surreal

Late in the night the pager buzzed a code blue.  When I arrived a medical team was already surrounding the bed of a elderly man.  A nurse was kneeling over him doing CPR.


I'm always surprised at how physical codes are.  The team take turns pumping a chest, putting their everything into it.  Codes end with a group of sweat drenched people.


This time the life saving measures went on and on.  I perched on a chair right outside the room.  On one side of the patient the vital signs monitor shows lines jumping and falling, jumping and falling.  On the other side of the patient another TV was broadcasting Jay Leno's new show.  I watched one....then the other.  It was surreal.  I could almost hear the Twilight Zone music in the background.


At first it struck me as very irreverent.  A man is dying.  Heroics are being performed.  Do we really need to hear Jay and Steve Carrell cracking up?  Was everyone on the medical team too busy and focused to notice?


But we got into the second code, the vital lines were more erratic, and flatter.  The medical team was tired and grim.  The family was on their way to receive bad news.   Jay's cheerful banter reminded me that outside this room there are people full of life, people with big plans and little annoyances - home after a busy day, curled up in bed or on the couch, having one last laugh before they fall asleep peacefully.


Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.  Matthew 6:34