Update and pics

Not sure why blogging has become so difficult to remember to do lately.  Is it just me, or are most of the bloggers I know slowing down a bit? Is facebook usurping the blogosphere? I personally prefer the blog-thing over facebook as a form of updating the masses on personal goings-on, as it's a little bit more substantive than facebook and you're only sharing your life with people who actually care to visit the site. So, despite our lack of posts in some time, we plan on keeping the blog going.

First an update, then some pics.

I've been at the new job now for a little over a month.  Just getting used to the whole being-a-doctor-and-having-responsibility-for people's-health thing. I just finished a few weeks of night-float, which consisted of 16 hour shifts, from 4pm to 8am.  It was kind of a baptism-by-fire deal--thrown into the action from the outset. As rough as the schedule was, it was a pretty good learning experience.  I covered the patients of 10 others doctors each night--typically about 70 patients.  I stayed pretty busy, even in the middle of the night. After all of the pills and IV pushes I've ordered for Haldol, Ativan, Morphine, Dilaudid, Tylenol PR, plus all of the chest x-rays, CT scans, blood cultures, EKGs, cardiac enzymes, nebulizer treatments, and antibiotics--I'm just beginning to not look over my shoulder when the nurse looks at me and asks, "what do you want to do doctor?"

It really hit home the other day. In medical school I saw several patients who come in very sick, and after struggling in the ICU after some time, pass away.  But a few nights ago, a patient I'd been caring for over the course of a week suddenly passed away.  We performed CPR for 45 minutes but were unsuccessful in resuscitating him. He was only 50 and his expiration was unexpected.  It was up to me to inform the patient's next of kin. Telling that man that his brother was gone was the hardest phone call I've ever made.

Anyway, my rotation on night float is over. I had the weekend off so we went to the beach as usual. I actually brought my camera and got some pictures for the first time in quite a while. I've been slacking in that department lately.















We're gonna miss these beach sunsets in Seattle.