On a serious note...

About a week and a half ago, I got a phone call around nine o'clock at night.  It was the hospital and they needed me to come in because a tornado hit a neighborhood in Granbury and there were lots of injuries. The hospital had called a "code orange." Every off duty nurse was called in as well as off duty physicians.  I quickly got dressed in my scrubs and headed to the hospital.  the forty minute drive there was a bit eery.  All the traffic was headed in the opposite direction.  Lightning filled the sky.  I followed an ambulance all the way to the hospital.  All I could think about was what I was about to see. 

I got to the hospital at 2145. The hospital parking lot was packed! Now this is a small town hospital, at night there are a max of 20 cars on a normal night.  I ran through the rain into the emergency department.  It was packed.  We set up the hospital preop and recovery into an intermediate triage area.  The emergency department was set up for severe injuries and the cafeteria was set up for minor injuries.  

About 2200 the ambulances started rolling in, one after another.  It was a sea of lights.  The patients were soaking wet from the ran, covered in dirt, rocks, bugs from being thrown around in the air and ground.   Many of the injuries were broken bones, lacerations, head injuries, and puncture wounds.  These people had lost all their material belongings.  I never heard anyone ask about the state of their home or belongings but of the state of their family members.  We tried our hardest to locate family members and update them on the status of their family members.   It was hard because there were so many people. 

The Fort Worth EMS sent this medical bus to our hospital to transport twenty patients at a time to the metroplex.  We stabilized the patients and then sent them on this bus for further treatment. The bus was so cool. It was a greyhound that was gutted and set up to hold 20 stretchers stacked along the walls. The front of the bus had a medication area,radio to contact the hospital,and other supplies.  It was very high tech. One medic told us this was the first time it had been used.   I can only imagine how this bus can help people and how it can efficiently transport a couple dozen people to the care they need. 

I have never felt so proud to work at a place then I did that Wednesday night.  It was amazing to see all the medical staff at the hospital helping the community.  Paramedics, EMT's, police, nurses,physicians,nurse practitioners, crnas, radiology, lab and husbands of nurses banded together to get people the care they needed in an efficient manner.  It was amazing.

The last week and a half have been crazy. Tornadoes have happened almost every day. Lots of damage has occurred.  Many people have lost their lives. The medical community has seen a lot of trauma for a week and a half. People are devastated.  Our hearts break for the people who have lost so much.

Do what you can to help these people in need. Take tornado warnings seriously. Know a safe place and go there.  Prepare.   

Blessed is the GOD and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles so that we may be able to comfort those experiencing any trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.  I Corinthians 1: 3-4