Estoy casi al fin.

There's always a moment of of subconscious pause each morning when you pick up your list. What was the damage done overnight? Breath held waiting for the result, is released in one of two ways 1) relief  2) sigh. This summer is proving to be full of trauma. Drug deals gone bad. Hate crimes. And then of course the typical array of motor vehicle collisions and people falling down. My held breath tends to be released with a sigh every morning. Six new names. Seven new names. Only three new names!!  It's even more difficult in my position when the ICUs unload their patients to the floors overnight to make room for all the new admits. My job, to pick up where the ICU left off for those patients. Sigh. It's like Westchester turns into a Trauma factory during the summer. They just keep coming in, and its all I can do to keep them going out at the same rate. If I don't, we drown. It can be stressful. Take today for instance. Two of my discharges were ready to go when I saw them at 6am. But we rounded, then morning report, then rounding with one attending (during which they reminded me they were ready to go), then I had a case, then rounding with the second attending (they were still waiting) and I finally got to sit down at a computer and my co-resident texted me, "Is there clinic today?" I was already 10 minutes late, and clinic was clear across campus. I walked there at the typical brisk pace of someone with somewhere to be... my head hung down. I try so hard, I don't let a minute be wasted. All my notes written by the time morning report is finished. Morning orders in by the time of rounds. Consults called. Dressings changed. Touch base with social work, case management and physical therapy. (Make sure they take care of your patients first ;) While anesthesia is intubating get through as much paperwork as possible on the OR computer. But, you just can't physically do it all. Clinic will take minimum three hours and your lovely patients who were ready to go at 6am, were fully dressed by 9am, will still be sitting there at 4pm, just waiting.  And they look at you like, "why?" FAIL.

Believe it or not, my chief actually helped me out today. Took care of the easy discharges. Then inbetween patients over at clinic, I was able to log on and complete the work for a few others.  And then after all that... at the end of the day... the list is still just as long. Sigh.

Much Love.