Rural Doctoring

The Brave New Hospitalist

If you've been following the details of my little saga closely, you might remember that immediately prior to Noo's illness I was bracing myself to leave Gimbels. Actually, Noo was hospitalized during my last week there, and the emotional upheaval of leaving Gimbels was overshadowed by the emotional turmoil of worrying about her. This was a mixed blessing at best, because now have the relief of knowing Noo is getting better, I still feel unresolved about leaving Gimbels. I suppose this is how the people who believe they were abducted by aliens feel.

Everything is (Sort Of) Back to Normal

Noo is back home, after several days in Macy's rehab unit, during which she received intensive PT and OT to get her well on her way to recovering lost strength. Our dog is ecstatic--Noo is her Person, if you know what I mean--and I notice the cats carry their tails a bit higher now that our little family is reunited.

Noo herself is incredibly upbeat, euphoric from the nectar of survival. I've noticed this in a lot of patients who have survived a critical illness: they awake from ventilator sedation with a sense of amazement at what has happened to them, especially the fact that they are alive to ask the question at all. Life takes on a profound new significance; every taste, every sound, even the aches and pains of ongoing recovery are gifts from this New Life. It is quite a wonderful experience to witness.

So much suspense and turmoil, followed by so much wonder and gratitude, all played against a backdrop of everyday life. I feel like I've been cast in a Shakespearean romance, shipwrecked, stranded, then rescued by benevolent spirits and indelibly transformed. My mind hasn't settled yet.

If Lost, Please Find

Good news: Noo was extubated today and appears to be doing OK from the respiratory standpoint. She might be a tad bit delirious after seven days on the vent, but I give everyone a pass on the day of extubation. It is unrealistic to expect My Dinner With Andre, if you know what I mean.

Because If It Weren't Chaotic, It Wouldn't Be Life

More reasons than usual for the dense silence on this blog lately. Noo was hospitalized last week with severe bilateral pneumonia, intubated, and transferred to Macy's, where she is slightly better and getting tapered off the vent. 

Dr. Wordsmith

The other day I heard one of our nurse's aides use the word "parsimonious" correctly in a sentence and I was stopped in my tracks.

What does it say about American culture that months go by in Rural County with nary a three-dollar word in use? Not that three-dollar words are better than the discount variety, but I miss the wonderful surprise of hearing an ordinary statement expressed in extraordinary words.

Maybe this is why I enjoy the works of Shakespeare. When Falstaff says "I am the veriest varlet that ever chewed with a tooth," oh, how I know how he feels.