Flash Fiction Challenge: Choose Your Random Sentence (courtesy of terribleminds)
The challenge is to write a story based on a sentence spewed out by this sentence generator.
“THE HYPOTHETICAL RECIPIENT COMPROMISES THE DIAGNOSIS”
October 15, 1995
I stole some medical records from my primary care physician today.
Actually, I am sleeping with a nurse at the office and convinced her to photocopy the medical record of a recently diseased patient which she readily obliged in that tingly, after-sex fog that so definitively suspends our faculties.
I just put in my two weeks, she told me. So what do I care?
I was fogged up too and I don’t know why I did it but I did. And now I’m left to wonder how often the hypothetical recipient compromises the diagnosis and it costs a person their life.
PATIENT CHART Bloomington Medical Group
PATIENT: Dillard, Anthony DATE: September 22, 1995
GENDER: Male DOB: 04/08/1979
STATUS: Active Closed (patient deceased)
PROBLEM HISTORY:
ID: SOUC3 NAME: Osteomyelitis STATUS: Active PRIORITY: High
ID: SOUC1 NAME: Gangrene STATUS: Active PRIORITY: High
VISIT DIAGNOSIS: Progressive Gangrene in left foot as a result of untreated Osteomyelitis. Infection spreading to upper leg, blood stream. Patient’s condition serious. Recommend immediate amputation of left leg at upper thigh.
CHIEF COMPLAINTS: Loss of feeling in left leg, foul-smelling odor, delirium, fever, severe pain, shakes
VITALS: WT: 185 (83.9 kg), HT: 63 (160 cm), TMP: 100.3 (38 C). BP: 145/100
HISTORICAL DIAGNOSIS:
9/20/1995 — Patient admitted to Bloomington General for advanced stage Gangrene
7/25/1995 — Patient admitted to Bloomington General for alcohol poisoning
6/20/1995 — Progressive Gangrene identified, spreading to blood stream
6/10/1995 — Blood work returns positive for gangrene resulting from untreated Osteomyelitis
6/10/1995 — Blood work returns positive for Osteomyelitis at site of proximal phalanx fracture
6/6/1995 — Admitted to Bloomington General for severe dehydration
4/10/1994 — Fractured proximal phalanx of left big toe
ADDITIONAL NOTES: Patient delayed treatment of Osteomyelitis as a result of second opinion. Delay gave time for Osteomyelitis to progress, spread and turn Gangrene. Condition is serious. Containment might no longer be possible.
October 20, 1995
I’ve not talked to the nurse in a while.
I want to give the medical record back so that they can file it away somewhere next to other last names that start with D.
I want to put the recently deceased out of my mind.
I want to forget about Anthony Dillard.
I like how you handled this one! Quite a unique approach I think 🙂 As an aside a couple days ago my brother told me about a coworker who went in to get his toe removed for gangrene and woke up without a leg because the Doctors found it went farther than they thought. Bad stuff.
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@onethemis
First of all, thank you for letting me know that my link was broken the other day.
I appreciate you taking the time to read my work and leave your feedback. The prompt was challenging so I decided to experiment a little with form — I’m glad you enjoyed it.
I am sorry to here about your brother’s coworker–I cannot begin to imagine those first waking moments, not to mention the days immediately following. It’s a reminder to me as a writer to remember that some of the things I put down on paper have happened to me and other people.
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This, Martin, was double hard for me.
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Good interpretation of the prompt sentence. That was a tough one! I especially like how you incorporated the medical record itself into the story. That works very well.
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@LaVagabone
Yes it was a challenging challenge that challenged me. Thank you for reading and taking the time to let me know what you think.
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