Today was the day. I rolled out of bed and coffee in hand stumbled into the hospital, my heart rate an uptick faster than normal. I received the consult last week, an incidentally found mediastinal mass, and initially didn't pay it much mind. Probably was trying to get my work done, but when I sat down to actually investigate the case..... I eventually came to the conclusion and texted my Attending, "I think he needs surgery. Can we do it next Tuesday?" To which he responded, "yes" like any good Attending would do. But I'll be honest, I was nervous. A new feeling for me. There is always a normal healthy appreciation for the potential risks of any operation, but this one was different. For days I had been praying for this kid. I am unable to expound per se on my mental exercises in preparation, but the nervousness stuck with me.
The surgery went beautiful. So elated I was when we finished that I told my attending I could hug him. I was so happy. I believe he was just as happy, and confessed he himself had never done such a surgery either. I'm so glad he told me that only after the case was already over. I find I am able to permit myself an increased boldness in my surgery if I feel like there would be someone to get me out of a sticky situation. Whereas, if I can not rely on my Attending, my boldness is limited to what extent I feel I can get myself out of a sticky situation.
I was able to book a handful of nice cases for my last week on surgery residency. The above mentioned case just one of the handful. Otherwise we've had our days of outpatient cases, and then of course our daily appy's. For the first 4weeks I was on service we had avoided the horrible perfed appys. Then two weekends ago, someone put out a special of two perfed appys for the price of one, and the bellys full of pus came rolling in. We are still working to get them home again. Unfortunately, with a perfed appy, there's not actually much we can do in that aspect. It's a waiting game. Although sometimes we have to intervene. For example, one perfed appy last week, was a rather large child. No joke... way bigger than I am. And he couldn't not eat. Seriously, he would eat, then vomit. Eat again, then vomit again. Eat. Vomit. Eat. Vomit. We finally cancelled his diet order. I usually like to leave a diet order on, as long as I can trust the child to eat only as he/she desires and not a bit more. But I guess, it's not always as clear to a child that they should not eat if it's making them sick.
Love and Prayers!
3 days!
No comments:
Post a Comment