Notes From The Front Line

Monday was an exciting day at the high school clinic. In the morning, before classes started, C and I were called to the cafeteria. A worker had gone into premature labor (NOT Braxton Hicks!) and we ended up calling 911 for her. A 16 year old had a miscarriage in progress and was with us in the clinic all day. We did not have any emergency contacts for her that we could reach and she wasn't bad enough for 911. It’s a good thing C is a former labor and delivery nurse! The girl wanted to go back to class, but C was afraid she would faint and fall down the stairs or something. So she hung out with us. She didn't even have any homework to do or books to read. I think I may take some books to the clinic for cases like this. After all, we are supposed to be supporting the academic environment. Then at the end of the day we got a call from a teacher out in a portable. A student was asleep and she couldn't wake him up. C's first question was is he warm or cold? The teacher didn't know - she was afraid to touch him! By the time we got back there he was awake and able to walk to the clinic under his own power. (We had taken our wheelchair with us just in case) We did a neuro assessment and sent him on his way, but by that time of course, he had missed the bus. Two weeks ago five band kids were discovered in possession of "Cheese" on the band bus,,, so all the teachers are paranoid now of kids in their classes showing signs of use or even putting their heads on their desks. If they can't see their noses they might be snorting. It's sad. So it was an exciting day in the clinic. And that stuff was in addition to all the usual Monday traffic!