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Kimberly D. Manning, MD Profile picture
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11 Dec, 9 tweets, 2 min read
1/
 PM rounds at Grady

Him: "You alright, doc?"
Me: "Me?"
Him: "Yeah you. You seem outta sorts."

*silence*

Me: *smiles* "I'm in sorts I promise. Now tell me--you alright?"
Him: "Me? Feeling a little better."
Me: "How's your wind?"
Him: "Waaay better."
Me: "Yay."
2/
 I sit him up and carefully untie the back of his gown. On cue, he takes breaths in and out as I listen intently.

Me: "Lungs sound good." *moves around to front of chest* "I'm listening to your heart now. You can just breathe regular now."
Him: "Okay."
3/
 After pressing my palm to his chest to feel his heart, I search his chest with stethoscope. Although it's not normal, it hasn't changed. Still he keeps making big gasps, forcing breaths in and out the whole time exaggeratedly.

Me: "Just breath regular, okay?"
4/
 Him: "Sometimes you want to breathe regular but you can't."

*silence*

Him: "Doc Manning?"
Me: "Sir?"
Him: "You okay?"
Me: "I'm okay."
Him: "You sure?"

*silence*

I felt my face getting hot. It embarrassed me that it was so obvious.
5/
 Me: "Just got some bad news is all. About a friend who passed."

*silence*

Him: "I'm sorry."
Me: *tying his gown back* "Yeah. Me, too. Was real good people."
Him: "Kids?"
Me: "Yup."
Him: "Damn."

*silence*

Him: "I knew you was out of sorts when I seent you."
6/
 Me: *deep breath and shrug* "Yeah. You were right, friend."

After that we just sat there for a few moments in silence. Then my patient asked me about my friend. I paused--then told him a really funny story about him.

We both laughed out loud.
7/
 Me: *shaking my head* "That cat was wild. Kept us all laughing nonstop."
Him: "Sound like a cool MF."
Me: *chuckling* “Yeah. . . that he was. And a good friend, too.” *I stared at the floor for a beat then sighed*

*silence*
8/
 He reached out and patted me on my forearm. He stared at me with earnest, brown eyes.

Him: "It's gon' be okay, Doc Manning."
Me: "Yeah. Sometimes you want to breathe regular but you can't. You know?"
Him: *staring at me* "Yeah...I do know."

*silence*

Me: "Thanks, hear?
9/
 If you think the only ones doing the healing are us? Think again. Our patients save our lives every single day.

Damn, they do.

Grateful for the bedside, the patients, & the grace and empathy they extend us.

Pray we can all breathe regular soon.

Yeah.

#humanismalways

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More from @gradydoctor

Kimberly D. Manning, MD Profile picture
8 Dec
1/
 Like many of you, I’m an unapologetic book nerd. I love a good recommendation and love sharing after I enjoy a book.

So check it:

Just finished this book by our very own #medtwitter @AaronLBerkowitz. Here’s my unsolicited review.

(Spoiler alert: I loved it.)
2/
 In full transparency, @AaronLBerkowitz told me (via Twitter) about his recently published book. And because:

1. I like books.
2. I believe #supportisaverb
3. It was on Audible.

I immediately used my November @audible_com credit and gave it a try.

Yup.
3/
 I’ll admit—I’m a fan of @AaronLBerkowitz’ Neuro textbook. But I had no idea what to expect out of THIS particular book.

I mean, even with reviews from everyone from Dr. Paul Farmer himself to @drsanjaygupta, the book nerd in me was skeptical.

IJS
Read 10 tweets
Kimberly D. Manning, MD Profile picture
6 Dec
1/
 PICU rotation, 1998

I leaned over the sink with its rust-stained drain and ran cool water over my hands. Patting my fingertips over my face, I stared in the mirror. I’d been awake for >24 hours. It showed.

I tried to give myself a post-call pep talk.

Me: “C'mon, sis.”
2/
 I was tired. But not just tired from the lack of sleep. It had been a cognitively hard night with sick-sick patients. While it had gone mostly fine, my brain was still steaming. Not to mention the sustained tachycardia I had every time I took call in the PICU.

It was rough.
3/
 This was before duty hours reform. And it’s relevant here is because it explains why I had clinic that afternoon--even though I was post call.

I had just one wish:

To get through rounds in time to finish all my work and avoid having to return to the PICU after clinic.
Read 20 tweets
Kimberly D. Manning, MD Profile picture
4 Dec
1/
 “Now that it’s raining more than ever, know that we still have each other. You can stand under my umbrella.”

– Rihanna

I entered the elevator alone one evening after a long day. Leaning my head back on the wall, I prepared for a peaceful ride to the ground floor.

Yep.
2/
 After passing 6 floors, the lift stopped on the 5th floor. When the door separated, I opened my eyes and saw one of the Grady environmental services employees standing there with two giant rolling trash bins and a bunch of other stuff for cleaning.

He stepped back.
3/
 Him: *waving his hand* “I’m cool, doc. I got a lot of stuff. I'll just get the next one.”
Me: *stepping aside* “Nah. It’s cool. Come on.”

And so he did.

Me: *glancing at him* “You good today?”
Him: “Yes ma’am. ‘Bout to drop this stuff off & go to the hizzouse!”

*laughter*
Read 8 tweets
Kimberly D. Manning, MD Profile picture
2 Dec
1/
 Today is #WorldAIDSDay and I'm reflecting on the time that I got my first voluntary HIV test.

Wait.

I take that back. I am reflecting on the time that I decided to submit a narrative about my experience getting my first voluntary HIV test for publication.

Meta, I know.
2/
 So I'd written this narrative back in 2008. And the fast story is that it was about me being a hypocrite about pressing a patient to be tested for HIV when I had never been voluntarily tested myself. Why?

Because I was scared.

Yup.
3/
 I put that all on paper. Spoke this truth about being afraid and how my fear was rooted in the growing numbers of Black women impacted by HIV.

I mean. That's what I told myself.

But then I asked my colleague/wondertwin @DMalebranche to read it & give me some peer feedback.
Read 10 tweets
Kimberly D. Manning, MD Profile picture
22 Nov
1/
 Stepped onto the Grady elevator last week. A Grady elder tipped his cap to me and nodded.

Me: “Good morning.”
Him: “Good morning, doc.”

*silence*

Him: “I like your hairdo.”
Me: *patting head* “Thanks, sir.”
Him: “I see you let them greys come on in, huh?”

*laughter*
2/
 Me: “Yeah. Went on and let ‘em do what they wanted even at the risk of looking older.”
Him: *scowls* “Older than who?”
Me: “Older than my age. . . or just older than I want to look.”

He turned his mouth downward and nodded.

Him: “Mind me asking your age?”
3/
 Me: *nervous laugh* “I would say guess but I’m scared of what you’ll say.”
Him: *squints* “Hmm. You somewhere ‘tween ‘bout . . .mmm 45, 50 or so.”
Me: “50.”
Him: *nods and shrugs* “Yeah that seem ‘bout right.”
Me: “Wow. That’s cold.”

I laughed. He did not.
Read 8 tweets
Kimberly D. Manning, MD Profile picture
17 Nov
1/
 1st day on a new service:

Me: "Hey there. . . Mr. Jones? I’m Dr. Manning. I’m the new senior doctor on your team."
Him: *arms folded in chair and staring at floor* "Mmm hmm."
Me: “Good to meet you.”

*silence*

I noticed his long, long legs extending across the linoleum.
2/
 Me: “Hmm. Let me guess...are you... 6’4? 6’5?"
Him: *eyeroll*

*silence*

Him: "That's a dumb-ass question.”
Me: “My bad, sir. Guess I was just curious and thought I'd ask."
Him: "Go on and get curious 'bout these lungs, hear?"

Yikes.
3/
 Mr. Jones took exaggerated breaths as I auscultated his back. Lungs had good air exchange. He wasn't requiring oxygen. And, according to the respiratory therapist, he was tolerating less frequent breathing treatments.

This meant he'd be safe for discharge home.
Read 16 tweets

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