I began writing a song last night in the ICU. It's called "Midnight Bronchoscopy." It's blues, based on the alarms of the mechanical ventilator. I'm particularly fond of the alarm progression that, when you let your mind go, almost sounds like the machine is saying, "I-am-not-breath-ing." If anyone with skills can get an mp3 sample of this alarm, I'll cut you in on royalties.
All I know so far is that the song begins, "Midnight bronchoscopy / what have you done to me?" I'm not sure if it's told from the patient's perspective, or that of the sputum-covered student. I think the song should end on an upbeat note, too, with some improved breathing, some samples for micro, and the promise of a portable chest film ruling out bronchopleural fistula.
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