Dr Okafor had a full list on Thursday. A planned knee reconstruction, two smaller cases, and a student observing for the first time. Leaving home at 6am meant waking at 5:15, and at 10pm she set the alarm on her wrist, kissed her sleeping daughters goodnight and went to bed early.
At midnight, the hospital phoned. A patient had come in needing emergency surgery, and she was the one on call.
Home at Three
She got in at ten past three, exhausted and wired in the way only theatre can leave you. In the dark kitchen she plugged her phone into the charger by the fridge, so the light wouldn't wake her husband, and she went straight upstairs.
She never set the phone alarm. Of all the things she did that night, it was the one she forgot.
At 5:15 the bracelet buzzed against her wrist. She sat up in the dark, confused for a second, then remembered. She had set that alarm at 10pm, five hours and one emergency ago, and had not thought about it since.
She was in theatre by 7:20. The student said later that she looked far calmer than anyone who had been up half the night had any right to.
A Quick Honest Note
When patients are involved, one device should never be the only safeguard. Dr Okafor still runs a second alarm somewhere else in the house, and no wrist alarm can promise to wake every sleeper after a night like that.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can a doctor wake early without waking the family?
A silent wrist alarm alerts only the wearer, so partners and children can keep sleeping.
Should I rely on one alarm before an early operating list?
No. Keep a backup until you have seen how a new alarm works for you.
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