I know that she swears she isn’t making it up, but still I sort of wonder if it’s true.  However, since the only real criteria for a story submission is that it be interesting, this definitely qualifies.  Lauren writes:

This post can go under the heading of stories which prove that truth is indeed stranger than fiction. I returned to work last night for the first time since before Sofia was born (boo hoo). That was upsetting and new for us both but it is not, alas, the subject of this posting.

I was scrolling through my work emails furiously trying to whittle down 400 plus messages that had accumulated during the time I was basking in the glory if a 16 week maternity leave (by the way, thanks Mom for the flowers. They softened the blow a little tiny bit). I found reference to a strange story within the hords of mundane postings and notifications and decided to delve a little deeper by asking my coworkers about it. Luckily for me, the girl who had originally posted the tale was working in my area with me and she was most happy to fill me in, to my initial horror and eventual hilarity.

Apparently, there was a patient admitted to the ER with crushing chest pain or some such malady. She was bundled off to radiology for a CT scan and then sent to the cath lab for a cardiac catheterization. She eventually ended up, after taking a tour through these several areas of the hospital, in the ICU and the very capable hands of Teresa the ICU nurse. Teresa decided, being the excellent nurse that she is, that the patient would enjoy a linen change after her adventures of the day. She therefore turned the patient over in bed only to find a dead cat beneath the patient. Yes, dear reader, I did not mistype. She found a dead cat. Underneath the patient. After the patient had been through the ER, moved to the CT table in radiology (love to see that film someday) and to the cath lab where they insert large-bore sheaths (they are so friggin large that they aren’t even considered needles at that point) into her groin area and finally ended up in the ICU before anyone noticed that there was a deceased domestic animal beneath her. I swear that I do not make this up.

Apparently, an incident report was filled out, the house supervisor was notified, and the animal was disposed of after a quick and appropriately somber moment of silence. And this, I realized, was a clear and obvious message from the cosmos. “Welcome back, Lauren” the cosmos said. “We could tell you were gonna need something like this to get you back into the nursing spirit.” And, suprisingly, it did. You won’t blame me if I feel the need to check beneath my patients for dead animals from now on though.

So… was the cat left on the gurney during her CT scan?  Surely someone would have noticed it on her films, right?  Did the lady know who the cat belonged to or where it came from?  I’m just so perplexed.  More info from Lauren in the comments:  “Further info…the patient was in no condition to be questioned about the kitty, but when a call was placed to the patient’s family they confirmed that they did indeed have kittens running around and one of them was indeed missing.  I think the patient was quite large and was being slid, along with draw sheets and other assorted linens, back and forth to the Ct table and cath lab table.  Presumably, kitty just went along for the ride.  As for the CT film, I’m still wondering about that one.  And no, I’m not a sicko who thinks dead animals are hilarious.  If it had happened while I was there, I would have lost my lunch.  But hearing about it afterwards, with all the gruesome details was kind of…shockingly hilarious I guess.  In a very macabre way.”