I'm in a rather grumpy mood. I'd like to blame it on the fact that I get to start my vacation this coming Saturday. The closer it is, the harder it is to be content with caring that so-and-so's blood pressure is 164.
With each new consult I tell myself, just a few more days. Just a few more days and then no one will call me. I won't carry a pager. I won't carry a badge. No one will ask anything of me. I won't be expected to perform. I won't be required to fulfill duties.
A short respite during which I can study uninterrupted. It'll be a welcome break. I don't get to travel this year as I did last time, but for good reason. As I just mentioned I plan on studying this break, preparing for the in-service examination at the end of January.
In the meantime... just three more nights. Come on Christy! We got this! We're good! Yes bring on yet another silly, half-prepared consult that won't end up going to the OR anyways! We would love to drop everything we are doing to address your concern. We can handle it! We can handle anything!
Much Love.
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
Estoy corriendo escaleras.
I get to finish out 2015 on nights at St. Vincent's. Of course my Attendings have completely booked the ORs with the biggest bestest cases this week. Every night I start thinking maybe I'll stay and do a case or two post call. Then every morning comes and all I want to do is sleep. Must. take. more. caffeine.
Last night at 10pm I get a page from medicine. Poor timing on their part is beside the point. Some guy had been trying to shoot himself up, missed the vein and instead now has a golf ball size abscess in his arm. I called my senior so I could verbally trouble-shoot possible complications considering its proximity to the cephalic vein. Such as, what if this lump was not an abscess but a pseudoaneurysm, or the best move to get control should I hit the cephalic.
After gathering supplies in the ED, my senior thought it a great idea to then run up the stairs to the 10th floor. Brilliant. Not so brilliant. In my out-of-shape state my heart was pounding so hard my hands shook. I then had to take up a scalpel and stab a guys arm. :/
Thankfully, while I stabbed, my senior gave the patient a lecture on how dangerous IV drug abuse is, and how lucky he is this infection didn't go straight to his heart. In the end, the pus came out while the blood stayed in... well, most of it at least. ;)
Don't Do Drugs Kids!
Much Love.
Last night at 10pm I get a page from medicine. Poor timing on their part is beside the point. Some guy had been trying to shoot himself up, missed the vein and instead now has a golf ball size abscess in his arm. I called my senior so I could verbally trouble-shoot possible complications considering its proximity to the cephalic vein. Such as, what if this lump was not an abscess but a pseudoaneurysm, or the best move to get control should I hit the cephalic.
After gathering supplies in the ED, my senior thought it a great idea to then run up the stairs to the 10th floor. Brilliant. Not so brilliant. In my out-of-shape state my heart was pounding so hard my hands shook. I then had to take up a scalpel and stab a guys arm. :/
Thankfully, while I stabbed, my senior gave the patient a lecture on how dangerous IV drug abuse is, and how lucky he is this infection didn't go straight to his heart. In the end, the pus came out while the blood stayed in... well, most of it at least. ;)
Don't Do Drugs Kids!
Much Love.
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Estoy una nube.
On those particularly crazy busy days. Those days when the traumas don't seem to stop. We look for a reason why. Why does it never stop? And usually we settle on the ominous "black cloud." The said "cloud" being a specific resident or Attending who when they take call coincides with these difficult days/nights.
I say "coincides" as if it happens by chance. But it's legitimate enough that I inwardly grown when I see certain names on call, because I know to expect a super busy shift.
At Westchester the trauma team actually made it official this year. They got a black cloud pin and at the end of each month they tally traumas for each Attending and award the black cloud to whomever saw the most trauma that month.
Today though we gave the black cloud a break and blamed the Winter Solstice instead. The earth rotated with too dramatic of a jolt. All those unsteady of cane and wobbly of knee hit the ground hard.
Much Love.
I say "coincides" as if it happens by chance. But it's legitimate enough that I inwardly grown when I see certain names on call, because I know to expect a super busy shift.
At Westchester the trauma team actually made it official this year. They got a black cloud pin and at the end of each month they tally traumas for each Attending and award the black cloud to whomever saw the most trauma that month.
Today though we gave the black cloud a break and blamed the Winter Solstice instead. The earth rotated with too dramatic of a jolt. All those unsteady of cane and wobbly of knee hit the ground hard.
Much Love.
Monday, December 21, 2015
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Estoy almorzando.
Something that has become important to me this year of residency is Team Lunch. I can't recall any team lunches my entire intern year. Not sure why. Food is good. We should eat food.
Granted lunch doesn't happen everyday let alone team lunch, but when it does it's a wonderful thing. The months when Adi and I were on the same team, Adi really made an effort to make sure we got lunch as often as possible. We eventually had put together a group text and started announcing team lunch to all the teams, and we'd get a few each time come and join us.
One thing I've noticed about Team Lunch. (other than food is good.) You're sitting around a table, eating, talking and laughing. By the end of the month the team has become a family. In my experience it only takes a couple. So out of a whole month, manage to grab a Team Lunch two to three or four times and it'll strengthen the team as well as your bodies. Like I said, food is good!
This month at Bridgeport one of our interns is an orthopod rotator. Really nice guy, good worker no one has any complaints. But he always made as quick an exit as possible. Nothing wrong with that. Then today we made some major progress!! At the end of the day when the night resident arrives it's always a question of timing between food (do people have time to get food before the cafeteria closes?) and running the list. This evening I made the decision to run the list first so we could hand off the pager to the night resident and then before any more consults came in go grab food as a team. I knew that by running the list first I was running the risk that our ortho friend would take off on us, but he didn't! He even commented on it himself saying, "I'm still here! Progress!"
Progress, indeed. I tell you my friends. You need a team building exercise? Team Lunch is a beautiful thing.
Much Love.
Granted lunch doesn't happen everyday let alone team lunch, but when it does it's a wonderful thing. The months when Adi and I were on the same team, Adi really made an effort to make sure we got lunch as often as possible. We eventually had put together a group text and started announcing team lunch to all the teams, and we'd get a few each time come and join us.
One thing I've noticed about Team Lunch. (other than food is good.) You're sitting around a table, eating, talking and laughing. By the end of the month the team has become a family. In my experience it only takes a couple. So out of a whole month, manage to grab a Team Lunch two to three or four times and it'll strengthen the team as well as your bodies. Like I said, food is good!
This month at Bridgeport one of our interns is an orthopod rotator. Really nice guy, good worker no one has any complaints. But he always made as quick an exit as possible. Nothing wrong with that. Then today we made some major progress!! At the end of the day when the night resident arrives it's always a question of timing between food (do people have time to get food before the cafeteria closes?) and running the list. This evening I made the decision to run the list first so we could hand off the pager to the night resident and then before any more consults came in go grab food as a team. I knew that by running the list first I was running the risk that our ortho friend would take off on us, but he didn't! He even commented on it himself saying, "I'm still here! Progress!"
Progress, indeed. I tell you my friends. You need a team building exercise? Team Lunch is a beautiful thing.
Much Love.
Saturday, December 12, 2015
Estoy aprendiendo.
The role of the resident and the role of the Attending varies from surgery to surgery and is typically dictated by the familiarity of the Attending with any particular resident. In other words, the more you scrub with an Attending, the more comfortable that Attending gets with you and the more he/she will allow you to do in surgery. Or so it typically goes.
Usually the last and final element of a particular surgery relinquished by an Attending into the hands of a resident is the most high-risk part. For example, in the case of a cholecystectomy (removal of a gallbladder) this would be isolating and ligating the Cystic Duct and Cystic Artery. I finally got to do this myself just this past Friday. Afterwards, my attending said that my every move had given him a heart attack. He was being facetious... I think. I hope.
I can understand why an Attending doesn't just hand over the knife to any resident, but at the same time... they should. I'm halfway through my second year of residency and have finally done my first gall bladder from start to finish. That's too late in my opinion. But finding that Attending who will relinquish control and at the same time have the patience to let us learn... a more rare finding unfortunately.
I'm back in Bridgeport for the month of December. In months past, I've rented a room across from the hospital for my rotations here. This December I get to stay with Jenna Wiegand. Jenna moved to the East Coast this past summer from Oregon to work for a company based out of CT and lives 10 miles from the hospital.
Taking a walk with Jenna. Crossing the Housatonic River.
Usually the last and final element of a particular surgery relinquished by an Attending into the hands of a resident is the most high-risk part. For example, in the case of a cholecystectomy (removal of a gallbladder) this would be isolating and ligating the Cystic Duct and Cystic Artery. I finally got to do this myself just this past Friday. Afterwards, my attending said that my every move had given him a heart attack. He was being facetious... I think. I hope.
I can understand why an Attending doesn't just hand over the knife to any resident, but at the same time... they should. I'm halfway through my second year of residency and have finally done my first gall bladder from start to finish. That's too late in my opinion. But finding that Attending who will relinquish control and at the same time have the patience to let us learn... a more rare finding unfortunately.
I'm back in Bridgeport for the month of December. In months past, I've rented a room across from the hospital for my rotations here. This December I get to stay with Jenna Wiegand. Jenna moved to the East Coast this past summer from Oregon to work for a company based out of CT and lives 10 miles from the hospital.
I have never before appreciated large blow up Christmas yard decorations. But for some reason on a corner balcony... it's perfect!
Just to give you a visual image of the kind of chica I'm staying with this month...
She puts together amazing things like this.
A Hot Chocolate Bar and cozy night for the single sisters of the Rockville church.
Attempting to spread some Christmas cheer at work! ;)
Much Love.
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