Editor's note: This story contains very graphic descriptions of emergency room situations.

SALT LAKE CITY — I can’t tell you how many times I have been asked, “So what is the grossest thing you have ever seen?” I’m not sure what fascinates people so much to actually ask — and want to know the answer — to this question. It is also ironic that after I tell them, many times, with disgusted looks on their faces, they seem to regret asking the question in the first place.

Gross is also a relative term. Gross to me might be different than gross to you. Gross to me is giving someone an enema or getting vomited on. It is not someone’s hand getting chopped up in a meat grinder and seeing their fingers hanging on by the skin only. That, to me, is cool.

Truth is, after five years in an emergency department I have seen some very “gross” things, things that might make most people pass out or vomit (which I have seen). For most of us, we look at it and think, “how cool.” If you ever see emergency staff get excited about something or hear us talk about how “cool” something is, you know it’s probably something gross.

Allow me to give two answers to the intriguing question most of you would like to ask, “What is the grossest thing you have ever seen?”

About four years ago we were in the trauma bays trying to resuscitate a man that had been shot in the upper-right chest. He was bleeding severely and the only thing left to do was a thoracotomy. A thoracotomy, also known as “cracking the chest,” is performed by the trauma surgeon only when there are not many other options left.

I had the opportunity to be doing CPR on this gentleman as the trauma surgeon moved his way to the left of the patient, took a scalpel, and cut across his chest from the right side to the left side. He then grabbed a device that he stuck in between two ribs, grabbed a hammer-like utensil, and proceeded to break all his ribs and expose his entire chest cavity.

Tales from the ER:

Tales from the ER: Nurses are patient advocates

Nurses save lives. There is no doubt about it. Everyone who comes to the ER comes to see the physician but many times fails to recognize how much the nurse is working on their behalf on the outside.

I’m sure if a picture of me was taken at that moment it would have showed my eyes popping out of my head and my mouth gaping open. Blood splattered all over the floor as if a bucket had fallen off the gurney and onto the floor. The patient’s lungs were fully exposed and could be seen rising and falling in perfect harmony with the mechanical ventilation that was supporting his breathing. His heart was also exposed but was slightly obscured by another trauma surgeon’s hand, which was continuing internal compressions.

This was an amazing moment for me because it was the first time in my life I witnessed something like that. This man, unfortunately, did not survive.

The second incident also happened about four years ago. A gentleman attempted suicide by shooting himself under the chin, pointing the gun toward his brain. However, the gun kicked forward, making the entry wound under his chin and exit wound out his left eye. It also happened to take most of the left side of his face. Since it did not touch his brain, he remained fully conscious during the entire ordeal until shortly after his arrival in the ER.

I will never forget the moment I walked into that room and looked at his face. I honestly couldn’t tell what some of the facial structures where. He was bleeding profusely and was awake but unable to talk because of the absence of his tongue and most of his jaw.

I hope I did not gross you out too much, but now your long-awaited question has been answered. I hope you feel satisfied.

While these stories can be gross, rough and tough to hear, this is the life of an ER nurse.

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