Some patients we've seen in the last month...

Everlyne was admitted with HIV and Kaposi's sarcoma (it's the disease Tom Hanks had in the movie Philadelphia).  It's a type of cancer and it can affect any part of the body, including the skin, brain, and lungs.  She had a lesion that caused her left eye to bulge out.  She also had severe respiratory distress with an oxygen saturation of 40%, which was likely caused by either Kaposi's sarcoma or PCP or both.  By the time she was discharged she was much better and with a constant smile on her face.

Joyce was another patient with HIV who was admitted.  She came in because she was acting funny.  She had, in fact, become psychotic for unknown reasons and we had to tie her in restraints and feed her through a nasogastric tube because she was refusing all food and medications.  She, unfortunately, was not better by discharge but we sent her home in the care of her mother who was requesting discharge (due to financial constraints).

Everyone in the hospital knew Michelle by the time she left.  She was admitted with very high fevers and she soon fell into a coma.  She could not move, talk, or eat.  We diagnosed her with a viral encephalitis and waited for her to emerge from her coma.  In the meanwhile, we fed her through a nasogastric tube.  She improved ever-so-gradually and finally began to move her limbs and take sips of fluids.  We sent her home after three weeks with her AWESOME parents who promised they would bring her back for follow-up.  They brought her back 10 days later and by then she was eating, talking, and walking with support.  She gave us a scare because we thought she would have permanent damage from the brain infection.  We have yet to see how things will turn out, but she will return to see us again soon.  She has not yet returned to school, but her mother is a teacher and actively involved in caring for her at home.  Thanks for reading!