As anyone in this field will tell you, the alcohol withdrawal (or "DT's" as we say in the medical biz) patients can be a nightmare or entertaining.
So while on call today, I got consulted to see a 60-something lady in DT's.
Unlike Mr. Pizza Guy DT, this lady was belting out Ethel Merman's greatest show tunes, at the top of her lungs! Thought she was in a show (which, technically, I guess she was. Me and a nurse as the audience, though when the room was empty she sang to the TV).
"THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS LIKE NO BUSINESS I KNOW!"
And finishing that one, she gave herself a round of applause, and went on to "Everything's Coming Up Roses", then "The Lullaby of Broadway". This has continued, as I wander on and off the floor doing consults. Later in the afternoon she switched to Barry Manilow, doing a surprisingly on-key rendition of "Copacabana".
They tried closing her door. It didn't do a thing. Her voice was in the gigadecibel range, and the use of duct tape is (unfortunately) forbidden.
At one point a security guard with the hospital's patrol K-9 wandered by. The dog stopped outside the door and began howling along.
5 comments:
Nice Airplane reference. As for what I thought, it made me a bit sad...I have a SIL who's an alcoholic and age 50; how depressing to be detoxing at 60-something.
The dog adding to her song made it a bit funny too however.
Love your blog. Found it through Nurse K.
I got the reference, too.
But then again, I'm an old fart.
I can also imagine what happened when you gave her PO fluids (Envision her trying to drink with eye)
I think it could be worse. she could be seeing spiders and aliens. LOLOL
Show tunes are good, I would have sung along. :-)
That's even better than my recent detoxing gal who spent most of her time on the Ativan drip staring at a blank wall and saying "this is the best TV show ever! What channel is this so I can watch it at home?"
Tex said: "Envision her trying to drink with eye"
In Airplane!, Ted Stryker wasn't trying to drink with his eye, he simply kept missing his mouth (hence his "drinking problem").
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