History

We were called to pick up one of our regular dialysis patients from treatment and bring him back to his nursing home. After moving him to his bed, I turned to leave the room and noticed a bulletin board full of pictures. Most appeared to be of his children and grandchildren, but one caught my attention. I looked at it closely, then turned my head to look at the patient lying in bed.

Yup, it was him. Standing on a boat with his granddaughter. Smiling, happy, in seemingly perfect health.

I looked back again at the patient, lying motionless in bed, eyes fixed on the ceiling.

The picture was dated 2008. I turned to my partner and asked what his history was.

"CVA."
"That's it?"
"Well, after that, it all started going downhill."
"Oh. Wow."

I gazed at the photo, looking back and forth between the picture and the patient.

History in 2008: No past pertinent medical history.

History in 2009: General weakness, renal failure, aphasia, diabetes, dysphagia all secondary to CVA.