Estoy leyendo.

One of our Pediatric Surgery Attendings at the hospital is the Clinton's neighbor. I've been assisting him in the OR the past couple of days. It's interesting to hear someone talk about our recent election from the viewpoint of a neighbor. You don't sound more normal than to be called someone's neighbor. When you think of arguably the most powerful position on this Earth, you don't typically think of that position as being held by someone's neighbor.

A couple of recent photos:

 We had our first W.O.W. event of the year. Not everyone was able to make it as presentations were being prepared and traumas came in just at the change of shift, etc. But those who could attended, and we missed those who couldn't.

 I missed the couch on our first attempt at a group photo.

 

 Women Of Westchester (some of them)

 

 My Mom and Dad flew out to visit me last month. They spent a couple of days hanging out and spoiling me. They bought me candy. Made use of the hotel hot tub (see below). And played trivial pursuit until I would fall asleep mid-question. I let my team at the hospital know, and they were real cool with covering at the end of the day to let me leave at 6pm so I'd have as much time as possible to spend with them. It was just two days, but it was pretty cool of them to come see me! Love you Mom & Dad.

Much Love.

Estoy tratando ayudar.

I was on call this past Saturday. It's always a rough time, sometimes worse than others. It didn't help this time that one of my co-interns called his chief at 04:30 am in hysterics. He was about to break, no longer trusted himself with the care of any patient, grabbed his bag and left. It left the rest of us to scramble to cover all of his patients. It's all about prioritizing, and just never stopping.

The weekend passed. Those who needed it took a moment to breathe. I know that I left the hospital Saturday night, wanting to go home and sleep, but drove to CT instead. I just really needed to be with my people on Sunday.  And we all came back today for another day, another week.

In between taking care of my kids I go over to the main hospital and check-in with my co-intern. Get through some pending paperwork for a patient's discharge, whatever he needs. And really just to make sure his head is still attached and he's aware of his feet still under him. It's going to be one day at a time for a little while here.

Watching someone go through these struggles, really renews my caution at encouraging any student towards surgery. It's not fun to watch someone panicking and question their entire life's choices and ability to even continue on. And especially this year, because we did loose an intern last year, I don't want it to become a trend.

Much Love.

Estoy despertando cada mañana como nuevo.

Two individuals. Two surgeries. Two teams. One place. One time. 

My chief assisted one Attending, while standing across the table looking in the opposite direction yet with the exact same view, I stood assisting another Attending. We started the surgery off. We were just the beginning of a day long surgery to separate a pair of twins conjoined at the hip. My Attending and I worked on Blue Baby while at the exact same time my chief worked on Pink Baby. Probably the second time laparoscopic surgery was completed simultaneously on a pair of conjoined twins in the history of the world. The babies took it like a champ... or champs! ;) 

At one point of the surgery my Attending looks up from Blue baby and mentions. "You know... we went through residency, through fellowship, and as an Attending had to work to get here. What did you guys do? You just woke up this morning." 

His point being, that we are two incredibly blessed residents to be in the right rotation at the right time to have an opportunity like this simply handed to us, but there's actually a lot to be said for that. 

There's a lot to be said for simply waking up in the morning. Because once you wake up, you can then choose to get up, and then, to move forward. And who knows what the new day holds for you? If we don't get up in the morning, we'll never find out.

Isaiah 43:19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall he not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. 

My heart is so full right now! There are times when I get to my car at night and take off for home and finally release which ever emotion I've been tamponading all day. Most often it's a cheer, a shot of joy at something new I got to do, or a beautiful surgery I got to witness. Today, "a cheer" didn't come close to covering it. 

Can't wait to wake up tomorrow morning!

Much Love.

Estoy jugando con niños.

Halloween randomly found me making my way home the roundabout way. The dark of night and winding my way through Sleepy Hollow.  The town does well to live up to the story bestowed on it by its name.

Started Pediatric Surgery today. My first time to ever rotate through this service. I have just spent the past four months over in the main hospital with the majority of my time on the surgical floor. I am so welcoming the break and the chance to do something different for a short while. Looking forward to learning something new!

Started off the day pulling a tooth out of a kid's lung. (His younger brother had kicked him in the mouth.) Finished with an appendicitis. Taking care of consults, traumas and the floors in between the two. All-in-all not bad for my first day on Peds.

Tomorrow is a scheduled separation of conjoined twins. Good month to be on Peds Surgery!

Much Love.

No estoy segura.

Acute arterial thromboembolism can cause acute arterial occlusion and in such situations is considered a vascular surgery emergency. The longer the dependent limb or area is without blood supply the higher risk of permanent loss of function. Best case scenario, to the OR emergently with vascular surgery with removal of fresh clot and restoration of blood flow to the dependent area. No harm done. Unfortunately an acute arterial occlusion can present with sudden neurological deficit. For example, sudden loss of sensation and movement of a leg or arm. Followed by frequent misdiagnosis and delayed trip to the OR.

This unfortunately happens too often. Just recently, the Reverend came in and was diagnosed with a stroke, was actually treated for a stroke. It was over 12 hours later, when the pain in his leg continued to persist that a different diagnosis was considered, vascular surgery was called and he was taken emergently to the OR.

The following day, one leg saved, attention turned to the Reverend's other leg. Also compromised, it was in need of emergent intervention. Yet one by one, to my increasing frustration, my Attendings were convinced it was okay.
The Reverend: "It always looks like that." "It turns blue like that when I get out of the shower." "No it doesn't hurt at all."
I'd hate to say that a Reverend would lie... but none of that was true!! The only thing I ultimately could not argue with was... "I don't want anything more done. I don't want surgery."

By the time the Reverend finally did admit that he was having severe pain from the other leg, it was already hurting his heart as well. Which was then hurting his kidneys, and so on and so forth. My Attendings, finally acknowledging the patient needed surgery for the other leg, and... it was too high risk to do anything. Too late.

Did we miss that small window of time immediately after the first surgery, when we could have saved the other leg? With this leg now hurting the heart, at this point should we just take the leg? Life over limb? Or had the initial lost 12 hours doomed us either way?

Ultimately, the only thing that remained in control was the Reverend himself, "I don't want anything more done."
Which can stop the rest of us from action, but can't stop the What if's and why's. I wish I knew those answers.

Much Love.

Estoy pidiendo ayuda.

It's been a week longer than usual. The American College of Surgeons annual meeting was this week and multiple chiefs had decided to attend this year leaving the rest of us scratching our heads each morning trying to figure out case coverage.

The late nights, it is what it is. At sign out the other day I was attempting to sign out to the night intern and all I can remember now is the laughing. We weren't laughing about anything. Just the fact that I was exhausted, and I was hungry, and so I just had to laugh. And God bless her, she just laughed with me. I think I eventually made it through my list...at least I hope I did.

My sister stopped by the hospital!!! She had been vacationing up in Maine. Stopped by the week prior on her way North and now once again while heading back West. Unfortunately due to the busy schedule, we had approximately 15 minutes this time, and even then I was ignoring the fact that my attending was waiting on me to go round. But it was enough time to swallow a sandwich and take a picture. Plus it was just really cool to have my sister stop by all the way out here! It's a first!

Much Love.

Estoy comiendo cupcakes.

I can no longer say I'm 30, but rather I am now "in my 30s" The difference between those two is much more noticeable than I was expecting. At least I can be "in my 30s" for the next 9years though. Maybe I can spend those 9 years catching up in maturity to what 30s stereotypically signifies. But... something in me highly doubts it. Forever young!

That being said, if I am honest with myself, I am a little bit sad to move on from 30. Thirty treated me well. If I look back a year ago at where I was on this day, future still shrouded in the all-too-familiar uncertainty, I have so much to be thankful for. I could spend the rest of my life saying Thank You and not be able to make a dent in acknowledging what Jesus has done for me. I get to be a surgeon some day. I give this path, and my life back to Him in thanks.

Thank you Lord, for granting me yet another year of life. Your blessings and care given so richly. All my Love, Christy

And now since it's that day again. Join me in dancing to my birthday song!! :)


Much Love.