I guess I'm finally getting a Chicago winter. My roommates are forcing their down winter coats on me. I was hesitant at first simply because I didn't like the idea of wearing someone else's coat when I have a perfectly good one. But I'm so thankful for it now. I am so thankful to live with indoor heating again.
I scrubbed in for my first 9 hour surgery this week. I knew I was free to take a break whenever I needed to, but I really just didn't want to. I didn't want to miss a single one of the 540 minutes we were there. My feet hurt afterwards. Maggie was attending a worship night that evening, and I originally considered just staying home, but then felt like a hypocrit for considering it. One of my biggest whines about GDL is that there's zero singing and close to zero fellowship so I couldn't pass up the opportunity. So I went and enjoyed it, but the entire time was leaning forward with my hands on the bench in front of me trying to displace as much weight as possible trying to find the least painful way to stand.
I also got to scrub in for my first noncardiac surgeries. Both very interesting as I got to see a whole new side of CardiacThoracic Surgery. One particular one neither surgeon really knew what they were doing. So I got to work through the problem with them as they had to ultimately decide on a solution, which they don't actually know if it really is a "solution." Only time will reveal.
All of these experiences are really helping me and teaching me. I'm here not just to learn pediatric cardiothoracic surgery, but to learn how medicine in the States works. The expectations and roles of the different levels of medical providers. How everyone works together. How they work individually. At times it feels like I'm on a tour, but the tour is on a tour bus and it's going so fast all I can manage to do is catch glimpses of everything.
Hasta!
No comments:
Post a Comment