A Temperature Of 103 Degrees

A Temperature Of 103 Degrees

A raging fever burns within me, and my health is broken. Psalm 38:7

“Nurse, how many patients have we seen today?”

“Forty and counting. The waiting room is standing room only.”

“Does everyone in the county have the flu?” I asked. But she had already moved on to the next room.

I was the only doctor available in the entire county that day. The other two were out. One had just finished a twenty-four-hour shift, and the other had the flu.

As I continued to see patient after patient and write the same prescription—Tylenol, fluids, and rest—it occurred to me that everyone seemed to have the exact same temperature: 103 degrees. After seeing a dozen more patients with the same readings, I said, “Is our thermometer broken, or does everyone have a fever of 103?”

“We use more than one thermometer,” the nurse said, chuckling.

Still, it bothered me. With this many people presenting the exact same symptoms, my fear was that something other than the flu would slip by undetected.

By late afternoon, I was weary of repeating myself, and we were all tired from the pace we’d been keeping. “Who’s next?” I asked the nurse.

“Patient ninety-three. Same complaints: sore throat, fever, temperature of 103.”

When I entered the room and saw an older gentleman, I sensed that something different was going on here. Though his symptoms sounded the same, he seemed a little more lethargic than the other patients I’d seen. I did the exam, paying special attention to his head, neck, and throat. When I pulled out the hospital admission forms, the nurse looked at me as if to say, Why are you admitting him? He has the same symptoms as everyone else!

“Sir, I’m going to admit you and run some tests. Your neck is stiff. I want to check for meningitis.”

Meningitis is a serious and life-threatening disease if not treated with IV antibiotics. At the hospital, the test results validated my instincts: meningitis. The next morning, the man’s condition was much improved. Had we sent him home, he might have had a very different outcome. I thanked God for the nudge. Without his help, the diagnosis would have been easy to miss.

TODAY’S RX

Not all fevers are the same, and not all individuals are the same. We need to see others as God sees us—as individuals.

Help me to be alert and aware, Lord, as I go about my day and do my work. Ease my stress, and remind me that you are with me every step of the way.