there's no way to encapsulate how much joy my patients have given me. in an attempt to try, here are a few memories i've collected:
after questioning my 'un-American' last name and launching into a discussion about where I'm from: "so you're from pennsylvania, then? you know those steelers beat my titans last weekend. damn steelers. hey! you see this thing on my finger?" my patient winks and points to his middle finger holding a pulse ox monitor... which he promptly lifts in the air.
78yo gentleman who always introduced himself as private so-and-so reporting for duty: "listen, doc, you've got to get me out of this hospital. i have this lady friend i like to see from time to time. she's probably as ugly as me, but i like her company all the same."
trying to perform a mini-mental status exam on a patient with altered mental status. didn't get very far, but did find out about his unconventional pet: "y'know, when i'm at home, i have this chicken. it's true. it sits outside my window and knows when i'm in bed and when i'm not. when i'm there, the chicken sings to me. i miss my chicken."
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i get this weekend off since it's 'switch' weekend, so henry is taking me to atlanta! we got inexpensive tickets to the braves-PHILLIES game on saturday night. i'm so pumped to get to see my phillies play! we'll also be hanging out with our friend mario (who went to undergrad with Henry). definitely on the itinerary: dim sum. my mouth is already watering. it'll be a great change of pace, at least for the day, and i'll hopefully come back next week refreshed and ready for four more weeks of medicine.
i don't know that i'll ever catch up on all the sleep i've lost over the past weeks, but i'm sort of starting to understand that's part of the cost of having such a satisfying, challenging job. it will all be ok. i'm sure of it.
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