Last Night…

I paused to think of what I was saying…
Apparently it was nonsense.
The consultant was hovering over me, practically ordering me, tele-pathetically of course, to figure this out.Think, think….
The wine was really good! Not the usual common kind. I had no idea where she got it from, but it was great….It had a tinge of peach…. And it burnt my throat in a ticklish way.
Like many beautiful things in life, It didn’t start out planned.
It was just like any other visit… We talked and danced, and drank and danced some more….We fooled, and played and….Uuh… Let’s say we made a memorable night…..
I love her!
Kofi, snap out of it!
We had here Mr. Odeyeko. 57 year old morbidly obese male. He had presented a month ago, with chest pains, dyspnea, tachycardia, and oedema in the right leg, albeit a normal blood pressure.
He was diagnosed with constrictive pericarditis, which had led to a pericardial effusion, and had been observed for a week, after which he was sent into surgery for pericardiectomy, and pericardiocentesis. Surgery had gone very well, and he had been sent to the ward for recovery. He was presently on some medication.
Now, eight days post op, and he presents with a tamponade! Of course, it’s always one of the things to look out for in such cases, but everything had gone on so well…. Till now.
Why was my head spinning?
It seemed to everyone else an easy answer, and just like all other cardiac tamponades, this was an emergency!
“Asamoah! Where did all your medicine run away to?”
Frankly, my mind was hovering more on the match tonight than it was on Mr. Odeyeko.
Or maybe it was last nights wild amazing fun..…
“Kofi Ogyaedu Asamoah!” He bellowed. “Your mind isn’t even here!!”
Frantically, I muttered something I hoped would correct my earlier misdiagnoses…
“Sir, Recent cardiac surgery, coronary intervention, or some trauma can lead to the rapid accumulation of pericardial fluid… and especially since he had restrictive pericarditis, tamponade cannot be ruled out….”
Why couldn’t I get her smell out of my head? Chanel no. 1, I think…. Her fathers last present to her….
My heart was beating as though I’d run a marathon!
“Kofi I said what is the way forward??”
What on earth did this man want from me again?!
“Kofi, I want you to walk out of this ward, and put yourself together! In the next two hours when I get back from my break, you should be composed, and ready to think fast! ”
Blessing in disguise
“Yes sir.” I muttered as unenthusiastically as I could….
He didn’t know what he’d done!
I walked out of the ward as fast as I could, without engaging curious eyes.
I made a phone call…
“Nana Ama…. Let’s do it again… I’ll see you in ten. You better have more of the wine….”