Med School can't come fast enough

So today started out like any other Tuesday. Went into work early, like most Tuesdays, got things done in the office and made sure the undergrad in my lab had plenty to do before she came in. Got more office stuff done, tidied the lab some, and organized some equipment and protocols until a meeting with my boss/supervisor. Then came a 'more in-depth than I ever wanted to know' explanation of how to control our growth chamber's temperature and humidity. This was then followed by our weekly lab meeting, which involved an interesting form of vector control for Dengue Fever by injecting life-span reducing bacteria into mosquitoes. Pretty neat stuff. Here's a popular science article about it. If you're interested in the actual scientific paper, let me know and I can forward it to you.

Anyway, after lab meeting, I headed off to run an errand for the lab. I had to buy an electrical plug to attach a mains lead from our internationally ordered pump used to keep aphids fixated while we microinject them. Long story short, I got to play handyman again. At the same time, Sharona needed a ride to go pick up her car from Midas, which is very close to the Lowes I was heading to, so it all worked out well. Glad she's got wheels again, that hopefully won't fall off. I then returned to the lab to help Calum and Adam with dissection work, and then made to assemble my gadgets. On finishing my handiwork, I quickly noted where the fire extinguisher was incase the electronics decided to explode. My fear was the mixing up of wire colors between UK and US systems, but I prayed that Wikipedia and eHow had pointed me in the right direction - and they had! The pump worked well enough, I think, because it started making humming noises and the lights went on. Sadly, I didn't know how to place the tubing and such, or whether any additional settings were required, so I went off to find Sophie in her office to ask her. This is when things got ugly.

I stepped into our office to find Sophie somewhat hunched up on her desk with her hands covering her face. I asked if she was doing alright since from my analysis, she looked as if she were recently crying. She told me she was okay, but that she had one of her migraines that plagues her now and then. I then asked if she could help me figure out how to use the pump, and she agreed. We then made our way down the hallway towards the lab, but I found myself walking faster than her. Upon looking back, I see her collapse against the wall and suddenly start dropping to the floor. I'm instantly frozen with fear and shock, and before I can react, she's passed out on the floor 2 feet in front of me. After snapping out of my paralysis, I rush over to her side and check to see if she's awake. She isn't, but she's still breathing, etc. I then run to Rodrigo's office and interrupt his meeting with his supervisor to tell him what's happened. We run back to where Sophie was laying, and both manage to turn her on her back and raise her head. After some firm, yet gentle, face massaging/stroking, Rodrigo manages to wake Sophie. She regains consciousness slowly, but displays obvious signs of distress - headache and nausea, plus, she was speaking in French. Luckily, Rodrigo and I knew enough French to know what was up. Good thing she didn't use fancy words. I was then asked to go fetch a trashcan in case she decided to relieve her stomach, but luckily, it wasn't needed in the end. After staying by her side for some time, she eventually got up and rested in her office chair until my boss's husband brought a car and drove her and Rodrigo home.

During the time where Sophie was down on the floor, sitting up, Rodrigo told her she had to relax and not stress for the rest of the day. He then looked at me and said, "Tell her, Tomas," and looked at Sophie, and with a smile, said to her, "You have to listen to him. He's the doctor!" While this made me smile initially, it only made me feel crappy for not being able to respond to the incident accordingly. I was pretty mad at myself for not trying to catch Sophie as she was falling. Also, I didn't check for her pulse or breathing (at least immediately). At least I went to get help, thinking that Rodrigo had mentioned these episodes happening previously, so I figured he'd be the best one to grab without calling some sort of medical service. At least that was a smart move on my part.

After she got up, all I could do was grab a trashcan in case she vomitted. I have no real skills in first-aid or emergency response. While I technically have no reason to know these things just yet, I felt completely helpless for not being able to provide any useful information or treatment on the spot. I know I haven't gone through medical training of any sort just yet, but at times like this, I remember one of the reasons I want to be a doctor - so that I'll be able to help those around me and those I care about.

Aside from assisting Rodrigo, I found myself praying for Sophie's health and applying some basic energy healing from afar, like Reiki but without physical contact. My lack of courage didn't allow me to ask Sophie for a 'hands-on' approach. It seemed to help, actually, like a jumpstart to a car. After a few minutes of work, she was able to pick her head up from her desk and regained a greater awareness of what was going on. This made me feel a little better, but not completely.

I guess we can't excel at everything we want, just yet, but some day, I hope to gain enough courage and knowledge to respond well enough to such situations. I don't think I could deal with emergency medicine as my specialization, but at the same time, I know my reflexes would give me a good edge on such situations. I just lack the information necessary for my brain and body to act accordingly. All in due time, I guess. As my boss likes to say, "We'll get there in the end."

Sophie and I are both lucky in that she fell quite slowly against the hallway wall and gently collapsed onto the floor. But next time might not prove so lucky, in which case, I hope my instincts will take over, and I'll find myself rushing over to help the fainting individual, should the situation present itself once again.