Some days are simply endless. The only way is to begin at one end of the hospital and slug your way through. And tweet as you go.
ruraldoctoring
Good morning. I feel like death warmed up. At least the coffee is brewing.
06:57 AM September 26, 2008
ruraldoctoring
This is some of the best coffee I've EVER brewed.
ruraldoctoring
I confess, I like my coffee stand-a-spoon-up strength. I like the
liquid to be almost opaque. When I add creamer, it should turn taupe.
ruraldoctoring
Walked into hospital vowing not to let the place annoy me. Got to med/surg, assailed by RNs, annoyed already.
ruraldoctoring
Do NOT expect all my discharges to be done by 11am if everyone goes into rapid Afib the moment I walk through the door.
ruraldoctoring
Going to be one of those "no time to pee" days.
ruraldoctoring
Delirium has invaded Med/Surg.
ruraldoctoring
Feeling grim and pessimistic, obviously. Probably b/c I just talked to ICU pt family about withdrawing care.
ruraldoctoring
Rapid Afib pt has converted back to sinus.
ruraldoctoring
All my octegenarians are succumbing to delirium.
ruraldoctoring
What I need are a bunch of gregarious volunteers to come in during
daylight hrs and play Go Fish and checkers with my octogenarians.
ruraldoctoring
Sometimes I answer so many questions about patients BEFORE I see them
that I begin to think I have ALREADY seen them when I haven't.
ruraldoctoring
Withdrawing care from ICU pt. A very loving and reasonable family. We'll see how pt does, but no reintubation planned.
ruraldoctoring
All comfort measures, obviously.
ruraldoctoring
4:15pm and only 8/17 patients seen. This is not good.
ruraldoctoring
In search of V/Q scan results.
ruraldoctoring
Still no V/Q scan report. Going to round on my rocks.
ruraldoctoring
(Rocks=affectionate term for pts who have been here a long time or are going to be here a long time. c.f. "rock garden")
ruraldoctoring
V/Q scan normal, now I've seen 11/17. Not a statistic I am particularly proud of.
ruraldoctoring
My feet hurt even though I'm wearing my unsexy Z-coil shoes.
ruraldoctoring
I just met a woman whose neck is wider than the circumference of her
head around the temples. This should be diagnostic of sleep apnea.
ruraldoctoring
6:20pm, only 12/17 patients seen and I still have to talk to ESLD pt about hospice.
ruraldoctoring
Winter must be coming, this is the kind of hospitalist service that comes with falling leaves and fallow land.
ruraldoctoring
Finished take-out sushi dinner. I feel semi-human again.
ruraldoctoring
Problem with being at hospital this long is it almost becomes easier to
stay than to try to go home. I remember same during residency.
ruraldoctoring
16/17 patients seen by 7:53pm, however still only 12/17 notes.
ruraldoctoring
From the Patently Obvious Department: alcohol is a terrible drug and
the disease burden it causes on the healthcare system is overwhelming.
ruraldoctoring
14/17 notes written, 16/17 patients seen, despair has converted to resignation.
ruraldoctoring
16/17 patients seen AND notes written. One more to go and I have to dictate, bill, and pack up my mobile office.
ruraldoctoring
The truly depressing thing is, I have to be back tomorrow morning and it is already bedtime.
ruraldoctoring
I have to suck it up. This is what it is going to be like from now until Groundhog Day.
ruraldoctoring
Guess where I am? Still at hospital! HAHAHAHAHA!
ruraldoctoring
10:10pm 17/17 pts seen, notes written, going home.
Keeping track of my day, and saving the tweets, helps me remember one essential medical truism: It Could Be Worse.
Hey, Dr. Chan... my neck was big like that at one time. Yes, I did have sleep apnea, but the reason my neck was so big was from Cushing's. It took years before anyone figured that out. I now have a pretty neck again!
I know those patients have no clue what your day is like, but as a patient, I just want to say "thanks"... I appreciate it for them, and I've learned to be more appreciative of my docs.
Posted by: Robin | September 30, 2008 at 05:02 PM
Another great medical truism:
"The longer you stay, the longer you stay."
Perhaps the rocks could write their own notes.
Posted by: Doc | September 30, 2008 at 12:48 PM