Good morning! Hope you are getting out to enjoy the warmer weather this week like my patients. Did you know that walking adds years onto your life? And, if you like to walk fast? This Wednesday was Organ Day for my son’s high school science class. For the past 13 years, a local pathologist has brought in various body organs to school to show the kids. As one could imagine, this is a highly anticipated day for students and teachers alike. It was also set to be a special day for me. I knew I would start the day by walking into school with Charlie and finish the morning by having lunch with him, a real treat. It was an added plus that I hadn’t examined organs like this since Gross Anatomy 25 years ago. As Charlie brought me up the steps to room 213, I was as excited as the dozen or so kids giggling, whispering, and clamoring around Dr. G’s door. All were trying to sneak a peak at what was coming out of the buckets. It was looking like Organ Day was carrying all the hype my high schooler said it had. Like a VIP, I weaved my way through the students and confidently strode into the room. I found Dr. Kessel, a pathologist in his 50’s. Wearing wire-rimmed glasses, a short sleeved buttoned-up white Oxford, he carefully took his gloveless hands and placed the cold, wet organs onto stainless steel trays at the various stations. Central casting could not have picked a better actor. Within the next 15 minutes, 10 other doctors from various specialties had arrived and we were all drinking the generously provided coffee. A lot of smiles, laughing, and catching up. Two minutes later the room was additionally packed with eager 7th graders, bug-eyed 2nd graders, fascinated faculty, and about a dozen physicians lucky to spend the day with the children. At 8:05, the parent volunteers introduced themselves by name, specialty, and our children’s names (I pointed at Charlie when I mentioned him). We had gone all the way around the horn with Dr. Kessel going last. After his introduction, the pathologist softened his voice and slowed down his speech. “I know it smells a little funny. That’s the preservative keeping the organs from breaking down. If you start feeling a little uncomfortable or lightheaded, that’s okay. Please step out of the room, take a few breaths and come back in. We’ve been doing this for 13 years and in all that time we’ve only had one kindergartner pass out.” That was the last thing I remember. Rubbing my eyes, I found myself staring up at a whole bunch of students and several faculty standing over me. Next to my head, broken glass was strewn everywhere amid some straw. One of the 2nd graders had yanked the stethoscope out of my white coat and was listening to my left leg and nodding. While several of the other doctors were attending to me, the whole room was not with me. There was an entirely separate group led by Dr. G, scrambling around rather frantically. They were moving chairs and desks and Dr. G seemed VERY concerned. Reportedly, as I was going down, I grabbed a metal pole for support. This aluminum pole supported a 6 foot long shelf that held the scorpion aquarium. While there are around 2000 scorpion species only 30-40 have strong enough poison to kill a person. Due to a special exemption with strict conditions, Dr. G was able to have one of these (Indian Red Scorpion) on loan from a sister school in Sri Lanka. The rules were the aquarium had to be kept at a height of greater than 9 feet and made of bullet-proof glass. We found out later Wednesday that there is/was/are a shortage of bullet-proof aquariums in Central Ohio. You never know what a 13 year old is thinking, but I figured this incident may have been embarrassing for Charlie. No pun intended, but I was looking to ‘stop the bleeding’ when I met with school administration. While I certainly understood Wednesday’s early dismissal of the student body, I called the meeting with the because I found yesterday’s (Thursday’s) cancellation peculiar. Yes, the scorpion has not yet shown himself, but seriously, what are the odds he’s still in the building? Scorpions love the outside, naturally they are outdoor creatures. I’m sorry, where was I?
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