randomness | "There Can Be Only One"...and he just checked himself out of the ED.

From Emergency Medicine News:

"Invincibility syndrome: This syndrome is fascinating and defies all our education in trauma care. This is the patient who, despite all his best efforts simply cannot die. He may be a member of the secret sect known as "The Immortals" and be seen in trenchcoat, carrying a sword.

"The case presents like this: Having wrecked his motorcycle in December, 43-year old Barry was thrown through the windshield of another vehicle, out the back window and into a stone wall. He then fell down an embankment into water that was 45F. Discovered in the morning by passersby as he stumbled along the road, he is brought to the ED blue, shivering and constantly asking for a cigarette. On Further examination it turns out he received gunshot wounds to his chest, right leg and left arm at some point during his adventure (of which he has no recollection).

"While you are speaking to the trauma team, this patient manages to drag his backboard to the parking lot to find a light and to make lewd comments to the members of the local women's college track team who are waiting with a friend. Brought back to his room, he lapses into swearing. Fortunately, his unconcealed rage at the universe helps to rewarm his core, and his insistence on smoking while attached to oxygen tubing causes a small fire, further rewarming his airway. He is found to have through-and-through extremity wounds and only a small pneumothorax. When normothermic, he is lucid and signs out AMA (against medical advice) because he 'has some stuff to do, but may come back later.'"

(Thanks to