Redmond Daze

Every other Thursday our allergy department makes the 15 mile trip to the next town over of Redmond. It takes about 20-25 minutes (depending on traffic) to get there and I spend some of the days thinking about my former life there when I worked at the St. Charles Hospital of Redmond.

Yesterday my thoughts drifted to one of the best doctors with the kindest heart, Dr. Pam Irby. My first day on L & D she introduced herself as Pam. She was down to earth from the moment we met and always had a ready sense of humor. Every time I had a patient of hers I knew the patient would be a fun one and very rarely was I was disappointed.

One night I had just started my shift and in walked an Irby patient and she was not waiting deliver. Second baby and Dr. Irby lived far enough away that we figured she wouldn’t make it. We were right. Our patient delivered and I caught the baby. Dr. Irby arrived just in time to deliver the placenta (give me a few jibs at delivering the baby) and watch another one of her patients walk in the door. Sure enough she was in labor too. Being her hilarious self, Dr. Irby declared she was going nowhere until this next baby was born and “Jami don’t you dare think of delivering this one!!!!” I chuckled and told her I wouldn’t think of it.

Flash forward a few hours and my lady was ready to push. I rushed out called Dr. Irby (who was literally sleeping around the corner in the doctors room) as I was walking back to the room I hear my patient’s husband scream “Nurse!!!” I raced in just in time to see the babies head come out and I manged to get my gloves on in the nick of time to catch the rest of his little body. The poor mom her eyes wide and just a little wild, “I’m so sorry!!! All I did was sneeze!!!” (It was her second baby too, much easier to deliver than a first in most cases) As myself, another nurse and the family busted up laughing at the sheer hilariousness of it all poor Dr. Irby walks in. She gives me a hands on hip fake as can be scowl, “Another one Jami!!!!” and everyone in the room at one time said and pointed at my patient “SHE SNEEZED”! Dr. Irby broke into the biggest grin and laughed hardest of all.

This is why we all loved her. She was never a hog of limelight and was always confident in her nurses. If she knew she needed assistance from the OB Doctors she got it. She was willing to go that extra mile for her patients. She taught me some of the best lessons in L & D and I’ll always be thankful to her for that. Whenever I see a patient of hers come in I always tell them that they have the best doctor on their side and to please give her my best.  Until next time, in the words of my twins, Hasta Pasta!!!!