Heartbreaking

Elderly female patient arrived via EMS uncooperative and combative.  Alternating between swearing, sobbing, and swinging at the staff, she insisted on leaving and repeatedly tried to jump off the stretcher.  Heavy EtOH on board.

She had been diagnosed with terminal cancer three days prior.

She lived alone, and no friends or family followed her in.

After several failed attempts at calming her down, one of the doctors asked that she be restrained to prevent injury to herself or others, but there was no way that I was going to be the one to shackle this poor lady to the bed.  I offered to sit with her instead, and kept her from jumping off the bed.  After an hour or so she calmed down and eventually fell asleep.

Cancer sucks.