John P Erwin III MD MBA FACC Profile picture
Sep 11, 2021 10 tweets 5 min read Read on X
On this day, 20 years ago #September11 , I was attending the CVICU Service @BSWHTemple_IMED .

It was a very busy service and I was pre-rounding.

While listening to a patient’s chest, she gasped.

I took my stethoscope out of my ears and looked at a face of a woman in shock🧵
…not #CardiogenicShock , but this shock.

I sat on her bed and we watched together…in shock

I don’t know how many more minutes it was, but I eventually turned back to her.

She hugged me harder than I’ve ever been hugged before or since.

We cried a few tears 2/
I told her that she was going to be alright…that WE were going to be alright & pat her on the shoulder as I resumed my exam.

As I turned to leave the room, the other plane hit. I looked at her & asked her if she was okay we me leaving. She said, “Yes, you have work to do” 3/
I quickly walked out and paged the team together then called my wife while I was awaiting for them to arrive at the nurses station.

One of my nurses put an arm around my waist as I tried to calm my voice and speak to Suzi.

“It’s going to be a long day”, I said. “I love you”3/
Suzi told me she loved me, too and that she would talk to the boys and reassure them that “God’s got this”.

I hugged my nurse and told her the same 4/
My team arrived…ALL in shock having had similar experiences in different patient rooms.

I told them to recognize that we are human & that this most definitely would affect our performance and that we must be mindful of that & that we must concentrate extra hard on our tasks 5/
“Our pts are counting on us to be the calm & their peace”

I asked each of them to debrief on what they were feeling & whether they felt confident in their ability to perform.

I told each to come to me if that confidence waned…& we went on together to save lives that day 6/
A few hours later, my brother called to say that my nephew had been born- healthy and happy.

I checked in on my whole family & my whole team multiple times that day. 7/
I didn’t get home until the wee hours of September 12th & fell asleep in Suzi’s arms.

The STEMI pager went off about 2 hours later and we went on…

…as we have in every day of the #TwentyYears since #September11 2001

I love y’all. ALL of y’all!

Fin/
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Feb 16
There's a Spartan warrior credo, “One who sweats more in training bleeds less in war.”

This saying beautifully encapsulates the essence of medical training.

#MedEd #Medicine"🧵1/6 Image
2/6 Sweating in the context of #MedicalTraining refers to the countless hours of study, rigorous academic discipline, and countless sleepless nights.

It's the hard work we willingly undertake to become adept healers.

#HardWork #Dedication Image
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It's the battle against disease, suffering, and the fragility of human life as well as our own #MentalHealth in running the gauntlet as being healers.

The less we “bleed” here, the more effective we are at saving lives and reducing pain
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A short thread related to a tough day.
1/
13 years ago today, I had an unforgettable experience that has stuck with me to this day.

I was sitting and praying quietly in church during service when someone came in the side door of and screamed, “John, please come outside now!“
2/
I could definitely tell by the tone of voice that something was bad and I sprinted across the church and out the door. I saw one of my very good church friends laying in the parking lot unresponsive with agonal respirations.

I sprinted over to him
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As I embark on #PGY30 , I’m reflecting upon my transition to #Intern year and thinking of the new #Residents starting this week…a short thread 1/

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Also take note of the ppl who treat other staff and patients rudely.

You’re not too young in the game to gently correct them…as you’ve been part of the #HumanRace for a long time. 3/

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I’ve spent a lot of time over the last few days just walking in different environs, observing people, and thinking...a short thread 1/
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