The Fainting Incident

166. I don't usually have fainting spells but on this particular incident, I had one of my most embarrassing fainting spells  to date. Our group, group IV of our class, was lucky enough to be chosen for the Cadiz Medical Mission. It was a golden opportunity to finish our major and minor cases and we were so happy. Save for the fact that they let us stay in a run down, haunted house in front of the hospital, it was great. It wasn't so nice for those of us who had open third eyes though, they were thoroughly disturbed by the shadows, noises and ghosts of old in that house. I was saddened to be apart from you for one week though since I was used to seeing you every day at this point. Anyway, I was assisting in one operation, a cholecystectomy, where I was given the task as a retracting scrub nurse instead of an instrument scrub nurse. Somewhere in the middle of the operation I began to feel dizzy. And it wasn't because of all the blood as some would likely think. I wasn't afraid of blood at all. As my vision became a little blurry, a surge of panic overwhelmed me. You can't faint here! Not now. So I began to breathe as deep as I could, as my arms became stiff. I told the doctor, who coincidentally had the same last name as me, that I was dizzy and if it was alright if I switched with my partner who was on instruments. Perhaps he misheard me because he just laughed and joked "DC? Discontinue the operation?" Oh no. And then when I tried to tell him once again, my vision became narrow as a tunnel and everything went dark. The last thing I remembered was to let go of those two deaver retractors I had been using and let myself fall away from the operating table, away from the patient. When I woke up I was on the floor, with worried faces crowding around me-- my classmate, my clinical instructor, a surgeon and the anesthesiologist. They took off my mask and gave me some oxygen, gave me some candy. The first thing I said was "Oh no, I'm unsterile now. I'm so sorry." They rebuked me by telling me that I should be more worried that I fainted in the operating room to begin with. So I scrubbed out. My clinical instructor was so worried that he accompanied me until I was feeling better. He inquired as to the probable causes- did you not eat breakfast, are you feeling unwell? I told him I ate a hearty meal before the operation, and I felt just fine; probably it was exhaustion from all that retracting. He advised me to get my bloodwork done when we returned home. I broke into tears in the dressing room. I was so frustrated and embarrassed with myself. Would I still be able to get my case? When the operation was done, they let me come back and clean the instruments. Pitying me, they still gave me the case. So save for my pride and weak constitution, I was alright.  It turned out that I was slightly anemic. I just hope in the future that nothing like this ever takes place again. I really hate being a bother and a nuisance, making an embarrassment out of myself. When I told you this, you were also concerned and even accompanied me to the laboratory. I just want to put this incident behind me since the operating room is one of my favorite places for duty.