Unto the least of these. . .

 I read a verse this morning that made me think of a call last summer, and I've chosen to share the story with you all.

*Addresses and names are fictitious in accordance with HIPAA regulations*

Dweedle-dweedle, beep beep beep!!! my pager chirped. "Berks Township, 2336 South Market Street, for chest pain." The dispatcher stated, adding that my unit was due to respond to the call. I shoved the mop bucket to the side of the hallway and tossed the cleaning supplies into the closet on the way to the truck bay. Half the bathroom was cleaned, but the other half would have to wait until we returned. 

Flipping on the lights and siren, I easily merged onto the busy highway. "58 year old male, sudden onset of chest pain, trouble breathing, extensive cardiac history. Oh, and he did take one nitro with no relief." The dispatcher added.

That information added urgency, (and a bit more speed). 

Several minutes later,  I was kneeling on the floor beside the sofa where our patient was seated. As I applied the electrodes for the 12 lead, I had instant regret of kneeling on the spongy carpet. A giant swarm of gnats and fleas rose from the canine hair on the floor to join their fellow evicted comrades perched on the grimy ceiling fan above our heads. It might've been July, but I still shivered as I tried to shake the thought of my surroundings, and finished taking vital signs. Glancing at the monitor, I noted the increased arrhythmia, and knew we needed to transport immediately. Time was of the essence. A trickle of sweat ran down my neck as I stood to talk to the family members. In the kitchen, the 3 mangy mutts barked and howled in the background as I explained the situation to the family. 

As we loaded the stretcher into the ambulance, I was glad to breathe fresh air again. Soon, my paramedic partner was set-up and ready to move. I jumped in the drivers seat and threaded in and out of the heavy Friday afternoon traffic. It didn't take long until we were standing in the cath lab, watching as the ER doc placed a stent. 

"Good work, guys!" he said to my crew. "That blockage was pretty bad."

Back at the station, I noticed that my souvenirs of the call (dog hair and the smell of cigarette smoke) still lingered on my uniform.

 "...and this is why we always bring an extra uniform with us on shift." I explained to our student as I tossed the load in the washer. 

"You never know when you might need it."

I walked back in the charting room, and sat down to chart the call. The student joined me for a charting lesson. Partway through the chart she asked, "Is it always easy to still respect and treat stinky, dirty people like that? A bunch of that man's medical problems would go away if he would simply take care of himself instead of sitting around. And the fleas!!! That whole trailer was so gross!" She exclaimed. 

I suppressed a grin. Yes, I had indeed noticed the filthiness of the residence.  A verse flited through my head:

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Matthew 25:40