So-hoooo…Yesterday I was that intern who passed out in a patient’s room. I like to think of myself as someone with a strong stomach, but that’s without adjusting for lack of sleep, a new schedule and emotions. Whoops. Let’s just say I now know what my clinical specialty will probably not be.

Fortunately, if you’re gonna pass out at work, the place to do it is a hospital. Within seconds, there were 5 people who knew exactly what to do hovering over me. It’s kind of ironic that I stayed up late Tuesday night working on an article about juice, only to end up having to drink a bunch of OJ and apple juice while getting my blood pressure taken and finger pricked. As a precaution, I was taken to the ER, but within an hour I was on my way home—in my mom’s car.

Yes, I am 26 years old, but I really appreciated my mom coming from work to get me. After we stopped for something to eat, she picked me up a bunch of snacks to keep in my lab coat pocket and locker for those shaky moments because she read Wednesday’s blog post and knows how I get when I need to eat, which is pretty often. She’s adorable—and she has good taste. I totally didn’t think that snacks would be something I’d have to think about in my internship, but hey, what’s life without surprises?

Every few years I have some kind of episode like that, and the perfect storm leading up to it always looks pretty similar in hindsight. I’m a little embarrassed, but mostly thankful I landed with “a soft thud” (as I was told) and not on my head and I’m happy to be feeling pretty much back to my old self this morning. Still, I’m gonna keep taking it a little easier for a few more days.

At least it’s a good story…

Have you ever passed out at work—or anywhere else? I want to hear your stories!