Congrats!

This past weekend was exciting, exhausting, and filled with anticipation.  Saturday began with lunch at the hospital cafeteria with a former co-worker in honor of her birthday.  Her husband contacted me earlier in the week and wanted to send her on a scavenger hunt.  I was to be the messenger and to casually ask her to lunch at our favorite hospital, cause we're crazy like that.  I loved seeing her open her gifts and tears roll down her face as she read the card and the events for the day from her hubby.  After lunch I crammed some studying in for finals that were on Monday.  Later on Saturday I watch my niece and nephew while their parents went to a company Christmas party and I worked on a video for my little brother that he used to propose to his girlfriend :)  I got a call at 12:05am on Sunday from my brother asking me "watcha doin'?" and I heard Jess screaming in the background "we're engaged!"  2011 is going to be an exciting year!  Sunday was spent doing a few more hours of studying and going to an engagement party in honor of  Chuck and Jess.   I still can't believe that my little brother is going to get married!

A cup of cocoa

On a cold, rainy, November morning my little brother and I ran some errands around town.  After walking out of one store with bell ringers at each entrance we commented on the weariness of the weather and the dedication of these volunteers to be standing in bone-cold rain raising funds for an integral organization in the community.  At once, we both had the same idea.  We drove to the closest gas station and fixed two large hot chocolates.  We returned to the store we had just left and were on the lookout for the two men we saw earlier ringing the bells.  As I pulled up to the curb my brother got out with the first cup of piping hot, hot chocolate and handed it to the man.  Even though I could not hear their dialogue, I could read the man’s lips.  He said to my brother as he took his hands out of the warmth of his pocket “ Thank you!  Oh, this is hot!”  His smile, however, said much more.  We circled the lot once more to look for the other bell ringer, who had no doubt stepped inside to warm up a bit and as he emerged, my brother once again got out of the car and presented a cup of hot chocolate to the man.  I share this story not to boast about our good deed, but to share the smiles of two people who made my day much warmer and brighter. 

What can you do today to bring a smile to someone?

Psych Rotation-8 weeks

Daily Schedule: Mon. --> Lecture  Tuesday --> Clinical day from 0645-1315

Actual Schedule: meet at 0655 to get assignments and then report.  

What to wear: Polo and khakis

What's in my pockets:  keys for the locked units

Patient notes you'll be asked to write: GAD score, reason for admission, past history, meds

What to study: Depression, Schizophrenia, Bipolar 

A few unforgettables along the way:  This rotation has taught me to look for themes in conversations and to bring up those themes to the patient as a way to learn more about the patient and what it is they think is going on.    I like to think of it as acknowledging the "elephant in the room" and discussing whatever it may be.  There have been some interesting stories as to why patients were admitted, suicidal ideation, PTSD, psychotic breaks, etc. This rotation has forced me to be the one to initiate conversation, which as uncomfortable as it is, has been a learning experience for me.

Critical Care-12 weeks

I realized that I had not been keeping up a log of my rotations.  Here is the low-down on critical care...

Daily Schedule: Mon. & Wed. --> Lecture  Thursday --> Clinical day from 0645-1530

Actual Schedule: meet at 0645 to get assignments and then report.  Fortunately we did not have to research our patient the day before.  This was really great considering I live 45 minutes from this particular hospital.

What to wear: Scrubs

What's in my pockets:  Report sheet, med book, scissors, alcohol swabs, stethoscope, pens, snack

Patient notes you'll be asked to write: Pathophysiology of disease, VS, I&O, Careplans

What to study: Mostly cardiology since this rotation took place at a heart hospital.  Diabetes and renal issues also deserve a good look through.

A few unforgettables along the way:  I appreciated the opportunity to float to the ED, burn unit, wound clinic, etc.  What I will remember most about this rotation is how on the second day my preceptor assigned me two patients (a big deal for the second day and the first time I had more than one patient)  One patient was a talkative baptist minister and the second was a patient with early onset Alzheimer's who wanted to call home but couldn't remember the home phone number.  It was a mentally and emotionally heavy load.  I didn't have time to review meds. before my preceptor came around and I was blamed for something I didn't do.  The ten weeks that followed were filled with anxiety and fear that each clinical day would be a repeat of this day.  It was for sure traumatic to say the least.  I was so glad to finish this rotation.

Another unforgettable is that I actually saw a PA wearing one of these

Grief and Fear

C.S. Lewis in his writing,  A Grief Observed echos my feelings as of late.

"No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear. I am not afraid, but the
sensation is like being afraid. The same fluttering in the stomach, the same
restlessness, the yawning. I keep on swallowing.
At other times it feels like being mildly drunk, or concussed. There is a
sort of invisible blanket between the world and me. I find it hard to take in
what anyone says. Or perhaps, hard to want to take it in. It is so uninteresting.
Yet I want the others to be about me. I dread the moments when the house is
empty. If only they would talk to one another and not to me . . .

And grief still feels like fear. Perhaps more strictly, like suspense. Or
like waiting; just hanging about waiting for something to happen. It gives life a
permanently provisional feeling. It doesn’t seem worth starting anything. I
can’t settle down. I yawn, I fidget, I smoke too much. Up till this I always had
too little time. Now there is nothing but time. Almost pure time, empty
successiveness . . ."


So I continue onward peddling about different tasks and obligations, like a fine haze contemplating when I will be full again. 

The Crate

The Crate is a fundraising project put on by FAME (Fellowship Association of Medical Evangelism) that runs from October 1- November 9.  In each 24 hour period teams of 4-5 people will take up residence in The Crate relying on social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Blogging, E-mail, and text messaging to raise money for one of FAME's four projects.  Those four projects are:

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  • - Purchase an ambulance for a mission in India.
  • - Renovate an out-patient clinic in Haiti.
  • - Send a crate with medical supplies to Honduras.
  • - Provide scholarship funds for students in Ghana, West Africa.

Tomorrow morning beginning at 8 am, team "Lost Shipment" will enter The Crate to begin 24 hours of fundraising.  Throughout the 24 hours we will also be doing serving projects at the FAME warehouse such as sorting/packing medical supplies and making food bags that will be going to Haiti.  

Would you be willing to help us reach our goal of raising $1,000 in 24 hours?  To donate, go to www.give2thecrate.org  Also, follow us on Facebook!  Search for FAME under causes and keep up with team "Lost Shipment" as we conquer hourly challenges and post videos of our time in The Crate!

Collection

of a few of my favorite photos.