that you told me you& #39;re pregnant. You told me what her name& #39;s going to be. Is it still a secret?"
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She laughed & said, "I even remember that you told me you& #39;re pregnant. You told me what her name& #39;s going to be. Is it still a secret?"
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"Yes," I told her. "Still a secret. Even [Attending] doesn& #39;t know the name yet".
She wanted so desperately for me to believe that she remembered that moment, that she walked over, leaned up to my ear, and whispered my 25-week baby girl& #39;s name to me.
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She wanted so desperately for me to believe that she remembered that moment, that she walked over, leaned up to my ear, and whispered my 25-week baby girl& #39;s name to me.
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"Yup", I said. "You & my husband are now the only two who know her name".
She BEAMED.https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🤩" title="Vom Star geblendet" aria-label="Emoji: Vom Star geblendet">She teared up a little, then told me thank you again, while looking directly into my eyes.
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She BEAMED.
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It& #39;s the smallest gesture. And I& #39;ve certainly been told its fruitless, w/ comments like "They don& #39;t even remember" and "you& #39;ll be in anesthesia& #39;s way".
Ihttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="👏" title="Applaus-Zeichen" aria-label="Emoji: Applaus-Zeichen">DON& #39;T https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="👏" title="Applaus-Zeichen" aria-label="Emoji: Applaus-Zeichen">CARE.
I remember the fear & the loneliness of those moments like they happened yesterday.
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I
I remember the fear & the loneliness of those moments like they happened yesterday.
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There is data to support hand-holding & verbal comfort (i.e. being an empathic human) w/ regard to anxiety & anesthetic effect:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26333111/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26333111/... href=" https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30027283/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30027283/... href=" https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29275402/
...among">https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29275402/... many others
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https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26333111/
...among">https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29275402/... many others
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Honestly, there& #39;s nothing groundbreaking here. Just one person holding another person& #39;s hand. https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🤚" title="Erhobener Handrücken" aria-label="Emoji: Erhobener Handrücken"> And how such a small measure can mean so much to another individual.
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Imagine that during a traumatizing experience you& #39;ve had, whether it was hearing of a loss, experiencing pain, etc - if you had someone - ANYONE - to hold your hand.
Would it be as terrifying if you knew someone was there just for you?
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Would it be as terrifying if you knew someone was there just for you?
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#MedTwitter #ProTip In longwinded summary, I hold every. single. patient& #39;s hand during anesthesia induction. When I meet them in preop, I make sure to ask permission to do so (not everyone shares my hand-holding love https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="❤️" title="Rotes Herz" aria-label="Emoji: Rotes Herz">). I& #39;ve yet to be shot down. I& #39;ve yet to regret it.
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Give it a chance. Let me know what you think. #MedStudentTwitter - I& #39;m looking at you. #Doctors #Nurses During COVID, it& #39;s been hard to feel that human connection. Let& #39;s bring back the #handholding.
