Top 3 Memorable patients

I've gone through so many so quickly that I don't remember many of them. But a few do stick in my head usually not for good reasons ahaks.

1. A middle aged man who wanted to stay in hospital and was pretty angry when I discharged him. He kept saying you haven't solved all my problems. I told him we've managed the reason you came to hospital...you can go to your GP for your other problems.

He wasn't happy with the discharge summary I wrote for him and was angry that his address and mobile phone details were on it (?????). He even formally complained to the hospital about this! Turns out he has paranoia. As with those people; they think everyone is out to get them and having his personal details on the summary tantamounts to "giving away" his location.

It was a good thing I wasn't at work when he made the complaint. Adoi tak kuasa nak layan. Hubby was working at the time so he re-wrote the discharge summary instead.

2. A 50 year old woman who frequently overdoses on medications. She comes in at least 2-3 times a month. She has borderline personality disorder and always creates trouble in the ward. She shouts, she wails, she tries to hit nurses. She also tries to slash her wrist in the ward with anything that she can find.  She has the characteristics of a 5 year old throwing a major tantrum. Every time she is there, everyone moans and groans and whinges why she just can't successfully kill herself to save everyone the trouble.

3. An 87 year old man with dementia who kept wandering all over the ward. Sometimes he gets lost in the Emergency Department. Once I found him in the Radiology Department corridor just standing idly. I told him "Come on dear let's go back to your ward". And he said "Oh, am I not on my ward?". I couldn't help laughing inside. Sometimes the nurses would come to me panicked and breathless because they had "lost" him again for the 4th time in a day. He would go to other patients' beds and visit them and act as if he himself was not a patient there. He was lovely. These variety of demented patients are far better tolerated than the demented aggressive ones who like to hit and kick out.