How to save a life

He was about twenty when he overdosed on something and fell out hard in the yard. He lay there cooking under the hot desert sun for quite awhile before somebody found him, and by then he was in rhabdomyolysis. This is basically the rapid breakdown of muscle cells. It commonly occurs when someone is "down" for a long time without moving. As the muscle cells die, all the proteins are released and circulate in the blood, clogging up the kidneys and causing major problems.

This kiddo was sick, terribly sick. He was one of the first really sick patients I ever cared for, on CRRT (continuous dialysis) and all that. He had a ventilator and a million drips, of course. His friends sat at his bedside constantly, radio playing. As you know, the commercial stations usually play the same 8 songs over and over, so you will hear the current popular tunes several times during one shift.

At that time, "How to save a life" by The Fray was playing all the time. I'll never forget listening to it as we worked intently, trying so hard to support his body while waiting to see if it could recover.

It could not; he would not. After days of sitting on chairs next to his bed while the radio played, his friends and family said good-bye.

I was surfing the radio today when I happened upon that song. I always kinda liked it from the start. I think for the rest of my life, whenever I hear that song I will picture that patient, that room. I will feel the cool temperature of the hospital air on my skin, smell the soap, and almost reach to do my hourly checks. I will go back again and again.